Open houses planned for renovated 'Murphy Building' in Tarentum
Part of a Tarentum building that once housed a G.C. Murphy store and later was home to doctors’ offices has been renovated and is ready to be occupied again.
Building owner David Rankin envisions the people working in the retail or office space at what he is calling The Murphy Building on Corbet Street doing business in town — patronizing nearby restaurants, coffee shops and banks.
“We believe that this building will serve as a catalyst for economical renewal,” he said Monday.
Realtors and businesses can get a look at the building during two scheduled open houses this week. One from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday is intended for real estate agents, while one from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday is aimed at businesses.
Rankin bought the 30,000-square-foot building from the previous owner in California for $66,000 about two years ago through his private company, Faith Community Partners LLC. That’s separate from his nonprofit, Faith Community Partners Services, which is undertaking The Depot project nearby on Fifth Avenue.
The building was built and G.C. Murphy opened there in the 1920s, said local historian Cindy Homburg. It had a grand reopening in 1942, when a soda fountain was added. It closed in 1979.
“It was a great store. It was a real shame when that closed,” she said.
Rankin said he’s calling it The Murphy Building because of its history.
“Most everyone in town knew it,” he said. “It made sense to call it something familiar to people.”
Rankin said the building sat empty for six or eight years. He bought it because it was available.
“I think it’s a shame to see these buildings sit empty and not be used,” he said. “I do it because I love Tarentum. I believe Tarentum has a lot of potential.”
Rankin said the building wasn’t in bad shape when he bought it, but it also was not in move-in condition. The L-shaped building has fronts on Corbet Street and Fourth Avenue.
“There had to be some renovations inside beyond just cosmetic,” he said.
Up to a dozen contractors have been working on it for the past four months to get about 5,000 square feet on the first floor facing Corbet ready. The work has included electrical, HVAC, plumbing, flooring, painting and drywall.
“It’s looking pretty nice,” he said Monday while the crews were at lunch. “When we’re done here, it’s going to be one of the nicest buildings in town.”
Tarentum Council President Scott Dadowski praised Rankin for his efforts.
“I think it’s outstanding.” he said. “He’s taking an interest in the town and taking an interest in making it better.
“It has the potential to be huge. It’s a big building,” he said. “I’m excited for it to fill up with tenants.”
Rankin said the space now ready is handicapped accessible and could be used by a single tenant or up to eight. Having already fielded inquiries ahead of the open houses, he’s optimistic about finding tenants and having them in by the end of summer.
He’s not concerned about the state of the economy.
“There’s always a demand for quality space,” he said. “The problem with Tarentum is there isn’t any.”
At The Depot, work is scheduled to start later this year, Rankin said.
While the building is still envisioned to house a laundromat and Wi-Fi cafe, they will now both be on the first floor. Instead of excavating the basement for the laundromat, the basement will be partially filled-in, Rankin said.
The laundromat and cafe are expected to open by fall 2021, Rankin said.
Brian C. Rittmeyer, a Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University's Schreyer Honors College, has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com.
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