PRESS RELEASE: Franklin Celebrates Grand Re-Opening of Liberty Building
FRANKLIN, Pa. (EYT) - Franklin celebrated the Grand Re-Opening of the Liberty Building earlier this week.
On August 7, Deep Harbour Properties (DHP), a local real estate management company and the City Of Franklin, PA celebrated the Grand Re-Opening of the Liberty Building, a five story, 30,000 sq ft., office building in the heart of the downtown historic district.
The Liberty Building had suffered more than $1 Million dollars in damage from a fire in February of 2013. At the time, the City and Franklin residents held their breath to learn what would happen to the largest commercial building and historic structure in their city.
Mayor Doug Baker spoke at the Grand Re-Opening Ceremony and thanked the DHP partners for their dedication to the Franklin community and their $1.4 Million investment to bring the Liberty Building back to life. Mayor Baker announced that he and the Franklin City Council had declared August 7th, Deep Harbour Properties Day, a proclamation in honor of DHP’s commitment to the welfare and economic development of the City.
The Liberty Building was constructed in 1907 and has been an important center of banking and commerce in Franklin and Venango County for more than 100 years. DHP purchased the property in 2005 and immediately began a program of rehabilitation. The latest renovations from the fire give the building an entirely new infrastructure.
DHP’s Executive Partner, Dave Dworkin, said, “with its entirely new electrical plant, plumbing, windows, roof and high tech network connectivity, the Liberty Building may have historic charm, but it has now taken its place in the 21st century as well.”
The “new” Liberty Building boasts a conference center, common break areas and the Liberty Vault, a ground floor shopping center, named to pay tribute to the buildings heritage.
Mike Sarna, DHP’s VP of Operations, announced at the event that the Liberty Building will also “go green” in 2015, with several projects in the works, including solar panels for alternate energy, green roofs and living walls, “Our goal is to make the Liberty Building a showcase of technologies that reduce our carbon footprint and use the resources abundant in our region to drive down energy consumption.”
Duquesne University hosted a seminar on alternate energy called “Go Green” in the Liberty’s Buildings new conference center immediately after the Grand Reopening Event.
