It took nearly four years to erect new senior housing in Mercer, but the Heritage Square apartments on West Butler Street are ready for tenants.

Senior citizens have already begun moving into the living quarters: 10 single apartments, including two that are handicapped accessible.

Mercer County Housing Authority along with the Housing Alliance of Indiana County, TREK Development Group of Pittsburgh and Community Home Buyers Inc. joined Friday at the housing site to celebrate the grand opening of the apartments.

MCHA has offered affordable housing in the county for 60 years. At the onset of the Mercer housing project, the authority put up $187,000 in seed money for planning and for land. Other funding lent support, with $770,000 from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and $12,000 through Brownsfield Funding.

Other groups such as the Mercer County commissioners, Mercer County Regional Planning Commission and Mercer borough played a role as well to bring the project to fruition, said L. Dewitt Boosel, MCHA executive director.

The design of Heritage Square depicts the rich Victorian architectural history of Mercer. which gave the apartments their name, Boosel said.

Pat Ruane, a Pittsburgh artist, captured that heritage with a wall mural depicting historical Mercer sites.

"There's a lot of beautiful structures in Mercer. We wanted to capture that essence," Boosel said.

There will be a liaison between the housing and community agencies such as Mercer County Agency on Aging, he added.

Each apartment contains a living room, kitchen with ample cabinets, single bedroom, bathroom and a personal washer and dryer.

Esther Kimes, a Mercer senior currently living in a high-rise, toured an apartment with her daughter, Harriet Workman of Mercer. Ms. Kimes was turned on by the apartments after seeing the personal washer and dryer. She is second on the list to get one of them.

"It's beautiful," Ms. Kimes said of the apartment. "It's not large, but for a single person it's great."

Ms. Workman said the privacy the apartments offer is perfect for her mother. "The privacy aspect is very important. Here, you still have your privacy. They have individual porches. It's so nice, gives you a feeling of your own world," she said.

During the ceremony, public officials commented on the growing trend of senior housing and the benefits the apartments have for the county. Among the speakers were state Sen. Robert D. "Bob" Robbins of Salem Township, R-50th District; Mercer Mayor Chris Portman; William Gatti of TREK Development; and John G. Johnson, Mercer council president, who said he was quite proud of the "exciting new gem."

Portman officially welcomed seniors to the community, adding that the "beautiful facility" has been the talk of the town.

"It's a beautiful asset," he said. "I've heard nothing but good remarks."