132 (left) and 160 Main St. (right) in New Britain.

A  New Britain developer is proposing 20 apartments for a historic building in the city’s downtown near its CTFastrak station.

JASKO Development is proposing to convert four floors of the historic Andrews Building at 132 Main St. from commercial space to 20 one-bedroom apartments to meet what it sees as growing demand for downtown housing.

“The building will take on the decor of early 1900’s Prohibition era,” JASKO managing partner Avner Krohn said in a statement. “We hope to build on the work we have done and I believe we will see a more vibrant downtown with all of the continued adaptive reuse of historic buildings. As with our projects, we will partner with the city of New Britain, Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office and Eversource to make this beautiful building have yet another future.”

Krohn’s firm earlier converted the Rao/Sovereign Trading Building at 160 Main St. and the Raphael Building at 99 W. Main St. into apartments. The Andrews Building units will be 500 to 700 square foot units with a “distinctive style,” according to an announcement from the city that also promised “rents will be 20 to 30 percent lower than comparable units in Hartford and surrounding towns.” The announcement did not describe the apartments as affordable housing.

“As more companies and development takes root in downtown New Britain, we are seeing an increased demand for housing for working professionals,” Mayor Erin Stewart said in a statement. “When the first phase of Columbus Commons is completed later this year, over 100 new housing units will have been added to downtown New Britain. I applaud JASKO Development for their continued improvements in our downtown and their commitment to maintaining the historical integrity of our city’s remaining architectural gems.”

The building is the site where in the 1920s famed magician Harry Houdini performed one of his great escapes while dangling high above Main Street. The building was designed by architect William Cadwell and bears the name of John A. Andrews, who sold furniture.

The 5-story, 28,473-square-foot building featuring yellow brick, limestone and terra cotta, was constructed in 1903 and features hardwood floors, fireplaces and high ceilings. Krohn said that the project will also include space in the basement and first floor for two to three bars/restaurants. The project is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2020.