LESEAN McCoy has broken ground on a new affordable housing project.
A two-time Super Bowl champion and six-time Pro Bowl running back, McCoy is also the chairman of Vice Capital, a real estate firm based in Pennsylvania.
McCoy, 35, was recently in Harrisburg with a shovel in hand as the project kicked off.
Slated to cost $16.7 million, the project is named JMB Gardens in honor of his grandparents.
“It makes the environment safer so kids can go to school and be happy,” he told reporters, via a local NBC affiliate.
“It’s not a whole bunch of abandoned buildings or drug-infested areas.
“We’re going to knock everything down and fix everything up. And I always think about, as a kid, maybe you don’t have the best living conditions, or the best family structure, but this feels better.
“You can come home and they [can] call it home. You can be safe.”
McCoy reflected upon his childhood in the area, and how he hopes his work can help make it a safer place for the next generation to grow up.
“When I was a kid, I would walk the street all the time up here. And some of the environments weren’t always safe,” he admitted, via a local CBS affiliate.
“Certain hours of the day, you probably didn’t want to walk past these streets. But now, can I change that? Yes.”
It will feature four residential buildings consisting of 41 units, a community center, and a small park on the plot.
“The Gardens is a transit-oriented development with access to several CAT (Capital Area Transit) fixed routes, including Route 3 buses,” Vice Capital’s website explains.
“The development is part of a community revitalization strategy and will provide employment opportunities community residents.”
In June 2023, Vice also broke ground on a mixed-use project named Savoy 48 in Harrisburg.
The project will include 48 units, a rooftop deck, and a commercial space.
McCoy’s real estate career follows a hugely successful 12-year stint in the NFL, during which time he suited up for the Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A two-time First-Team All-Pro, he racked up 11,102 rushing yards and 73 touchdowns in 170 games.
McCoy earned over $63 million during his playing days.
He also currently works as a co-host on FS1 sports talk show Speak!