The developers who restored the historic Berks County Trust Company building in downtown Reading recently held a grand opening for the new food court in the building.
The 98,000-square-foot building at 35 N. Sixth Street was previously the home of Meridian Bank, but now it contains apartments, office space, and, as of April 23, a fully operational food court.
Shuman Development Group invested $13 million in restoring the structure, built in 1909 by the Berks County Trust Company and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, according to Shuman’s website.
The building now houses around six food vendors, with a few more in development, according to Alan Shuman, president of Shuman Development Group.
The food vendors are:
Fresh and Hot, which offers pizza, wings, burgers and other items.
The Pulse Café, providing brioche, ciabatta and croissant breakfast sandwiches, and a variety of pastries.
Clean Plates, serving cold pressed juices and vegan dishes.
Donut Lovers Boom, offering custom donuts and beverages.
Sizzling Island, which serves Jamaican, Haitian, and other creole Caribbean cuisine.
The food court is on the building’s first floor, with indoor dining area and outdoor seating coming soon, Shuman mentioned.
“(A food court) really seemed like the best use for this magnificent space,” commented Shuman.
He said the food court employs about 20 workers but will eventually need about 50 at full capacity.
Initially built in 1909, the remarkable six-story structure features a neo-classical design, with mid-century modern architecture added in later decades when the building was expanded, Shuman said.
Notable features include a tera cotta facade and 50-foot-tall Corinthian columns, according to Facebook posts from Shuman.
Shuman Development Group purchased the property from the Greater Berks Development Fund for $2.3 million, Shuman said.
The property also hosts a Visions Federal Credit Union contact center, and a Smokies Tobacco Shop and cigar lounge are also under construction, Shuman noted.
Shuman Development Group has focused on restoring historic structures in Reading, having developed more than 2 million square feet of space in the city since 1994, according to the company’s website.
Shuman’s other projects include:
Elks Lodge (former Trexler Mansion) 46 S. Fifth St.
M&T Bank building at 50 N. Fifth St.
Medical Arts building at 230 N. Fifth St.
General Battery building at 645 Penn St.
Abraham Lincoln Hotel at 100 N. Fifth St.
Corbit building at 157 N. Fifth St.
Hopewell Mennonite Church at 45 S. Sixth St.
Big Mill building at 702 N. Eighth St.
