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Officials partner to keep Carlisle in business
John Hilton//August 11, 2014//
Listen to this articleThe three-story duplex has been vacant for about 12 years, said Rebecca Yearick, downtown program services manager for the Cumberland County Housing and Redevelopment Authorities.
“It’s also blighted and condemned,” she added. “As if one wasn’t enough.”
The building may finally see activity once again if plans put forth by a New Jersey couple are realized. Eric and Kathleen Storms want to renovate the second floor for two upscale apartments, then turn the first-floor space into a restaurant, with a liquor license and a bar.
The Storms — Eric grew up in Dillsburg — were visiting Carlisle a few years ago and stayed at the Carlisle House, a bed-and-breakfast across South Hanover Street from the dilapidated building, then owned by Fred Dotts.
“We walked out the front door, and as we started to walk downtown, we saw the Dotts house for sale and we called the number on the sign and Fred answered,” Eric Storms recalled.
But Dotts would not yield from his $140,000 asking price, he said.
“Over the course of two years we talked to him a few times and we couldn’t agree on a price,” Storms said. “Then he passed away and we bought the house from his daughter.”
The couple paid $67,500. Renovations are underway, with the Storms set to sink up to $150,000 of their own money into cleaning out the building, fixing a hole in the roof, restructuring the interior and installing new mechanical systems. So far, about 25 tons of junk and dry wall have been removed.
The Project Guy LLC, owned by Dana Storms, Eric’s brother, is serving as general contractor. Phase two will involve transforming the building into apartments and the restaurant.
“The initial renovation, which makes the building inhabitable and gets it off the blighted list, we’ll fund that,” Storms said. “Then we’re looking for a public-private package for the business.”
