A technology firm based in the Lehigh Valley confirmed Friday that it will move its Central Pennsylvania operations into the former Metro Bank headquarters in the TecPort Business Center in Swatara Township.
Computer Aid Inc., which has more than 200 employees already based in TecPort and about 800 employees in Pennsylvania, will occupy the 62,000-square-foot office building.
The building was sold for $6.7 million to 3801 Paxton Equities LLC, a company that includes some Computer Aid principals. They purchased the building from F.N.B. Corp., the parent company of First National Bank of Pennsylvania. Computer Aid has signed a long-term lease as the sole tenant in the building.
F.N.B. obtained the office when it acquired Metro Bank earlier this year.
Mark Fahnestock, operations manager for Computer Aid, said the company had been looking for new office space over the past year since its lease on Friendship Road was coming to an end. The bank building seemed like an ideal fit because of its location, size and age.
“It made sense to give us room to expand,” he said, noting that Harrisburg is seen as more of a regional headquarters for Computer Aid.
Fahnestock said regional staffing is expected to go up “significantly” with the move. The building gives the company room to add about 200 more cubicles. Occupancy will likely occur in late spring 2017.
Pittsburgh-based F.N.B. had been using the building for some of its regional employees.
A bank spokeswoman said Friday that the deal was still pending and declined further comment until Monday.
The bank has a regional hub in downtown Harrisburg that it opened in 2012.
Metro opened the TecPort building in 2006 when it was known under its former moniker, Commerce Bank/Harrisburg. The bank paid $2 million for the property in 2004.
Computer Aid provides information technology services to governments and Fortune 1000 companies, among other clients. It has more than 4,200 employees and offices in Asia, Europe and North America.
Gregg Feinberg of Feinberg Real Estate Advisors LLC represented the buyer, while Gregg Broujos of Colliers International represented the seller.
This story was modified to include the purchase price and brokers involved in the transaction.
