THE CHOCOLATIER

The existing building at 11 East Chocolate Avenue sits at the head of Cocoa Avenue and dates to 1963. Built as the Hershey Estates Office Building, it initially housed the Hershey Drug Store on the 1st floor and corporate offices on the 2nd and 3rd floors.

Our client pursued a boutique hotel conversion concept rooted in an architectural respect for the building’s mid-century aesthetic and leveraging the site’s “keystone” location by adding a rooftop deck and lounge with commanding views of Hersheypark, the historic Hershey Chocolate Factory (now the Hershey Company’s downtown offices), and the iconic intersection of Chocolate and Cocoa Avenues. The proposed renovations connect the visually unfriendly building to the street by replacing the extensive brick at the 1st floor with floor-to-ceiling glass, setting the stage for an inviting lobby for the 40 stylish hotel rooms and a cafe with sidewalk seating.