The Harman Group celebrates groundbreaking of The National in Old City

Philadelphia — The Harman Group, a firm specializing in structural engineering, parking planning and design and construction engineering, celebrated the groundbreaking of The National, a six-story, 192-unit apartment building, on June 9. The building is being constructed at the former site of the National Products Company, a restaurant supply company, which was an integral part of Old City, Philadelphia.

The multi-family residential project will include retail and amenity spaces on the first floor, residential apartments, and a two-level underground parking garage.

The Harman Group is providing structural engineering services for this project, which is being developed by The Buccini/Pollin Group, Inc, in partnership with AFL-CIO Building Investment Trust. The structural system designed by The Harman Group will use structural steel for the first floor and parking garage and cold-formed bearing walls and wood trusses for the upper five floors.

The Harman Group also provided some parking planning consultation to the architects on this project, BartonPartners.

“We’re excited to help re-imagine this historic Philadelphia building,” says Jason Squitiere, Project Manager. “From recreating the original storefront along the 2nd street elevation to conducting community outreach, we’ve taken every step to make sure this project fits into Old City’s current landscape, while honoring its past.”

After more than a decade of delayed redevelopment plans, and with approval from the Philadelphia Historical Commission, the original structure’s iconic orange tile storefront will be reconstructed with more sustainable materials on the N 2nd Street elevation.

This will be The Harman Group’s second project in Old City, as they were also the structural engineers for The Bridge on Race. The National will be located at N 2nd Street and Arch Street.

The National is set to top off in late 2017, and slated to celebrate its grand opening in mid to late 2018.