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Did you guys see Harrisburg's new website?
Also, here is a link to Harrisburg's new Economic Profile. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3188/...058391.jpg?v=0 |
I too think he needs to go. His big spend politics are out of touch with the newere more vibrant Harrisburg. There are several other possible canidates being talked about but none have come forward and verified they are running. I can say that there was potential canidates proposed on both republican and democratic tickets so there is a double chance of coming up with a winner. I myself have entertained the idea of running for city council, I just don't have the financial resources to take on the task at the moment. I suppose I should still give it a shot though.
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After many drives thru's of Harrisburg for the last 30-years. I finally made a stop into Downtown. 2nd Street corridor is quite amazing.
...and the Capitol dome is very stunning as well. Afterwards, I went HIA and was even more impressed. |
Cool night shot of Harrisburg University's new tower...
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I was in Harrisburg a couple years ago to get my real estate license. I have to admit I wasn't expecting too much, but I took some time to walk around downtown and I was blown away with the city! :D The downtown is beautiful and filled with interesting tourist attractions, the waterfront park and City Island are also beautiful, the historic markers everywhere kept me busy, and then I passed through 2nd St. on a Friday evening and I couldn't believe how busy it was. Harrisburg is a hidden gem that this state should exploit. It appears it's on the verge of sustained prosperity and growth. :tup: And, think how great it is for Pennsylvania to have Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, the Lehigh Valley, and Harrisburg all becoming boomtowns! :D :cheers:
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Thanks for your support. Spread the word!!
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Harrisburg mayor likely to halt sports museum plan The Associated Press Updated: 03/13/2009 09:36:31 AM EDT HARRISBURG, Pa.—Harrisburg Mayor Stephen Reed says a lack of money is likely to force the cancellation of his plan to build a national sports hall of fame in Pennsylvania's capital city. Reed says fundraising for the 120,000-square-foot facility never got off the ground and that the nine-year-old plan is all but certain to be canceled this year. The mayor was previously forced to abandon plans for two other museums that he hoped would bring more visitors to the capital—a Wild West museum and an African-American history museum. Two others are up and running—The National Civil War Museum and the Pennsylvania National Fire Museum. Reed faces two opponents for the Democratic nomination in his bid this year for an eighth term. |
Finally, some TND (traditional neighborhood development) popping up in the Harrisburg area. Odd location though...but I do like that a CAT bus route will serve the new "town"...too often public transit is missing from TNDs. http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriot...030.xml&coll=1
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Harrisburg region to get $50 million for roads, bridges
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HARRISBURG State of the City Address
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2009 State of the City Address Wednesday, April 8, 2009 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM Keynote Speaker: Honorable Stephen R. Reed Mayor of Harrisburg |
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agreed
that was a financial disaster waiting to happen. now if we could just get reed out of office so harrisburg can see some serious progress...
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I wish I were up there so I could join you. I'd love to meet and help the campaigns of Reed's challengers. We need to get Reed out of that office. You should post who you recommend -- I trust your judgement because you have a clear interest in the progress of Harrisburg. We need young, progressive minds to take control in order for Harrisburg to move forward.
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The website above has links to other area groups too. I am concerned that they might be a little Nimbish, but I guess that goes with the Territory. |
Harrisburg Receives Top Two National Fiscal Awards
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Mayor Stephen R. Reed today announced that the City of Harrisburg has received the top two national fiscal awards. One is the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. Stephen Gauthier of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) said, "The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management." "The Certificate has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards including demonstrating a constructive spirit of full disclosure," Gauthier said. The other is the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, the only national award in governmental budgeting in the United States. Gauthier said, "It reflects the commitment to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America." Gauthier said to receive the budget award, an entity has to satisfy nationally-recognized guidelines that assess how well an entity’s budget serves as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a communications device, and award recipients must be rated proficient in all four categories to be selected. Reed said that for Harrisburg, it is the 21st consecutive year the city has received the Certificate for Excellence in Financial Reporting and the 18th consecutive year for the budget award. Previously, the city had never received either recognition. Of the 2,564 municipalities in Pennsylvania, only 24 have received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the most recently-completed fiscal year, and only three have received both awards. Both awards are conferred by the Government Finance Officers Association, a professional association of over 17,600 government finance professionals, whose office is in Chicago, Illinois. |
Nice aerial photo.
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And the excellent accounting reveals we're broke!!!
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Cool stuff!!:
ASIA MALL OPENS FOR BUSINESS IN SOUTH ALLISON HILL Mayor Stephen R. Reed today cut the ribbon to officially dedicate the new Asia Mall, located at 1030 South 13th Street in South Allison Hill, which represents the opening of nine additional retail and food establishments in that neighborhood. Reed said the Asia Mall is owned by Tang Van Le and Van Van Vy. The Asia Mall will be operated day-to-day by Thoa N. Vu. The 44,000 square foot indoor and outdoor complex, which used to house the Schaedler Yesco Distribution company, will house nine new Asian-owned businesses, including: • K & H Supermarket (238-8686), which will sell a variety of pre-prepared Asian foods as well as Asian grocery products, including fresh seafood (K&H Supermarket is managed by the previous owner of the 88 Supermarket on Cameron Street, Hoa Dam) • Miss Saigon Restaurant (232-0600), which will specialize in Asian cuisine • KimSon Bakery (695-6765), which will sell a variety of Asian/French bakery items • Café ChieuTim (233-1546), which will be an Asian/French-styled coffee shop • Asia Nail Supply (233-8933), which will provide an assortment of nail and skin-care treatments and products, including the sale of manicure and pedicure spa equipment • QueHuong Travel (221-1119), which will provide travel services for individuals coming to the area and traveling abroad • V-Salon, which is a full-service beauty salon • Gift Shop 128, which will sell a variety of Asian-style gifts and other items • Video, which will rent and sell motion pictures to clients "We are delighted to welcome the new Asian Mall to the South Allison Hill neighborhood," said Reed. "The City of Harrisburg and region have a growing number of Asian residents who, along with residents of every other race, color, and creed, will benefit from the numerous new restaurants, salons, shops, and other stores which are now a central focal point of the area." "We have a lot of investment in big cities, and we truly believe Harrisburg is a first-class city whose employees have been nothing but a pleasure to work with," said Thoa Vu, Tang Van Le, and Van Van Vy. Reed said the total cost of the Asia Mall project is $2.5 million and nearly 70 jobs have been created. Financing was provided by Commercial Bank & Trust of PA. Construction was completed by General Contractor Tang Le General Construction of Sheltonham, PA, with other work completed by Geo Technology of York, PA. |
My Dad talked to me last night and filled me in...WOW! :tup:
Linda Thompson trounces Stephen Reed as voters call for change after 26 years Wednesday, May 20, 2009 BY DAN MILLER danmiller@patriot-news.com Linda Thompson's convincing win over Stephen R. Reed on Tuesday came surprisingly early and seemed surprisingly easy. Thompson led from the beginning as results from the first polls trickled in and she never relinquished command. Shortly after 10 p.m., Thompson's top campaign adviser, James Ellison, announced that whatever precinct results were yet to arrive wouldn't be enough to overcome the large margin his candidate had built up over Reed, despite the incumbent having continuously held the office of Harrisburg mayor since 1982. Minutes before making that announcement, Ellison had mocked poll numbers released by the media a few weeks ago that showed Reed with a lead of 44 percent to 29 percent. "What they didn't realize was that the game had changed," Ellison said. "That's how dinosaurs become fossils." The pre-election poll had said that a higher turnout would favor Thompson. Before the polls had closed, Ellison and City Councilman Brad Koplinski, a Reed supporter, had said separately that turnout was higher citywide than compared to a typical offyear, nonpresidential election. Near-perfect weather certainly didn't hurt. But the Thompson camp also employed an aggressive get-out-the-vote strategy that seemed to leave Reed flatfooted by comparison. Thompson campaign workers were seen approaching groups of youths on the streets, asking them if they were registered, if they had voted and if they had not, urging them to do so. "Those kids went all over the city. They went to the south side, they walked up to every apartment in Hall Manor, and they banged on every door in Hall Manor to get people out to vote," Ellison said. "... Everybody was tenacious in this race. We all knew that, in order to beat Steve Reed, it had to be convincing. It couldn't be a squeaker." Thompson, in a victory speech delivered before dozens of supporters in Heinz Senior Center on North Fourth Street, said she never allowed herself to be swayed by reports during the campaign that she would be hurt by the candidacy of fellow Democrat Les Ford, such as that she and Ford would end up splitting the black vote in the city. In the end, Thompson's more than 1,000-vote margin of victory over Reed was hardly impacted by the 400 votes going to Ford. "I said all along that no other person in this race was my opponent, that Steve Reed was my opponent, and I never took my eye off that prize," Thompson said. Thompson seemed to relish the idea of a November fight against Reed as a write-in on the Republican ballot. On the Republican side, Nevin Mindlin, who was on the ballot as the endorsed Republican candidate, received 405 votes. There were 426 write-in votes, and the names of the candidates will not be known for several days. Theoretically, if Reed had enough of those write-in votes, he and Thompson could face off again in November. Through 2005, Reed had been able to lock up both major sides of the ballot -- Democrat and Republican -- in the mayor's race in five consecutive elections. Thompson would become the city's first woman chief executive, as well as its first black mayor. "I think a lot of folks were warning [Reed] that he needed to make more effort to be in touch with his base and she just had a better organization. [Thompson's] still a Democrat," said Diane Bowman, chairwoman of the Democratic Party in Dauphin County. "I think this election definitely showed a message of change, a carryover from the Obama campaign. People had more than they wanted of incumbencies. Change is the message this election gave us." "It's pretty stunning," said G. Terry Madonna, a Franklin and Marshall College pollster. "It's stunning that Reed would lose as convincingly as he is, but it indicates a different dynamic that's working in Harrisburg, a change dynamic. Voters want the city to change, and it's a familiar dynamic." "It reaches a point where the incumbent goes to the well just once too often." He noted that Reed's success in remaking downtown might have worked against him in this election: "Mayors can get focused on center city and forget the neighborhoods, and those people feel left out and pursue change." The upset surprised longtime observers of local politics. "Oh, my," said state Sen. Jeffrey Piccola, R-Dauphin County, when told of Reed's concession Tuesday night. "It certainly represents a change for the city of Harrisburg. The mayor has made a lot of contributions," Piccola added. "He has improved the city tremendously over the years, and it was an honor to work with him on a number of projects and issues." "It's certainly going to be a different Harrisburg without Steve Reed." On Thompson, he said, "I don't know Linda very well, I know her a little bit, but I'm sure we'll be able to work with her." Harrisburg School District Superintendent Gerald Kohn called Reed "a wonderful and inspirational leader for the city and the school district." "He turned around the city, and I know that during the last eight years he brought improvements to turn around the school district," Kohn added. "There clearly have been great improvements in both the city and the district. Thompson, during her victory speech, repeated a campaign pledge to replace Kohn with an urban superintendent who understands urban schools. Kohn said, "I look forward to working with Mayor-elect Thompson in the same way that I worked with Mayor Reed to continue the improvements in the Harrisburg School District, because this is all for the children in the school district." http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriot...450.xml&coll=1 |
I came here to post but I see you beat me to it. I couldn't vote in the democrat primary, but I did cast my vote for Nevin. I hope he doesn't make it into the November election
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Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center to reopen after pause
By David Dagan The Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center at 1110 N. 3rd St. will reopen its first wing to the public on Wednesday after a two-month pause that followed its grand opening. The Stage on Herr music venue and bar hosted a month of special events in March but closed because of a delay in obtaining a liquor license, said John Traynor, one of the developers. Stage on Herr can comfortably hold 200 people, Traynor said. The bar will open at 4 p.m. seven days a week and Wednesdays will be open-mic nights, he said. Local band Case 150 is scheduled to perform at 9 p.m. Friday. The redevelopment plan for the former Jewish community and recreation center and Police Athletic League building also calls for a playhouse, film office, eatery and spa. The opening of those spaces was delayed by construction-cost overruns and difficulties obtaining part of the bank financing, Traynor said. The developers pulled together private financing and plan to open the remainder of the building in the fall, he said. http://www.centralpennbusiness.com/a....asp?aID=71822 So glad this place is finally opening. If you haven't checked it out yet, it's probably the coolest place in Harrisburg. |
New Census Bureau estimates put Harrisburg's population at 47,148 for 2008, which is down 25 people from 2007 but still 23 people higher then 2006. From 2006-2007, estimates actually showed Harrisburg grew in population by 48 people.
I guess we'll find out for sure in 2010, but it definitely looks like Harrisburg's 50 years of massive population decline has finally come to an end! I think the next few years the population will continue to hold steady and possibly even gain around 100-200 (hopefully more). |
Excellent news! Harrisburg city is beating the recession when it comes to the housing market. 42 units reserved in one month...that is pretty strong not just for Harrisburg, really for anywhere in the country right now.
Beating the recession: Attracting interest Residential developments take hold in Harrisburg http://www.centralpennbusiness.com/i...verview195.jpg Dan Deitchman is renovating this 82-year-old apartment building on North Front Street in Harrisburg. A month after putting Riverview Manor on the market, he had 42 reserved units. Tenants will move in next month, he said. Photo/Kathryn Morton Dan Deitchman said he thought he would sell 40 residential units in the first year at the former Harrisburg apartment building he and his wife are renovating. But he said he has been more than pleasantly surprised since he had 42 reserved units in the first month of putting them on the market. Construction crews finished the model unit only last week in the historic six-floor building at 1519 N. Front St. Despite the recession, the units are attractive because of location, product and price, Deitchman said. His units start at $79,900. There are one, two and three-bedroom units ranging from 700 to 1,300 square feet available in the khaki-colored brick building. The average price for one of the 76 units is $150,000. They go up to $250,000. “The key rules of real estate are still the same in any economy,” Deitchman said. Riverview Manor is across the street from the Susquehanna River, yet it is outside the flood plain and within walking distance of downtown. Deitchman bought the 82-year-old building for about $3 million in November. Work started almost immediately and he listed the units in May. Deitchman would not disclose how much his company, Riverview Manor Associates, is spending to renovate the former apartment building. Tenants will move in next month, he said. The units feature drywall recycled from the building’s old drywall. The spaces will include Wi-Fi, refinished doors, decorative fireplaces and Brazilian cherry and bamboo floors. Workers installed central air, and utilities are separately metered in each space. About 400 style-appropriate windows were replaced. Among the biggest selling points are the views, said Pete Weigher, the listing real estate agent for Riverview who manages a team of agents with Re/Max Realty Associates Inc. based in Camp Hill. From the 2,500-square-foot rooftop patio, residents will be able to see the river, City Island, downtown, midtown and uptown Harrisburg. A mix of people, including young professionals, city workers, middle-aged empty-nesters and retirees, are reserving units in Riverview. The Deitchmans said they are getting interest from out-of-staters, too, including people from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Other city developers hope to attract the same interest. Harrisburg’s TKP Schoolhouse Associates is putting together The Lofts@909. Mayur Patel and his wife, Tina, are developing studio-style units at 909 Green St. in the historic Boas School built in 1921. The company has $4 million invested in the project, Mayur Patel said. The Lofts@909 will include 22 apartments for rent on the second and third floors and 6,000 square feet of office space on the first floor. Like Riverview, the old schoolhouse is a khaki-brick building with great sight lines. The Ronald H. Brown Charter School last occupied the building. Construction should be completed by early August and Patel said he expects tenants to move in around the middle of the month. Deitchman and Patel said they are confident their developments won’t compete with each other. The Lofts@909 feature 13-foot ceilings, 9-foot windows and are fully furnished; utilities are included in the rent. Rents range from $1,395 to $1,795 per month for the units that are 500 to 710 square feet. The lofts include a full kitchen, bamboo floors, spacious bathrooms with tiled showers, two flat-screen plasma televisions, desk and four to five windows. The units are metered separately. That could come in handy should Patel one day choose to sell the spaces, he said. Patel started marketing the units this week, he said, and word of mouth has sparked initial interest. The building has parking, it’s about two blocks from the state Capitol and has a central location between midtown Harrisburg and downtown, he said. Patel said he is betting these factors will help make the project a success. ------- Deitchman and Patel said their projects are not competing with the $22 million higher-end Tracy Manor condominium, office and restaurant project York-based Susquehanna Real Estate is developing along North Front Street. The projects also will complement the 100,000-square-foot condo project Susquehanna Township’s Vartan Group Inc. plans to start building by next year, the developers said, as did Ralph Vartan, chairman of the Vartan Group. The more projects there are going on in Harrisburg the better it is for the city, Vartan said. “The city is on the up and anytime you see investors trying to design and bring products to the market that people want, it demonstrates enthusiasm for investing in the city of Harrisburg,” Vartan said. “Ultimately you will see (the projects) are successful.” http://www.centralpennbusiness.com/w...530&aID2=71953 |
A good read!
------------------------------ Q&A: Midtown Arts Center Co-Founder John Traynor Tuesday, August 25, 2009 1:54PM The Midtown Arts Center is a project that is almost too good to be true. With all of the positive things happening in Midtown Harrisburg, the center has the potential to be a major catalyst for neighborhood renewal. Housed in the former Police Athletic League and Jewish Community Center on Third Street, the ambitious renovation calls for a art gallery, a 10,000 square foot theater, a restaurant, a cafe, a spa and a smaller, more intimate music venue. That venue — the Stage on Herr — opened this summer. I recently stopped by the building to talk with John Traynor, one of the three partners involved in the project. Along with Gary Bartlett and Chuck London, Traynor has rescued a gorgeous old building that had fallen well beyond the state of disrepair. Who knows where the project will go or when it will be finished, but Traynor, a true character, had some interesting thoughts on life in Midtown and the local arts scene. Here's what he had to say: Spotobe: The history of how this project came to be has been fairly well reported, but can you give us a quick rundown before we get into the good stuff? John Traynor: We came to Harrisburg by mistake. It’s kind of a well-documented story that you might have read. We were on our way back from Pittsburgh and we just turned off and we thought, “Oh this is a cute little town.” Not knowing it was the capital or anything, we came back three days later because we were intrigued by the city. We ended up purchasing a couple of properties. Residential stuff; we weren’t really thinking of doing an arts center or a performing arts center. After we had purchased a number of houses, renovated them and sold them, our agent with with Century 21 told us about this building. He actually knew the building because he worked for the City at one point in his career. He said, “Come and have a look at this building,” so we came in and of course there was nothing. It was a disaster in here. There were no lights and about five inches of bird s**t in the main theater and the windows were all gone. But we looked at the building and we said, “Wow, what an amazing building.” I understood that the City owned the building, so I asked to see Mayor Reed, had a meeting with him, and explained my idea. It was always, “Let’s keep it what it was.” It was a community center and we thought, “Why don’t we just try to restore the building and open it up as something that would benefit the community but be arts-based because that’s our backgrounds. I had the conversation with the Mayor and the Redevelopment Authority agreed to sell the building to us. We purchased the building at the beginning of December of 2007. We started work on the building in March of 2008 and we’ve been rolling along ever since basically. At the beginning of this year, we were about 80 percent complete with the interior renovations and we ran into some unexpected things which you do in a project of this size. Things like codes and sprinklers and fire. That sort of thing. Spotobe: So has everything gone according to plan? You said you had hit some small snags. Are you basically on the timeframe you wanted to be on? Traynor: No. No. I’m very optimistic, so I would make announcements like “We’re going to be done in a year!” However, I didn’t realize the amount of red tape involved. Even just securing a liquor license. I thought we could do it in three months and it took six months. One thing after another and negotiations and trying to get everything through in a timely fashion. It’s taken longer, however; we’re here for the long run. It’s not a short-term investment. Whether it takes us eight months or twelve months or two years. It doesn’t really matter to us. It’s just a matter of getting the facility open. That’s why it’s important for us to at least open a part of it to start doing things and start having some promotions and fundraisers and that sort of thing. Now that the Stage on Herr is open — we’re open seven days a week — we’re running it basically on bar hours. We do happy hour from five to seven. We only opened at the beginning of July and July and August are slow months anyway, however, we’ve been putting on some really interesting acts and some really great music is coming out of here. So we’re trying. September, October, November, December we’re fully booked out. Spotobe: You mentioned that you ended up in Harrisburg by a happy mistake. What was your impression of the arts scene in Harrisburg once you got here. Having lived in London and New York it was obviously a little bit different. Traynor: I didn’t come to Harrisburg for the arts scene so I really had no opinion of it whatsoever. I didn’t know that there even was one. I bought this building and started this project and I didn’t even know the Whitaker Center was here. That’s how much I knew. I was pretty clueless in that regard. I just saw the building and its potential. I guess that might sound eccentric or crazy to some, especially with the sums of money we had to put into it, but wow, this is just such a wonderful building. It was really the space, the volume of space and the feeling I got that was, I wouldn’t say spiritual, but it was more of a gut thing. It was really the building. Once I made the announcement about what we were doing, then I started to discover the art community here in Harrisburg which is relatively small. Now we have the ArtHouse Lounge, but they weren’t here when we started the project. Gallery Blue wasn’t here when we started the project. It was really Arts at 510. The Susquehanna Art Museum, but they’re more of a museum than a gallery. Progressive Galleries was doing a few small events out of the Maennerchor on an irregular basis or a monthly basis. There was the Manits Collective, but they didn’t have a home and they were moving. I really don’t know the history of the Harrisburg arts scene, but it was certainly small and scattered. It wasn’t as cohesive as it might be say in Lancaster or other communities. Saying that, we actually developed 1633 N Third Street. We turned it into a gallery and they turned it into Gallery Blue. She is the newest gallery and we sort of expanded that way. Even though we were working on this project, we had a few smaller projects we were doing. We wanted to make it an arts-based scene. We thought that will encourage people to enter the Third Street corridor and that’s what we’re hoping that this project will do. Also the Midtown Scholar bookstore moving down and expanding and bringing in people will help. He’ll be doing music as well and having a little gallery and a coffee shop. That’s a wonderful addition too. Between him and us and the other renovations that GreenWorks are doing down there — though that’s more straightforward commercial, at least it cleans up that end of the street. If we all work together, we could actually make Third Street an excellent corridor for the arts. Spotobe: Are you encouraged by the direction that Midtown is moving right now? Traynor: With the HACC developments that are going on down there; the Campus Square stuff, that really makes that whole end of Third Street very nice and attractive. By removing some of the dilapidated housing that was there and the warehouses which they are tearing down currently, it’s really made an impact. I’m not saying that low-income housing isn’t needed. It’s absolutely needed. This was privately owned, Section 8 housing with slumlords. They’re the problem in Midtown and Uptown. They’re the problem in Harrisburg. The slumlords that don’t look after their properties and are just interesting in getting money from the state. The tenants suffer for that. They have nowhere else to go so they really can’t complain. I think it’s good if the City works on cleaning up that sort of blight and trying to make our neighborhoods better and safer. That’s what I see changing in Midtown. I’ve lived here about three years or so and I’ve had my issues with Midtown — there’s no question. But everyone has issues wherever they live. I see the changes that are happening. By us renovating this building—which was a huge white elephant all boarded up with no lighting, we put in security cameras and cameras on the streets and we have security here — we’ve made it safe. That only helps the neighborhood as well. Spotobe: You mentioned earlier that your background was in video production, but you’re obviously interested in other things. You seem to have a pasison for urban renewal, did you have an interest in it before taking on this project? Traynor: No. I only had an interest in self indulgence. Luxury. I was actually living in Spain. I had a villa which we turned into a small boutique hotel. I had a bar and I was promoting flamenco music in Spain. We were there for four years and decided we were going to come back to the States. I always kept a house in New York City, so we went back to New York City. But I was looking to do something outside the City. I didn’t want to be in the City all the time. I was done with that after working in production for so many years. It’s very high-pressure and a lot of work and I thought I’d like something a little calmer and quieter. That’s why we came to Harrisburg, but that was only to buy a couple of houses, flip them and see how we liked Central Pennsylvania. Then we saw this. I don’t stop thinking. It was, “Oh, what can we do here, this is exciting. My background is film and television, I love art, I love music, let’s bring all of that.” My partner Gary was also in television and worked for the Guggenheim for a time. He’s also a designer and decorator, so we said, “Why not bring all those talents in?” Chuck London, who is our other partner, is currently a supervising producer for Comcast International based in Los Angeles. He’s still working in film and television but as soon as we get the center open he’s going to relocate out here and run the film office. Spotobe: And are you going to run the day to day operations? Will you book the music? Traynor: Yes, we do all of that in-house. As I said, we just opened a few weeks ago, so it’s building the brand now, as they say. We had Tim Warfield last night and we had a nice turnout for Tim. We’re doing open mics on Wednesday, which are phenomenal. We’re getting really good talent and it’s just a great showcase. Also we have a state of the art audio system. Spotobe: That definitely helps Traynor: It’s probably the best in Central PA at this point. People can argue, but I say it’s the best. We have great audio mixers. We’re using Dave Neale and Mike Banks, well-known audio people. Tonight (Ed Note: conversation took place earlier this month) we have Jeffrey Gaines and tomorrow night we have this DJ named Nine Lives the Cat out of London with Channel Surfer, another DJ. He just flew in from Europe so it’s the beginning of an American tour. Sunday we have Soul Comedy Cafe. September we are fully booked every friday and saturday night with live music. Every Wednesday there’s live music. Thursdays we are developing. We have Tim Warfield every second Thursday. Tim Warfield invites people in to play and they do a jazz jam session. Spotobe: This area really has been a mixed bag when it comes to live music. The Chameleon Club is what it is, but its booking is up and down. There really aren’t a ton of venues. Yeah, getting quality music costs more money. That’s the thing. We could do the Hardware Bar scene. The jam bands. I think that’s what you are referring to with some of the mediocre music. Some of these bands, you pay them 200 bucks or 100 bucks; they just want a place to play. Then you pack the place and you do drink specials. That’s not our scene. We absolutely do not want that. What we want to do is encourage people. What we want to do is have a place where bands want to play. That’s really important. A place where they are treated well, where they want to play, where they are happy and the audience is happy. We want to mix it up. To do everything from blues to bluegrass to country to rock to indie to pop. Really mix it up. A lot of people don’t want to do jazz because there’s no money in jazz. They don’t want to do bluegrass because there’s no money in bluegrass; the bluegrass people don’t drink. Right? I think sometimes you’ve got to be eclectic. Certainly if we are going to keep to the spirit of what we’re trying to do, it’s not about just putting on the next best thing. I mean, it is. Once we have the upstairs open, we will have the ability to book national acts, because that’s just based on ticket sales. That’s when it’s a business. However, you can still choose what you’re booking in. We’re trying to do a singer/songwriter series brining singer/songwriters together so they have a place to jam and play. Spotobe: The stuff that Messiah College has booked over the years proves that people will come here. There just has to be a motivation and an audience. Traynor: I actually have been talking with Messiah College. The guy over there is probably one of the authorities on bluegrass music in that genre and they do bring in some wonderful stuff. Harrisburg has not traditionally been on the map for bands coming through. They play Philly or they play Pittsburgh or they’ll go down to Baltimore or Washington or even to Ohio and they all cross Harrisburg. Or they come certainly within grabbing range. If you pay attention to tour dates for some of the bigger bands, you can say, “Look, we’re a secondary market, but really, we have an area that is 200,000 if you include the surrounding areas.” Those counties are really undeserved when it comes to live music venues. Especially live music venues of quality. Obviously Hershey just does the massive stuff. Spotobe: Appalachian Brewing Company does some good things. Traynor: They do more local and regional. They bring in stuff. Frightened Rabbit was a great show, I heard. You know, ABC — as good the events they have had are — it isn’t really set up as a stage. We’ve approached this as a music venue space. This isn’t a bar that will have bands. That makes a big difference. That’s why we have the raised stage. That’s why we have the LED lighting. We’ve spent a lot of money trying to perfect this. The bar side of this, while it’s nice and brings in some money, the main focus is on making it a stage for bands. What’s interesting is, the other stages like the Whitaker Center are very traditional theater-style seating, but most young people, even middle aged people like myself, don’t want to sit in a theater and listen to a rock band. It’s like Pretenders show. They’re playing the Forum and they’ll get a great turnout, but I prefer to see a band like that in a space like this, where I can have a cocktail and sit up a table and get up and dance. It’s much more informal. It’s a professional stage with an informal environment. I think that’s the way of the future. Before, the Chameleon Club and all these other places, they’re always something first and music second. We’re music first and then the fun around it. Spotobe: Thank’s so much for your time. I hope you get people to come out. Sometimes around here people like to complain that there’s nothing to do but when there are things to do, they don’t come out and do them. Traynor: Well, the truth is, I’m not really focused on the Harrisburg market. I agree with you. Really we want people to come into Harrisburg who live on the outside of Harrisburg. A lot of people just want to go out and have a drink and whatever. We want people who are interested in music and we’ve been attracting those people. People from the West Shore and people from Union Deposit and the surrounding towns. We’ve had people come down from State College for some events. We’ve had people coming from Carlisle and York and Lancaster and you really want to draw from that market. If you really just worry about your local market, they aren’t going to turn out all the time. It’s got to be about something bigger than that. http://blog.spotobe.com/index.php/sp..._traynor/#more |
A couple news bits today:
"Upscale" gentlemen's club opening in the industrial part of Harrisburg between downtown and Allison Hill (the only place they could put it due to zoning). As you would expect, it's causing quite the stir in the region. Regardless of your opinion, it does go to show that this area is stepping out of its conservative past. http://www.centralpennbusiness.com/w...684&aID2=72577 On another note...CAT is getting hybrid buses! Sweet. http://www.centralpennbusiness.com/w...951&aID2=72580 |
Patriot-News moving to Hampden Twp. (Not surprising. They've been looking for a new home for at least two years if not longer. At least they're not scared of pissing off the mayor.)
Oh, and this article is all spin and PR b.s. They're moving for $$$. Smaller place. Fewer employees. Less maintenance. You get the drift. http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...itorial_a.html Patriot-News moving editorial and business offices to Hampden Twp. By The Patriot-News December 29, 2009, 1:12PM The Patriot-News is consolidating its offices to the Cumberland Technology Park in Hampden Twp. The move will reunite the company’s business offices and editorial department with its production facility off Interstate 81. The two halves of the operation had been split since 2000, when the company’s new production plant opened. Business and editorial offices had remained 10 miles away on Market Street in Harrisburg. The move is expected to be completed in early 2010. On a practical level, nothing will change for the company’s readers or advertisers. All phone numbers will remain the same. Current post office box numbers for mailing will remain the same for the near future. The new office location will not alter the newspaper’s coverage of either the city of Harrisburg or state government. Reporters and photographers, who have long been completely mobile and spend little of their time in the office, will continue to cover city and Capitol news as they always have. The company’s advertising representatives, likewise, will continue to serve our advertisers just as before. View full sizeThe Patriot-News/fileThe Patriot-News printing plant and packaging facility in Hampden Township. The newspaper's editorial and business offices will be moving to a building nearby. The Patriot-News has been pursuing the idea of reuniting the company’s operations since early 2008, when it became clear that the split operation no longer fit the company’s needs. In addition to its printing presses and packaging facility, the company’s Hampden Twp. plant houses the bulk of its technology infrastructure. However, other technology operations have, by necessity, remained at the Harrisburg location. This is just one example of a growing number of ways in which the split operation has caused both problems and additional expenses. “As we have moved from a newspaper company to a media company over the past few years, we have had to change the way we work,” said Editor and Publisher John Kirkpatrick. “Where it once worked to have our operations on Market Street separated from our production facility, that no longer makes sense. This allows us to be more nimble and efficient in many ways.” The Patriot-News remains committed to serving the readers and advertisers in central Pennsylvania. “We are one of 25 newspapers in the nation to be growing readership and were Pennsylvania’s Newspaper of the Year for three years in a row,” Kirkpatrick said. “We aren’t changing our mission, just our address.” |
That town is a joke anymore, very sad. :(
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High Speed Rail improvements planned
Pa. To Get $26.4M In High-Speed Rail Money
Posted: 6:39 am EST January 28, 2010Updated: 10:40 am EST January 28, 2010 HARRISBURG, Pa. -- U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter said Pennsylvania will get $26.4 million of the $8 billion in federal stimulus money that President Barack Obama plans to award for development of high-speed rail corridors. Specter, D-Pa., announced the state's share Thursday morning. The money will finance a $750,000 study into the potential extension of the corridor west from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh. However, most of the money will pay for improvements along the Keystone Corridor linking Harrisburg and Philadelphia, including the elimination of the last three public grade crossings to enhance safety. "It's not just a question of moving people and dealing with congestion," Sen. Bob Casey said. "It's also doing it in an environmentally responsible way. So I think it's a big part of economic development, especially when to construct those high-speed rail lines, there are a lot of jobs in the construction field doing that." President Obama is expected to make the announcement during an appearance in Florida. |
How are things?
I haven't posted on here in a while. I've been busy traveling with the military. I visited HBG a couple weeks ago and I'm amazed at how things keep changing. I think improvements like this high speed rail linking HBG and Philly are definitely a good investment.
Dave...how the heck are you? |
$6 million in casino revenue to pay for Dauphin County projects
By EMILY OPILO, The Patriot-News January 27, 2010, 5:55PM Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in East Hanover Township, Dauphin County.Dauphin County commissioners approved the distribution of more than $6 million in gaming funds Wednesday to be used for public works projects. The county receives 2 percent of the gross revenue of Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in East Hanover Township as required by the state’s Gaming Act. Six local municipalities split another 2 percent in revenue. More than 87 percent of the funding will be spent on infrastructure improvements and emergency medical services and health and public safety projects, said George Groves, chairman of the Dauphin County Gaming Advisory Board. The board met for several months to prioritize applications for the funding. WHAT’S NEXT: Appropriations included more than $3 million for road and bridge projects in East Hanover Township, $300,000 for engineering and architecture work on a fire station in West Hanover Township, $435,000 for a pumper truck to be purchased by South Hanover Township and $618,900 for the replacement of the Route 743 bridge in Derry Township. http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...evenue_to.html what happened to reducing property taxes? |
Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson wants to end infighting, council leader says
By LARA BRENCKLE, The Patriot-News February 06, 2010, 12:00AM Harrisburg mayor-elect Linda Thompson holds Public Transition team meetings.JOE HERMITT, The Patriot-News, file It seems Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson and City Council members would like to hash out their differences.Mayor Linda Thompson doesn’t intend to stifle public budget hearings, two Harrisburg City Council members said Friday. What the mayor wants to end is unproductive political infighting that she believes has taken place over the last five weeks, when she urged moving some discussions “behind closed doors,” the council members said. Thompson’s 15-minute address to the council during its Thursday hearing over the $65 million proposed budget took former Mayor Stephen R. Reed to task for leaving the city’s finances in shambles and chastised media and local bloggers for trying to “assassinate” her young administration. The city faces an immediate $3.8 million shortfall and a projected $164 million gap over the next five years, the city’s consulting firm, Management Partners, has said. The city, which guaranteed $288 million of the debt for the Harrisburg Authority’s incinerator, owes a $68.7 million debt service payment this year. “I don’t believe [closing public hearings] is what she said,” council president Gloria Martin-Roberts said. “What she wanted to do is sit down with council members and talk about any concerns they had. As president of council, I wouldn’t permit [closing the hearings] to take place.” Martin-Roberts also said Thompson was “absolutely accurate” in her comments about Reed’s administration. Things were so deeply concealed, Martin-Roberts said, they are just being revealed now — despite the fact Thompson served on council since 2001. “Some people expect instant gratification,” Martin-Roberts said. “This is 28 years of mess, and it can’t be solved in 32 days.” What the media should do, Martin-Roberts said, is encourage residents to come forward with ideas to move the community forward, instead of fixating on who is responsible for the problems. “We need to get over the blame and move forward,” Martin-Roberts said. “Behave like a healthy city.” Thompson, it seemed, was also urging civility, stating she had yet to “take up a microphone against my colleagues on City Council.” “We have to show we know how to get along,” Thompson said. “We know how to handle complex crises.” The Patriot-News e-mailed or phoned all members of the City Council, as well as Thompson’s spokeswoman, Joyce Davis, to ask if either planned to close budget hearings — something that would be in violation of the state’s Sunshine Law resulting in possible civil or criminal penalties. Davis, when reached by phone, said the Mayor had “no response” to five questions sent by The Patriot-News. Councilwoman Patty Kim responded via e-mail saying she “was going to pass today.” Councilman Brad Koplinski said he, too, believed Thompson had asked council to take personal disagreements out of the public realm. “I’d be happy to talk to the mayor any time,” Koplinski said. “But major decisions about the future of the city should be made in public.” Kim de Bourbon, executive director of the Pennsylvania Freedom of Information Coalition, said directives to close down communications typically backfire on public officials. “It’s the true sign of an unsophisticated leader who lacks confidence in the democratic process,” de Bourbon said in an e-mail. “Ironically, it is usually these types of efforts to seize control that cause control to be lost, because Americans just don’t like people telling them who they can and can’t talk to.” Mayor Thompson’s proposed budget revisions: * Increase property taxes by 20 percent to generate an extra $2.9 million in revenues. * Raise water rates by 40 percent. * Cut overtime for police and fire. * Increase fees for those who use special services. * Reduce code-enforcement costs by $150,000 * Cut garbage-collection costs by $100,000 * Have Dauphin County handle the city’s 911 calls instead of the city’s communications center. http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...thompso_5.html unbelievable...that's about all i say here. i'm tired of hearing blame, especially on Reed. everything about her administration has been centered on herself, her friends, and not on Harrisburg and it's citizens. it was wrong for people to believe she was capable of this office. i hope everyone who voted for her expecting responsible change, will eat your words! this is going to kill residents, businesses, and the flow suburbanites into the city...especially Midtown. |
Broad Street Market forced to close
Friday, February 05, 2010 BY SUE GLEITER sgleiter@patriot-news.com The mood at the Broad Street Market in midtown Harrisburg on Thursday was tense as vendors mopped and scrubbed stands after the historic venue was suddenly closed for health violations. A health inspection earlier in the day found violations that included evidence of rodents as well as a lack of hot water, specifically in the rest rooms, according to a statement from Mayor Linda Thompson's office. The decision to close the market was made in cooperation with the state Department of Agriculture, according to the statement. Advertisement "We were really blindsided by this," said Gregg Fetterman, chairman of the market's board. He said he expects the market to reopen as early as Wednesday. In the meantime, vendors have been told to move everything out of the market so the facility can be exterminated today, Fetterman said. "They came in and said we had to start cleaning up. They gave no explanation," said Mervin Stoltzfus of Beiler's Poultry as he mopped the floor. This marks the second time in two months a business in the city has been shut down because of rodents. The Capitol Cafe in the state Capitol was closed twice -- the first time in December and the second time last week -- after inspectors found several health violations, including evidence of mice. In the cafeteria situation, it came out that the eatery hadn't been inspected in five years. On Thursday, it was not clear from city or state officials how often the market has been inspected. Fetterman said a health inspector visited the market about two weeks ago and gave the facility a positive report with the exception of three minor concerns related to specific vendors that were addressed. The market has a contract with a company for routine pest control and in fact changed companies about one month ago because the previous company wasn't doing an adequate job, he said. Thousands of dollars have been spent to prevent mice from entering the building, including the installation of metal plates on doors to help seal them, he said. "By the very nature of the building, it's in a city, there are dilapidated buildings, and we're a block away from the river. We're going to have rodent issues," Fetterman said. The Broad Street Market dates to 1860 and is known as the oldest continuously operated market house in the United States. The vendor names illustrate the market's diversity, including Ly Ly Asian Foods, Carib Soul, Curry in a Hurry and Lebanon Valley Meats. The market is owned by the city and managed by Historic Harrisburg Association. For several years, the market has suffered from an identity crisis of sorts. Last month, a report by a financial consulting firm recommended, among other actions, that the city sell the market to generate revenue to help stave off bankruptcy. Eric Papenfuse, owner of the Midtown Scholar Bookstore, said he hopes the market's closing prompts someone to examine the market's future as a centerpiece for revitalization in midtown. "It's kind of signal there's a need for a complete overhaul and a new strategy," he said. http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriot...140.xml&coll=1 first the Capitol...now this. lol |
Route 15 traffic targeted in northern York County
Friday, February 05, 2010 Paul Reichart, The amendment is being designed to address traffic problems expected along the Route 15 corridor in coming years. According to a December report, traffic is expected to rise more than 40 percent in the next 10 years and more than 80 percent by 2034. Beth Nidam of the York County Planning Commission has described the Northern York section of Route 15 as a "hot spot" for development. BACKGROUND:Unlike the limited-access highway drivers find in Cumberland County to the north and Adams County to the south, the York County portion of Route 15 has 16 crossroads and many other access points that have raised safety concerns. The crash rate already exceeds the state average, and the highway was the scene of 10 fatalities between 2004 and 2008. http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriot...380.xml&coll=1 i believed there were plans at one time to extend the limited access south into York County. i really think that's the smart thing to do here. York County and parts of northern Frederick County, MD are the only sections between Harrisburg and Washington DC (Route 15's connection with I-270) to NOT be constructed as limited access highway. i'd like to see an extension of I-270 north of Frederick into PA in the future. i traveled that route quite a bit when I worked at Ft. Belvoir, VA. |
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I have nothing to say about Thompson really, and it seems as if she may be taking a lot of steps backwards. You pretty much summed up my opinions about her, and I have seen her in action for many years: Quote:
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Millennium Music Conference gives young bands a chance to be heard
By DAVID N. DUNKLE, The Patriot-News February 18, 2010, 3:00PM Shaman's Harvest, a rock band out of Missouri, will perform Saturday night at the Radisson Penn Harris Convention Center in Camp Hill as part of the 14th annual Millennium Music Conference.Indie pop band Farewell Flight is based in Harrisburg, but rarely plays here. There just aren’t many venues in the city anymore for bands that perform original music. “We are not a weekend warrior band,” said drummer Marc Prokopchak, who handles booking arrangements for the band, which plays about 150 dates a year, mostly in other states. “We are 100 percent commited to being a full-time band.” Farewell Flight does have a Harrisburg gig Friday night. The four-man group, led by singer/songwriter Luke Foley, will do a 40-minute set at the Radisson Penn Harris Convention Center in Camp Hill as part of the 14th annual Millennium Music Conference. They will be among some 270 bands from all over the country who will perform, one after another, at 26 venues in the Harrisburg area tonight and Saturday. The musicians, from the worlds of rock, acoustic, blues, jazz and hip-hop, come to be heard, sell a few CDs and T-shirts, and network with music industry professionals who might be able to help them get noticed. Even bands on the rise like Shaman’s Harvest still need gigs like this. That’s why the members of the hard rock band, whose “Dragonfly” single is climbing the rock charts, will drive here from their home base in Jefferson City, Mo. They hope to follow a path laid down by bands like Godsmack, which attended Millennium a few years ago and has since gone on to rock stardrom. “Kids know about us from seeing us on Youtube or Facebook, but we have not done a lot of playing in the East,” said Phil Dunscombe, who manages Shaman's Harvest. “We definitely have a story going on here. We just want to get out there and play the market.” John Harris, director of the Millennium Conference, said it’s harder than ever to make it in the music business. A yearlong national recession also hasn’t helped, but Harris said talent and tenacity are still the keys. “Yes the economy is bad, but if a band is good, the economy is not a problem,” he said. “There are more bands than you can shake a stick at, but the ones that are motivated and able to play half decent are the ones that are going to get booked and make a living.” Ron Kamionka, who owns several nightclubs and restaurants in downtown Harrisburg, including the Hardware Bar, Sambuca’s and the Tom Sawyer diner, generally doesn’t book original acts, preferring to draw from a short list of cover bands and DJ’s for the places where he provides live music. Gigs may pay less than $100 a night. “People’s loyalty to live music is just not there,” Kamionka said. “People are more averse to paying a cover charge. I think it has to do with the trend toward bar touring. They’d rather go to five or six bars a night and have more to spend on drinking.” That’s why bands like Farewell Flight go to Texas for gigs, and bands like Shaman’s Harvest drive cross-country for a chance to play. “We always laugh about the recession,” said Prokopchak, who works part-time as a paralegal when not touring. “If you are super poor to begin with, it hasn’t really affected you a lot.” Why keep going? “I don’t know what else we would do,” he said. “At the end of the day, doing what you want six months of the year and coming back for a job the other six months is better than working at a job you don’t like 12 months of the year.” http://blog.pennlive.com/go/2010/02/..._gives_yo.html i think this is pretty cool...270 bands in the area at the same time, very nice! |
Harrisburg's Cosmopolitan Hotel project falls victim to economy
By DAN MILLER, The Patriot-News February 24, 2010, 12:05AM Developer Jules Patt has apparently scrapped plans for a hotel at the Barto Building at North Third and State streets in Harrisburg. The building, owned by the AFL-CIO, is for sale for $2.3 million. Listing broker Daniel Alderman of NAI/CIR said Patt no longer has a sales agreement to buy the building. Alderman said the building is under contract, but the potential owner would develop the property as mixed retail/office use. Patt, of Hollidaysburg, declined comment Tuesday. The proposal to build the 88-room hotel, called the Cosmopolitan, was one of three plans for hotels in downtown Harrisburg in recent years. Harristown Development Corp. has approval for a 42-bed hotel in the 300 block of Chestnut Street. But the poor economy has Harristown taking another look at project cost and financing and demand in the local hotel market, Harristown Vice President Brad Jones said. He said Harristown hopes to break ground in 2011 and finish in 2012. Officials with WCI Partners and Hersha Development Corp. could not provide comment Tuesday on the status of the proposed 13-story 138-room Aloft hotel at Second and State streets. http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...tan_hotel.html |
just a curious inquiry...what is the status of 210 North Second Sreet???
http://www.210nsecond.com/ |
Harrisburg area mass-transit plan is far from dead
By Patriot-News Op-Ed GERALD K. MORRISON is an attorney at McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC and chairman of the nonprofit Modern Transit Partnership. February 21, 2010, 11:51AM http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/i...transit_p.html Much has been written during the last few months about the potential demise of the Capital Red Rose Corridor project. To give a little refresher, Corridor One, the first leg of a central Pennsylvania mass transportation system, has been renamed the Capital Red Rose Corridor to describe its connection of Lancaster to Harrisburg. Skeptics have questioned its viability, critics have questioned its expense, and a few naysayers have weighed in at every opportunity to predict that its time has passed. The reality is, this project enjoys broad, enthusiastic support from capital region commuters, employers, universities and elected officials. The Modern Transit Partnership, a nonprofit organization made up of representatives of public and private sectors, was founded in 1997 to support a multi-modal mass transportation system for the capital region. It has been a long, hard struggle to accomplish what we have. Fortunately, today the CRRC is on the virtual goal line of getting the necessary funding to commence service between Harrisburg and Lancaster. It also is likely, almost at the same time, that new bus service will be initiated between Harrisburg, Hershey and Lebanon that will tie into the rail service at the Harrisburg Transportation Center. The confluence of rail and bus service will carry workers, students, tourists and commuters back and forth to the Hershey Transportation Center, as well as connect commuters from central Lebanon and central Lancaster to major employers in Hershey and suburban areas, as well as to the state Capitol. How close are we to commencing service? During 2009, we secured the support of Gov. Ed Rendell, who issued a letter to the Federal Transit Administration urging its prompt approval of our application to begin service. We have consistently enjoyed the support of the mayors of Harrisburg and Lancaster and the commissioners of Dauphin and Lancaster counties. Additionally, we enjoy strong support from legislators throughout the capital region who will have a great deal to say about funding assistance for a true mass transit system. In addition, rail stations are being renovated in Elizabethtown and Lancaster, and plans are under way for new stations in Mount Joy and Middletown/HIA. As Amtrak and the commonwealth move toward higher-speed trains, our regional investment in the CRRC will assure continuity of service to the smaller towns along the line. Discussions are under way with SEPTA to extend the CRRC to the southeast, to connect with SEPTA at Thorndale. This could provide 30-minute-interval rail service from every town along the CRRC to center city Philadelphia and on to the sports stadium complex. With the connection to bus service at Harrisburg, commuters and tourists will be able to travel to Hershey for everything it has to offer. In 2007, a regional coalition of federal senators and representatives provided a $10.9 million capital appropriation for the CRRC to initiate rail service. The next requirement to assure the service is budgetary support from the commonwealth for operating assistance. This has been a stumbling block for us, not so much because our project has not been appreciated and supported, but because of the political environment that we have faced on Capitol Hill in the last two years. The enactment of Act 44 and the attempt to toll Interstate 80 or lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike are propositions that were broadly opposed by our regional state legislators. Without their support of Act 44, it was impossible to gain approval of the CRRC into the commonwealth’s mass transit funding formula. We came back again in 2009 to seek state funding. The memories of last year’s budget impasse are still fresh for everyone. Our timing could not have been worse, and it was just impossible to seek funding of a new project in the 2009/10 budget. We have been patient and persistent, and we now believe it will be possible to gain the needed operating assistance for the CRRC in the 2010-11 state budget. With the inclusion of the CRRC as part of a revamped transportation funding formula, it will be possible to immediately begin the final engineering and construction phase for the CRRC in 2010 and to commence service between Harrisburg and Lancaster by 2012. At the same time, Capital Area Transit and County of Lebanon Transit will be planning for Corridor Two, premium bus service between Harrisburg, Hershey and Lebanon, to provide two legs of the capital region mass transportation system. We urge readers to strongly support this project to their elected officials. The economic stimulative benefits to the capital region will be quick and long lasting. All of this will be accomplished in a planned way that will include reducing pollution and urban sprawl and providing opportunities for downtown revitalization and economic development for all residents. |
Reconnecting Walnut Street Bridge would be too expensive, study says
By KARI ANDREN, The Patriot-News February 25, 2010, 10:16AM http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...study_doe.html http://media.pennlive.com/midstate_i...8e5b_large.jpg The western span of the Walnut Street Bridge on Thursday, February 25, 2010. ANN FOSTER, The Patriot-News Reconnecting the western span of the Walnut Street Bridge could be too expensive and is not recommended, according to a study released today by Delta Development Group Inc. for the Redevelopment Authority of Cumberland County. Read the report from Delta Development. There's a 525-foot gap in the walking bridge that used to connect Harrisburg and Wormleysburg because three spans were washed out by ice and flooding in January 1996. The study evaluated using a span of the Pond Eddy Bridge in Pike County or building new spans to fill the gap. Both options would cost more than $13 million. Instead, the study recommends two things: 1. Dismantling and storing the piece of the Pond Eddy Bridge so that it could be used in the future. 2. Restoring the spans and pier of the bridge that remain along the West Shore to create a fishing pier or observation deck. The estimated cost for the combination of those two recommendations is slightly more than $2.3 million, with some funding coming from the Federal Highway Administration and PennDOT. An additional $729,200 would still be needed. |
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RE: CorridorONE, er excuse me, Capital Red Rose Corridor, I am glad to see that this is not dead and still moving. It's a real shame it was not built years ago, though, but better late than never! RE: the Walnut St. Bridge, good Lord, what an eyesore for all of these years now! :( I say at this point you might as well dismantle the damn thing OR just fill in the gap w/ a regular bridge and nothing too fancy. Yes, it's not the ideal solution but at least it will be usable! I've walked to the west shore via the other bridges and it's not a good feeling at all, as cars whiz past you at 40+ mph and barely any barrier to protect you if one goes awry. :uhh: |
too bad about 210 N. 2nd street...another viable building project scrapped due to the economy.
i'm also glad to see the CRRC push forward and finally get operational. corridor two between HBG and Hershey/Lebanon is also making headlines...i wouldn't be surprised if corridor two comes online first. |
People's Bridge repair will benefit West Shore business, proponents say
By Jim T. Ryan Central PA Business Journal 2/26/2010 11:25 AM http://www.centralpennbusiness.com/a....asp?aID=74584 Proposals to repair and reopen the western span of the People's Bridge from City Island to Wormleysburg could have a significant economic impact on borough business, said West Shore proponents of the plans. A repaired bridge would bring more foot traffic to the West Shore to frequent shops and restaurants, giving life to Wormleysburg's revitalization, said David Morrison, a member of the People's Bridge Coalition, which has been advocating for the repair and reuse of the bridge. The borough, with Camp Hill and Lemoyne, will begin streetscape improvements this year to make the West Shore communities more attractive. Before any work on the bridge begins, Wormleysburg will have to address the parking problems on Front Street at the foot of the bridge, said Chris Gulotta, executive director of the Cumberland County Housing and Redevelopment Authorities. The area includes popular restaurants and businesses, such Dukes Riverside Bar & Grill and Dockside Willies. Once those issues are resolved, even a partial opening of the bridge as a fishing pier could add to Wormleysburg's economy, he said. "We should see additional business development," Gulotta said. The coalition, county, state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Hampden Township-based Delta Development Group Inc. and the Wormleysburg Revitalization Committee yesterday released a report outlining the options and costs for repairing the bridge. Three spans of the bridge were damaged in the 1996 floods, two fell immediately and a third span fell down later. Replacement of the bridge with spans from a similar bridge or new construction would each cost more than $13 million, which Delta Development said in its report could be too expensive to happen before 2013. Delta proposed intermediate steps, including buying, dismantling and storing the replacement bridge spans to come from the Pond Eddy bridge in Pike County. That would cost $810,000, for which the county has more than half of the money secured, Gulotta said. The Pond Eddy bridge is scheduled to be replaced by 2013. Delta also suggested rehabilitating the remaining bridge sections and reopening them to the public as observation and fishing piers. That would cost more than $1.5 million, and the county has nearly $1.2 million in secured funding, Gulotta said. "I think there's opportunity to bring some private sector fundraising into this," he said. The repair and replacement plans could create 250 construction jobs, he said. The redevelopment authority is planning a meeting in April to gather input from the public about how best to proceed, Gulotta said.[...] |
Hello all,
It has been many months since I have posted here. I have not disappeared. I've been very busy with the continual remodel of my house. It is great to see that people are keeping the forum active. I can tell you that Harrisburg has weathered this recession better than many other towns around. I would love to have the Walnut Street Bridge repaired, but I just don't see $13M being a good deal for a walking bridge. I guess it is my engineer at heart saying that. I know that Wormleysburg could really use a boost, but how much would a bridge really do? Maybe the July 4th Music Festival could happen on both shores? That would be fun. When will we know the results of the 2010 census? I'm excited to see what has happened to the population of the city. In other news |
Thought I would join in the discussion since everybody seems to be popping up again.
I would like to see the Walnut Street bridge reconstructed but honestly even if all of the west shore supported it I don't see it happening. The money just isn't there for a pedestrian transportation project of that caliber. It would have to be done with private donations. Linda Thompson: she really sucks. However, let's face it...Midtown has REALLY progressed in the past two years -- it is pretty much stronger then it has been in the past couple decades according to many residents who have lived here for a long time. We have the Midtown Arts Center, all the new restaurants, the new HACC building, Campus Square... things are really coming along and it's impossible not to be hopeful for the future of the neighborhood. |
BTW, I'm surprised nobody brought up this article: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...2/post_62.html
Furlow building FINALLY looks like it's going to be developed. The folks at GreenWorks are pretty much the most serious developed of Midtown. But, I guess I'll believe it when I see it. |
Paxton Street from Harrisburg to Swatara has grown into an ethnic eating destination
By SUE GLEITER, The Patriot-News March 14, 2010, 11:47AM DAN GLEITER, The Patriot-News Ethnic restaurants and markets abound on Paxton Street. At Pho Miss Saigon, Le Kiem Fitzgerald, visiting from Virginia, eats pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) with her daughter-in-law and grandchildren. The restaurant is in the Asia Mall in the 1000 block of South 13th Street in Harrisburg, off of Paxton. Picture Paxton Street. Along the road is a jumble of businesses, traffic signals, concrete and telephone poles. Crossing two municipalities, the street is anchored on the eastern end by the Harrisburg Mall in Swatara Twp. and at the opposite end it merges with Second Street in Harrisburg. At least a dozen Chinese buffets, sushi restaurants, Asian markets and pho soup spots have created a new eating destination. Shoppers come here for the cultural experience, a chance to shop for rice noodles, bok choy and fresh fish or simply to satisfy their craving for pho or sushi. The opening of Asia Mall just off Paxton Street last year further defined the area as an Asian shopping district. A grocery store, nail salon, travel agent, video store, bakery and two restaurants fill the indoor complex. With new restaurants appearing along its length, the street — nicknamed by some as “Chinatown” — continues to enjoy a restaurant rebirth. Chinese and Vietnamese merchants consider the street’s traffic flow and accessibility to Route 83 appealing. “It has built a dynamic,” says Bill Hubler, CEO of the Chinese Cultural and Arts Institute in Harrisburg. Combine those factors with good rent prices and a growing Asian population in the midstate and the perfect equation emerges, he says. Look no further than the recent weekend of Lunar New Year to see why. Continued at... http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...urant_row.html |
^ great article. i tired to make it on here to post it, but you beat me to it.
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Midtown hub: Third Street, Harrisburg's very own bohemia
By Patriot-News Editorial Board April 05, 2010, 7:26AM Ann Foster, The Patriot-News Forget the notion that nothing is happening in Harrisburg outside “Restaurant Row.” Midtown is a great success story of local, state and private funding coming together to spark something new in the city. HACC Midtown. Midtown Arts Center. Midtown Scholar Bookstore. All three have opened or expanded in the past year making the Midtown area one of the hottest parts of Harrisburg’s revitalization. And all of this growth despite the global recession. The corridor along Third Street from Herr to Reily has become an “Arts & Learning Square,” Harrisburg’s very own bohemia or Village equivalent. What’s particularly exciting is how the new hubs, which have largely kept the early 20th century architectural style, compliment the existing Midtown framework. Midtown Cinema set the early tone for the area when it opened in 2001 showing independent films and holding poetry readings in its cafe space. The Broad Street Market has been the other long-time Midtown stalwart. With no traditional grocery store nearby, it offers access to fresh and prepared foods, and helped foster a friendly, walkable neighborhood. The crowning jewel of the Midtown renaissance is “Campus Square,” the new home of several of HACC’s tech and trades programs and even some of its administrative offices, including that of President Edna Baehre. Much of the credit goes to Harrisburg-based developer Doug Neidich of GreenWorks. “The initial draw was the location five blocks from the capital,” said Neidich. “We saw tremendous potential. Many buildings had been taken down in the ’70s and ’80s leaving this really interesting urban canvas to work with.” He took advantage of the Keystone Opportunity Zone designation to transform that canvas. Around the corner, Midtown Arts Center and the Midtown Scholar bookstore offer new venues to relax and gather with friends over a drink. They also double as performance spaces. Both venues hosted mayoral candidate debates last year. Continued at: http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/i...eet_harri.html |
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