A wave of new rentals is headed for Mount Vernon, as a Pennsylvania developer has started work on a 240-unit apartment community called Liberty Crossing on Newark Road. The complex is expected to significantly expand the city’s rental stock and marks the latest phase of a master-planned neighborhood that local officials have championed to relieve workforce housing shortages.
According to Columbus Business First, York, Pennsylvania-based Inch & Co. has broken ground on the 240-unit Liberty Crossing apartment community, the company’s first project in Ohio. The outlet reports that the development will feature a range of unit sizes and amenities aimed at working renters and will sit within the larger Liberty Crossing site.
Part of a Larger Liberty Crossing Plan
The Liberty Crossing master plan covers roughly 100 acres and calls for hundreds of homes, including single-family lots, patio homes, townhouses and multifamily apartments, according to Knox Pages. City council has already created a New Community Authority and signed off on tax-increment financing tools to help fund roads, turn lanes and other infrastructure tied to the project.
Inch & Co. Expands Beyond Pennsylvania
Inch & Co. lists development, construction and property-management divisions on its company site, along with projects across Pennsylvania and the Southeast, highlighting the firm’s expansion beyond its home base. Its full portfolio is shown on Inch & Co..
Where the Homes Are Coming From
Single-family and patio homes at Liberty Crossing are already being marketed by national builder D.R. Horton in a section branded The Oaks at Liberty Crossing, with a sales office on Appletree Way, according to community listings on NewHomeSource. The multifamily portion led by Inch & Co. is planned next to that for-sale neighborhood and is intended to widen the range of housing options in Mount Vernon.
Timeline and Local Costs
Mount Vernon officials have debated who should cover the bill for turn lanes and other upgrades, and council records indicate the first multifamily units are expected later this decade. As Knox Pages reported, council approved legislation to fold Liberty Crossing into the city’s New Community Authority and to set up TIF districts that will capture taxes from new development to pay for infrastructure.
Developers and city leaders contend that projects like Liberty Crossing are meant to help local employers attract and keep workers, while residents will be keeping an eye on how traffic patterns and tax assessments shake out. Inch & Co.’s arrival in Mount Vernon introduces a new player to the local development scene and may hint at rising interest in Ohio’s smaller metros from East Coast builders.
