The sun shone brightly as ground was broken at 508 Fifth Ave., where a home will be constructed in a joint venture between Habitat for For Humanity and Pennsylvania College of Technology.

The land is the site of the former 5th Avenue Tavern, which was closed after a number of complaints culminating in an April 2015 shooting that claimed the life of Yusef Ali Wilson, of Philadelphia.

The bar was shuttered shortly after, and the sale of the property to Penn College was finalized on Oct. 30, 2015.

“This is a very special project with Penn College,” said Bob Robinson, Executive Director of the Greater Lycoming Habitat for Humanity.

“We currently have 49 people looking for a home, which begins to show what the housing crisis is like here in the U.S. right now,” he said.

Homes through Habitat For Humanity are low income, available to those making 80% of the average median income that has never owned a home before, Robinson explained.

“We are thrilled to be at this groundbreaking for the latest Habitat house,” said Ellyn Lester, assistant dean of architectural and construction technologies, adding that the project has been in the works for more than two years.

“We’ve had a relationship with Habitat for Humanity for years. But one of the biggest challenges that we’ve had is that we have to meet what are called course learning outcomes in each one of our courses,” she explained.

“And when you have a house where you’re volunteering and the next day someone else is volunteering, that can be really problematic for the faculty, because you can’t guarantee what the student is going to be working on and or learn that day,” she continued.

Then, just over two years ago, the college and Habitat For Humanity came to a meeting of the minds that the proposed project could include a house fully designed and constructed by the students.

“It just so happened that Penn College had this piece of property that we owned and that we were interested in donating it to Habitat for Humanity. So I took that opportunity to say, ‘hey, let’s bring this together and make this happen, and it went from there,” she said.

“This is a location of a former nuisance bar that was purchased and then raised by the college to donate to Habitat For Humanity,” Dr. Michael Reed, President of Penn College said, calling it a “win-win” situation.

“The project puts a city property back on the tax rolls, it enables students to tap their newly acquired skills for real world projects and provides a new home for a family that meets Habitat’s eligibility criteria,” he said.

An additional $100,000 in grant money was approved by the Lycoming County Commissioners through theAmerica Rescue Plan, which will help cover the costs of construction materials, Reed said.

“This illustrates how neighborhoods can benefit when everyone is working cooperatively towards the same goal,” Reed said, referring to the Penn College community as “tomorrow makers.”

“This project exemplifies our collective commitment to making Williamsport a better place,” city Mayor Derek Slaughter said.

“I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for everyone’s collaborative efforts in bringing this project to life, while also providing invaluable real world experiences for our Penn College students,” the mayor said, calling it “a tremendous benefit to all involved.”

“We are not just building a house, we are creating a home; a home filled with hope, stability and the promise of a brighter future for a deserving family,” he said.

“This new home will offer a family the safe and affordable housing they deserve, while also nurturing a sense of belonging and connection,” Slaughter said.

The project will also have a strong impact on the community at large by leading to increased property tax revenues, which will be funneled into increased resources for schools, public services and other infrastructure.

“Your efforts remind us that when we come together, we can achieve remarkable things,” Slaughter said, thanking all of those involved in bringing the project to fruition.

“Let us all commit to supporting this project and others like it. Together, we can continue to build a stronger, more vibrant Williamsport, one home at a time,” he said.