Principal Place on Saxonburg transforms former elementary school for commercial use
Developers Robert and Kim Bartolacci are breathing new life into a prominent Indiana township building that is nearing its centenary milestone.
A 96-year-old former elementary school on Sachsenburger Boulevard will become the main square on Sachsenburg, housed on two hectares and intended as a community-centered trading center.
“Our plan is to transform the ADA-unfriendly facility into an accessible facility while preserving its beauty,” said Robert Bartolacci of Fox Chapel.
The project currently under construction is located a short distance from Route 910, directly across from Dorseyville Middle School and Hartwood Elementary.
The site began life in 1925 and operated as a primary school for decades. Purchased by a doctor in the 1970s, the building was converted for commercial use that included a social welfare office, medical laboratory, and dental practice.
According to the Allegheny County Real Estate website, the Bartolaccis bought the website for $ 380,000 in 2019.
Her intent was to remodel it for health or educational purposes, though all renters are welcome, Bartolacci said.
Spanning 12,000 square feet, the building is flush with natural light due to the expansive 9-foot windows that mostly cover the front facade.
The interior has four-meter-high ceilings, a reversal of the earlier decor, which, as was common in the 1970s, lowered the ceilings and built in small windows.
“As part of our beautification / restoration, we raised every ceiling above the window surfaces and installed all new windows,” he said.
Due to Covid-19 concerns, recirculation systems outperform building codes by up to 300%, Bartolacci said.
An elevator was also installed for better accessibility.
“In the past, you had to either go down or up a flight of stairs to enter the building,” said Bartolacci.
“There was no adequate way a person in a wheelchair or with a severe disability could access it.”
The contractors have downgraded the quality of the entire property by about 1.5 meters and added two entry vestibules with wide doors to make the first floor easy for everyone to access, Bartolacci said.
They also added ADA parking near the entrance and made the driveways wide enough for vans to access.
54 parking spaces are available for employees and visitors.
Three tenants have already registered. All three are entrepreneurs.
Life in Motion Gym is a physiotherapy group that specializes in people with limited access and mobility issues. OR Wellness offers a combination of counseling, education and wellness courses and is planned to move in in October; Aplomb Pilates is slated to open in November.
“It’s a pretty synergistic situation for each of them,” said Bartolacci.
He added that tenants are encouraged to use the campus green spaces whenever possible for their business, customers and personal wellbeing. Current tenants have expressed an interest in hosting classes on the site that used to be a playground / baseball field.
Principal Place is Bartolacci’s second development in the Fox Chapel Area school district.
They also own Indiana Crossing along Dorseyville Road.
“It’s right across from Fairview Elementary, which is where my kids all went, and now Principal Place is across from Dorseyville Middle School, where my daughter and son are going next year,” he said.
Tawnya Panizzi is a contributor to Tribune Review. You can contact Tawnya at 724-226-7726, [email protected], or on Twitter.