HARRISBURG-LANCASTER-LEBANON-YORK | South Central, PA | Regional Development Thread

[harrisburger]

i'm surprise mars lasted as long as it did. but at least it served its purpose well, as i recall, it was one of the 2 or so night clubs that really got the 2nd st. renaissance going

[EastSideHBG]

A really powerful article and the City needs to step up to the plate on these for sure:


COMMENTARY

Tight-lipped officials feed anger over police shooting

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Right here, right now, what people in the streets want is a promise of fairness. They want to know that city officials take it seriously when a cop kills someone.

Nobody is telling them that.

Someone -- the mayor, the police chief or the city spokesman -- needs to step out of the fortress near Second and Market and extend a hand to the community.

In the new year, city police have shot and killed two men. People on the street are asking why and finding answers difficult to obtain.

The first man, Melvin Soto, 23, was shot in the head, the shoulder, the groin, the right leg and the back by two unidentified city police officers on the first day of 2006.

Soto swiped a police officer's gun and fired several times before the cops returned fire, authorities said.

The second man, Adeleno Jamar Oliver-Horton, 26, was on probation and was driving without a license when police tried to stop him Sunday morning. He fled, police followed, and Oliver-Horton wound up dead.

When cops shoot civilians -- justified or not -- it falls on county District Attorney Edward M. Marsico Jr. to investigate. Digging out the truth can be a long, slow process.

While the DA digs, the streets, fueled by rumors, simmer with anger and resentment. No one from city hall steps forward. Phone calls from reporters aren't returned or are met with gruff rebuffs.

This isn't a plea on behalf of the media. Reporters are simply the middlemen. They carry messages from officials and dispense them to the public.

Their work prevents 50,000 people from calling the mayor's office to ask the same question.

Savvy officials -- those who actually want to communicate with the public -- view the media like a carpenter does his hammer. You could pound a nail into a wall without one, but it won't work as well and the result might be painful.

Instead of using the available tools, city officials erect a steel cage around city hall. This week, like every other week, it's all but impossible to get information about police business from city hall.

So in the streets, people heard only that an unidentified cop killed an unarmed 20-something black man. Someone lighted candles and scrawled the word "murder" on the sidewalk where the young man died. People dropped off flowers and speculated about what happened. By the time they walked to the next corner, rumor had become fact.

City hall needs a face whenever a cop fires a gun. Mayor Stephen R. Reed, Police Chief Charles G. Kellar or city spokesman Randy King should surface immediately.

One of them should explain that the county district attorney will investigate and that the process will take time. But he should promise the city will cooperate fully. Along with these assurances, he should offer condolences from the city.

Certainly, the city benefits when officials sit around in conference rooms and negotiate with guys in suits. Thanks to that kind of hard work, the city has baseball, City Island, and the hotels and restaurants that have popped up downtown.

But a city is its people. Officials need to talk to them, listen to them, and imagine that all of them are bigwigs in Armani suits.

[EastSideHBG]

Hey did you guys see the Senators' new logo? I REALLY like it, and it is a good fit to the Nationals':



And a rendering of the new ballpark:

[EastSideHBG]

HARRISBURG

Going international

Friday, February 10, 2006
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

Walker's Art and Framing shop has been tucked away in the middle of the first block of South Third Street in Harris burg for almost 50 years.

It's one of the more than a dozen small shops, unassuming eateries and mom-and-pop business that make this one of the most eclectic sections of the city.

The area has never achieved a bit of the buzz of Second Street and only a fraction of the foot-traffic of nearby Market Street.

That might change with the opening of the International Place complex.

The $7 million, 30,000-square-foot building includes 34 apartments and 60 beds for student housing that will bring U.S. and international students downtown.

To lure more people to the area, there is a 6,000-square foot restaurant and bar, to be known as Bricco, along with a bakery, pastry and coffee shop, and a meat and cheese store.

The project, undertaken by the nonprofit Harristown Development Corp., is intended to provide an anchor for this part of downtown, establishing a major draw at Third and Chestnut streets.

"The Harristown mission is to redevelop downtown Harrisburg," said William Kohl, president of Harrisburg Hotel Corp., a Harristown subsidiary that will operate the three food businesses at International Place.

"We want to be the leader in developing a block like this," Kohl added. "This will be a drawing card."

Neighboring businesses such as Walker's, Mr. Mike's Record store, New York Gold Jewelers, the Casa Cafe -- and a dozen others -- could see a boost in sales.

"I think it should bring some more people to the area," said Janet Walker, adding that her recently deceased husband, Don Walker Sr., had always believed in the block.

To go with the complex, which incorporated a vacant lot and five rehabilitated row buildings, the streetscape has been remade with new brick, granite curbs, concrete sidewalks, historic street lights and freshly planted trees.

"It's contagious," Harristown Vice President Bradley Jones said. "We're hoping that this will help bring the neighborhood back."

The area's profile will rise today as the city kicks off a weekend of events centered around the dedication.

While the restaurant, bakery and meat and cheese shop won't open to the public until later this month, there will be tours and food samplings and other activities.

No matter what the weather, the city is promising snow on Sunday for Harrisburg's first Winterfest.

Mayor Stephen R. Reed said the event, which coincides with the opening weekend of the Winter Olympics, will include outdoor winter sports activities made possible with the use of a snowmaking machine provided by Ski Roundtop.

The miniature Olympic Village will have public ice skating, snowboarding demonstrations, snow tubing, foot bagging demonstrations, ice carvings, international entertainers and foods.

Joining Harristown and Harrisburg Hotel Corp. in the International Place project is Harrisburg Area Community College. HACC will operate a hands-on culinary program at the restaurant.

Six to seven HACC culinary students will work alongside Bricco's full-time staff during each shift.

That could grow to a dozen students per shift as the program expands.

By the fourth or fifth semester, the restaurant could be 75 percent student-run, HACC officials said.

The joint venture was made possible by $1 million gift from the Benjamin Olewine III family. Bricco will become known as the educational center for HACC's Benjamin Olewine III Culinary Program.

Bricco will offer lunch every weekday and dinner six days a week, closing on Sundays.

The bar will be open until midnight or 1 a.m., and will offer a bar menu until closing.

The restaurant is to open the week of Feb. 20, with the bakery opening a few weeks later and the meat and cheese shop in March.

[EastSideHBG]

And yet they still oppose regional rail LOL

CARLISLE

Zoning change OK'd for development

Friday, February 10, 2006
BY JOE ELIAS
Of Our Carlisle Bureau

CARLISLE - A zoning change by the Carlisle Borough Council will allow a Nevada firm to proceed with plans to develop 60 acres at the Plainfield exit of Interstate 81.

The Center at Rocky Meadows, consisting of 24 buildings, would lie in western Carlisle and Dickinson and South Middleton townships on the Rocky Meadows Golf Course.

David Loring, CEO of Equiterra Properties in Reno, asked the council to expand the type of retail development allowed to include small businesses, banks, professional offices and restaurants.

Equiterra specializes in commercial and retail projects, not warehouses, Loring said.

The area contains about 9 million square feet of warehouse space.

The council approved the changes on a 6-1 vote, with Councilman Timothy Scott voting no.

According to a sketch plan, the L-shaped tract would be developed on the west side of Allen Road and extend south and southwest along I-81.

A portion devoted to retail services along I-81 would be developed on the golf course, Loring said.

A portion would also be developed on the south side of Ritner Highway in Dickinson Twp., just west of the Sheetz store, which is in Carlisle.

Loring said he hopes to build two hotels in the South Middleton portion of the complex.

Before construction can begin, Loring must submit land development plans for approval.

He said he hopes to get the necessary approvals to begin construction in summer 2007. The project is expected to take five to seven years to complete.

The state Department of Transportation is also scheduled to begin about $36 million in improvements to Allen Road in summer 2007.

[EastSideHBG]

F I N A L L Y!!!! And FYI this is the second Chili's coming to the HBG area (there is plans for another one in Silver Spring Twp.; it was in the paper on Wed.).

BIZ MINUTE

Shopping center to get restaurant

Friday, February 10, 2006

Chili's Grill & Bar will join other tenants in the new High Pointe Commons shopping center being developed along Lindle Road off Route 283 in Swatara Twp.

David W. Locke, project manager with developer CBL & Associates Properties Inc., confirmed that a lease for the new free-standing Chili's at High Pointe Commons was negotiated by Fameco Real Estate of Conshohocken.

High Pointe Commons will have 311,000 square feet of retail space. Target and J.C. Penney will be the anchor stores, and the center will include 65,000 square feet of space for small shops.

The center is being developed jointly by CBL and High Real Estate Group of Lancaster. They plan to open the shopping center in October.

Fameco Real Estate said it also has negotiated leases for new Chili's restaurants in Lancaster, Hanover, East York and West York.

***************

RESTAURANTS

Moe's Southwest Grill opens

Friday, February 10, 2006

The Atlanta-based Moe's Southwest Grill chain opened its first midstate restaurant yesterday in the Shoppes at Susquehanna Marketplace off the Progress Avenue exit of Interstate 81. The local franchise is owned by husband and wife John and Kim Gadjo of Hershey.

The chain has five other restaurants in Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The local restaurant is the 389th Moe's Southwest Grill nationwide.

Moe's specializes in Southwest-style food such as burritos, tacos and quesadillas. The restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

[chuikov]

I agree with the commentary on the shootings. I don't know if the shootings were justified or if they are being investigated properly, but by not really addressing them openly, the police and the city will create the impression that they are not taking the shootings seriously.

[harrisburger]

personally, i think the international place is the most exciting and interesting project in downtown harrisburg in years. the students and business will surely help revive this area of town.

[EastSideHBG]

/\
I agree, harrisburger!

WEEK IN REVIEW

Real estate firm offers its concept for condos

Sunday, February 12, 2006

AYork-based real es tate company wants to add to the good life along the Harrisburg riverfront.

Susquehanna Real Estate hopes to build about 50 residential condominiums with a starting price of $300,000 each, according to the company's Web site. The development would be at 1829 N. Front St., the site of the Tracy Mansion.

The condos would be built adjacent to the mansion, which is to be converted into retail and office space. A restaurant also would be opened on the property.

Jack Kay, president and CEO of Susquehanna Real Estate, said the project is "conceptual at this point."

*************

AirTran: Risks killed HIA deal

Sunday, February 12, 2006
BY ELLEN LYON
Of The Patriot-News

The letter had been typed, inviting community leaders to a "major air service announcement" at 10 a.m. on Jan. 25.

The leaders were to go to Harrisburg International Airport to hear news that would "make travel into and out of central Pennsylvania more affordable and more comfortable for all business and leisure travelers."

But on Jan. 13 AirTran Airways officials called Fred Testa, HIA's executive director, to cancel the air service they were supposed to begin in May. Testa said he had spent more than four years courting officials at the low-cost carrier, making multiple presentations and bringing them here for a visit last July.

"Courting is putting it mildly. Some would call it stalking," said Kevin Healy, vice president of planning at AirTran. "He's very persistent. He is the reason we were looking at Harrisburg."

In the past AirTran has entered smaller markets and done well, but current conditions make it too risky and expensive, Healy said.

When AirTran entered the Flint, Mich., market in 1998, oil cost about $19 a barrel, and refining costs were about $5 a barrel.

Now oil is about $67 a barrel, and refining costs are about $15 a barrel, he said.

"Fuel is a huge, huge factor. With fuel where it's at and the expectation of where it's going to stay, it's difficult to enter any market, particularly one where you're going to have to change traffic patterns," Healy said.

The traffic pattern that needs to change is a steady exodus of air travelers to Baltimore-Washington International Airport 90 minutes away. BWI customers have their choice of three low-cost carriers -- Southwest Airlines, which is the airport's dominant carrier, AirTran and Frontier Airlines, BWI spokesman Jonathan Dean said. About 14 percent of BWI's customers come from Pennsylvania, Dean added.

With so many legacy carriers facing bankruptcy issues these days, Healy said, one of AirTran's chief priorities is to expand its existing network.

Testa confronts a "chicken and egg" dilemma in marketing HIA. Some local air travelers say they won't use the airport because the fares are too high. And low-cost carriers, who could bring lower fares to HIA, look at the traffic numbers and say the market isn't big enough, he said.

Aviation consultant Mike Boyd, of The Boyd Group in Evergreen, Colo., said HIA's chances of getting a low-cost carrier like AirTran anytime soon are "almost nil."

"The economies of the airline industry right now don't support low-fare service in smaller communities. Not anymore," he said.

Southwest Airlines isn't interested in entering markets that can't guarantee it at least 400,000 customers just for itself, Boyd said.

The airline enters one or two new markets each year, noted aviation consultant Doug Abbey. "Southwest can't be compelled to serve every city in the country," said Abbey of The Velocity Group in Washington, D.C.

Air service at any airport is a function of geography. With several low-cost carriers offering service 90 minutes to two hours away in Baltimore or Philadelphia, the likelihood of them expanding to HIA "doesn't seem that promising," Abbey said.

High fares is a common complaint Boyd hears from smaller communities. He has no sympathy.

"If you want [lower fares], move to Baltimore," Boyd said. HIA's air fares are higher "because you don't live in the Washington-Baltimore area. Instead, you live in an area with a higher quality of living, in my opinion," he said.

Boyd said HIA offers sound service, especially for business travelers, with flights that are one connection away from major business destinations, including Beijing (through Chicago).

John Ward, chairman of the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority, said he is "highly disappointed" with AirTran's decision.

"But I'm not going to let that get us down. We're going to win this battle," he said. "I'm optimistic enough to believe the ridership is going to trend up and then it will jump significantly when we get a low-cost carrier."

Testa remains patient, noting that it took him seven years to bring low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines to Manchester Airport in New Hampshire when he was director there.

"Eventually some low-cost carrier is going to see the advantage of flying in here and there's no competition," he predicted.

[EastSideHBG]

A PASSION

Sunday, February 12, 2006

If you see a black 2002 Corvette with HIA 1 on the license plate cruising from Camp Hill to Harrisburg International Airport, it's Fred Testa on his way to work.

Testa, 64, stands out, and not just because of the car or even the New England accent he describes as a "Rhode Island-Italian twang."

He is the highly visible, voluble and volatile executive director of the Lower Swatara Twp. airport -- its chief salesman and passionate advocate.

A new terminal and parking garage -- part of a $240 million expansion project -- were his idea. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he convinced his bosses on the board of the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority to abandon their plan to expand the 17-year-old terminal. He had plans for a bigger terminal, one he could boast was the first designed with post-9-11 security considerations in mind.

Testa, who has an undergraduate degree from the University of Rhode Island and a law degree from Suffolk Law School in Boston, can be disarmingly charming when he is marketing the airport. He also can rail against his critics and show an impatient, even explosive, temper.

Testa acknowledges he can get testy sometimes. "Incompetence sets me off. Lack of understanding sets me off. Stupidity sets me off. I'm a very tough boss to work for. I demand they work hard and they work efficient. Does that mean I'm unreasonable? I don't think so," he says.

"I've always told everyone on my staff that everyone makes mistakes," he adds. "But don't ever make the same mistake twice."

In a Feb. 23, 2005, memo to airport tenants Testa accused some employees of using the terminal's smoking lounge "as a 'bitching' forum [for] venting improper observations and/or stories about themselves and their companies" in front of passengers.

Testa warned that "cameras and recording equipment are being placed in this smoking lounge to monitor and record these unseemly conversations and observations."

Airport spokesman Scott Miller said the memo was just a threat and no monitoring equipment was installed.

Admirers say he is simply running a tight ship at the airport.

Bob Barbush, president of Barbush Rentals Inc., which has the Avis car-rental franchise at HIA, remembers the time before Testa, when the state and then a management company ran the airport.

"Nobody has done more for this airport, that affects me, than Fred Testa," Barbush said. "Fred's management, along with the staff he currently has, [has produced] the best managed airport that I have ever been involved with."

Miller says Testa is a hands-on manager who walks the terminal building at least twice a day and drives the perimeter of the airport daily to make sure everything is operating smoothly.

Others believe his tempestuous temperament may actually help fuel his success.

Karen Deklinski, owner of the Perfectly Pennsylvania store in the terminal, laughed when asked about Testa's management style.

"He's definitely a character," she said. "When you need to get a project done as big as an airport, you need a bulldozer to get it done. You need a strong personality to get done something that big."

Testa attracted controversy at his other jobs, too.

After he left Manchester Airport in New Hampshire, where he was director for eight years, he was named, along with the city, in a lawsuit involving "job discrimination," according to court records.

Court documents state that the case, which involved a former airport employee, was "dismissed -- settled" in 2001. Efforts to reach the worker and her former attorney, as well as city officials and their attorneys, were unsuccessful.

Testa denies the allegation and says the lawsuit was settled "for almost no dollars." He says he can't talk about the exact terms because the judge imposed a nondisclosure order.

Testa was fired in 2000 from his next job as director of Philadelphia International Airport after 11 months and escorted from his office by police.

Philadelphia Mayor John Street said at the time that Testa was fired because he was "highly disrecommended," according to accounts in The Philadelphia Inquirer. An effort to reach Street was unsuccessful.

Testa had been hired by Street's predecessor, Ed Rendell, before he became governor.

The Inquirer said Testa was described by some people as "abrupt, disrespectful, heavy-handed [and] obstreperous." Some former colleagues also described him as "a hardworking, big-thinking bureaucrat, a man unafraid to ruffle feathers to get what he wanted for his airports," the paper said.

Testa, himself, admits to being "blunt and irascible." He maintains he was fired in retaliation for criticizing city policy and for refusing to award contracts to Street's friends and supporters, when they were the high bidders. "I wear that firing like a badge of honor," Testa said.

Testa and his wife, Kathryn, made some of those points in a lawsuit filed against Street and the city. The suit claimed deprivation of his First Amendment right to free speech, defamation and loss of consortium because of the city's actions. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania dismissed their suit in May 2002.

The Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority hired Testa in 2001 to take over management of HIA after several years of declining passenger traffic. He has a yearly contract, and his salary was last raised at the end of 2004 to $175,000 a year.

Aviation consultant Mike Boyd of The Boyd Group in Evergreen, Colo., said he only knows of Testa by his reputation, which is good within the industry. "You've got a very aggressive airport manager," he said.

Given the turbulent state of the airline industry, Boyd said, it's not Testa's fault that HIA has higher fares and hasn't been able to attract a low-cost carrier.

"He does deliver, but you can't ask the impossible of the man," Boyd said. "People don't understand the airline industry."

Testa continues to plug HIA at every opportunity. The license plate on his wife's Jeep Cherokee says: "Fly HIA."

[EastSideHBG]

I am going to be at this and I will let you guys know what I find out:

Walnut Street Corridor study to be discussed

Wednesday, February 15, 2006
BY MARY KLAUS
Of The Patriot-News

Representatives of four municipalities have teamed up to improve the Walnut Street Corridor, a major East Shore commuter artery known for its three names and traffic.

Officials from Harrisburg, Penbrook, and Lower Paxton and Susquehanna townships will come together in the Walnut Street Corridor study group public meeting at 6 p.m. tomorrow at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, 2826 Herr St., Penbrook.

The corridor begins as State Street at the Capitol Complex in Harrisburg, continues east as Walnut Street in Penbrook and Susquehanna Twp., and becomes Jonestown Road and Route 22 in Lower Paxton Twp. About 46,000 people travel the route each day, according to a 2004 study.

Two years ago, the four municipalities joined in a cooperative agreement to undertake a $350,000 study of the corridor. The study also includes a two-mile long stretch of Herr Street from Cameron Street in Harrisburg to Herr Street in Penbrook.

"We would like to see better commuter and visitor access to the city and its attractions, specifically The National Civil War Museum in Reservoir Park," said Randy King, spokesman for Mayor Stephen R. Reed. "Improving the entire corridor also will spur economic development by providing easier vehicle access for shoppers."

Jim Armbruster, Penbrook manager, said that Penbrook is "looking for ideas on how to revitalize our central business district and what to do about the traffic in the borough."

Lori Wissler, Lower Paxton Twp. planning and zoning officer, said her township's part of the corridor "is pretty well built up with shopping and commercial areas. We are concerned about land-use conflicts and better interconnections with the traffic signals to have a steady traffic flow."

Susquehanna Twp. Manager Gary Myers said that Susquehanna Twp. "is glad to see a cooperative effort among the four municipalities. If we revitalize the corridor, it will help all four municipalities in economic, transportation and quality of life issues."

The state Department of Community and Economic Development has given $102,500 to the study. Other grants have come from the Harrisburg Area Transportation Study ($80,000) and Dauphin County ($12,500), and $2,500 from each of the four municipalities.

Additional grant and matching funding will be sought for completion of the study that McCormick Taylor & Associates of Lower Paxton Twp. began five months ago.

Deb Hoover, project manager for McCormick Taylor, said the firm is finishing the first phase of the project, looking at "the physical conditions, what's positive and what should change. We've done a market analysis and traffic counts on Route 22."

MARY KLAUS: 255-8113 or mklaus@patriot-news.com

IF YOU GO

What: Walnut Street Corridor Study meeting. Where: St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, 2826 Herr St., Penbrook. When: 6 p.m. tomorrow.

[EastSideHBG]

PENN NATIONAL GAMING

Plans for casino move ahead

Racetrack owner to raze grandstand

Thursday, February 16, 2006
BY TOM DOCHAT
Of The Patriot-News

The grandstand at Penn National Race Course will be torn down this spring to make way for construction of the much-anticipated slot-machine casino at the Grantville racetrack.

But Penn National Gaming Inc. executives yesterday could not say when the casino will open. They expect to receive a state license in the second half of the year, with construction to begin immediately after that. Construction is estimated to take 13 months.

Penn National has seen its plans hit roadblocks before. Just 12 months ago, it expected to open the Grantville casino by the middle of this year.

Peter M. Carlino, chairman and CEO, conceded yesterday that the delays have been a "bit of a disappointment to us," but he said it's "clear" that the state is "serious about doing the right thing."

"We're just going to wait and see," he said. "We view this as a marathon. This is a long-term race."

In December, Penn National submitted a license application for the 365,000-square-foot Hollywood Casino at Grantville. The casino initially would house 2,000 slot machines, with the potential to add 1,000 more.

The facility also would feature a food court, a restaurant, a sports bar, track-side dining, bar and lounge areas on the gaming level and a five-story parking garage.

The casino is estimated to cost $262 million, including $50 million for the state license fee.

A Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board hearing on Penn National's license application has been scheduled for April 6 and 7 at The State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg.

To prepare for construction of the casino, the grandstand will be razed in the spring, the company said. A 25,000-square-foot temporary facility has been constructed to handle the track's racing and simulcast operations while the grandstand is demolished and the casino is built. After construction is complete, the temporary facility will be used as a warehouse.

Spokesman Eric Schippers said the temporary facility will provide some level of food service, and the transition should have minimal impact on racing operations. Penn National has live racing Wednesday through Saturday nights.

The grandstand is the centerpiece of the race course that opened in 1972, well before Penn National expanded in the gaming business.

The Grantville track has become a smaller part of Penn National's operations in the past five to 10 years. The racetrack and six off-track wagering facilities reported revenue of $53.8 million in 2005, just 3.8 percent of the $1.4 billion total revenue posted by the company. Racing revenue in 2004 was $55.4 million.

Earnings at the racetrack operation before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization totaled $2.7 million in 2005, compared with $5 million in 2004.

Penn National officials have said the casino will immediately boost business at the Grantville track. In July 2004, shortly after the state Legislature approved casino gaming at racetracks and other locations, Penn National projected gaming revenue of $160 million in the first year of operations at Grantville.

[EastSideHBG]

Well I found out tonight they are looking at 5-6 years to complete the Walnut St. Corridor project, and that is if everything goes right and on time (and we all know it rarely does). I know it is a complicated project but COME ON!!! 2012 at best?!?!? Why does it take so freakin' long to get things done around here?!?!? One of the biggest things holding this area back is how long things take, and this is a perfect example...

I am in no way downplaying how big of a project this is and there really are some amazing ideas in creating this new "Eastern Gateway". But a project like this simply cannot take that long to complete; the roads are choked as it is and getting worse with each passing year. By the time they finish, the project may be outdated already due to the higher vehicular counts by that time.

*And I didn't even mention the funding issues, as we all know how the HBG area likes to drag its feet and lose money in the process, leaving them with barely enough to complete what they started *cough* CorridorONE *cough* The Walnut St. Bridge *cough*

And I didn't even mention the fact that cash-strapped Penbrook may not even exist by that time, and this project is really for them when you stop and think about it because they have the most to gain from it with the revitalzed "CBD" they will be getting from this...

Oh well, best of luck, Harrisburg! The way things are panning out, I won't be around to see any of this.

[wrightchr]

^ sounds like a little **tough love** from Dave

[EastSideHBG]

/\
LOL exactly, Chris! It gets frusturating when such good things take so darn long...there is no need for it IMO.

PENBROOK

Corridor plan impresses residents

Friday, February 17, 2006
BY IRVIN KITTRELL III
Of The Patriot-News

Patty Barbour of Susquehanna Twp. was impressed with what she saw last night at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Penbrook.

Officials from Harrisburg, Penbrook, Lower Paxton Twp. and Susquehanna Twp. have been meeting for years to present a Walnut Street Corridor project to the public -- so the public could join the planning.

"You don't plan for people; you don't plan at people, but you plan with people," said Daniel Leppo, Harrisburg's planning director. "You need to involve people so their thoughts and concerns will be considered."

The Walnut Street Corridor project aims to revitalize and develop an eight-mile stretch along State Street in Harrisburg, Walnut Street in Susquehanna Twp and Penbrook, and Allentown Boulevard in Lower Paxton Twp. The project also includes two miles of Herr Street that connects Walnut Street in Penbrook with Cameron Street in Harrisburg.

The public got its first look at the project last night, said Deb Hoover, project manager for McCormick Taylor, the project's lead consultant. Other public meetings will be scheduled, she said.

Barbour said she was impressed by the display of information that detailed land use along the corridor. The walls were lined with maps and two areas of the room contained computer presentations, one looking at traffic problems and the other examining potential market/business opportunities.

"What I have seen so far is not what I expected," said Barbour, who lives in Susquehanna Twp. "I didn't know [about the planning stage]."

More than 50 people attended the presentation.

One thing missing was a presentation or design showing how the corridor would look when completed. Hoover said yesterday's event wasn't about that; rather, it was to show the public that the corridor could be changed for the better.

The year-long study for the project looked at traffic, pedestrian crossings, blighted areas and best use for underdeveloped areas. It also looked at tourism, office space and mixed use of commercials and residential usage.

Hoover said it will take years to see any physical changes. First, the four municipalities must adopt the proposed changes and be willing to pay for the work, she said.

The corridor idea was hatched by Penbrook about five years ago when it looked at revitalizing the borough, Hoover said. The borough got the other three municipalities involved, he said.

Two years ago, the municipalities joined in an agreement to undertake a $350,000 study of the corridor.

Other public hearings are scheduled, but no dates have been set.

[EastSideHBG]

What did I just say about frusturating?!?


CARLISLE

Commissioners cut funds

Pledge for overpass trimmed to $500,000

Friday, February 17, 2006
BY MATT MILLER
Of Our Carlisle Bureau

CARLISLE - Cumberland County commissioners are taking cash off the table a week after state-brokered talks forged tentative deals regarding the fate of the Corridor One commuter rail project.

Commissioners had pledged $1.05 million toward building an overpass so freight trains don't block a rail line in Lemoyne that is eyed as a commuter rail and bus rapid-transit route.

Yesterday, they cut that to $500,000 and vowed to seek federal funding for the difference. Money also would come from the state and Norfolk Southern. The $1.05 million constituted a 20 percent local share for the project, Commission Chairman Bruce Barclay said, and the county usually pays only 10 percent.

"I'd be happy to put in a half-million dollars ... to keep our [transit] options open," he said. "But that's on the condition that this is not considered an endorsement of the rail project."

Commissioner Gary Eichelberger said Cumberland is the only county pledging "actual dollars" for the overpass.

The commissioners' action follows a meeting among officials from Cumberland and Dauphin counties, Harrisburg, Capital Area Transit and the Modern Transit Partnership and state Transportation Secretary Allen Biehler, who has said state money is not currently available for Corridor One's operation.

The session resulted in a tentative deal to start rail service on a Lancaster-to-Harrisburg route and not bring it into Cumberland as planned. The full system would cost $87 million. Without a Cumberland leg, that drops to about $30 million.

Cumberland commissioners have called for an East Shore test to see if the system would attract enough riders.

At Commissioner Rick Rovegno's urging, commissioners tied their Lemoyne overpass funding to a demand that CAT and MTP pledge not to try to bring Corridor One into Cumberland without their consent.

According to a memo from Biehler, the parties also agreed not to impede efforts by Cumberland commissioners to explore a bus rapid-transit route to link the East and West shores.

Dauphin County Commission Chairman Jeff Haste said he isn't surprised Cumberland commissioners cut their Lemoyne overpass pledge. "Hopefully, we'll be able to find federal funding to fill that gap," he said.

He said his board grudgingly accepts the paring of Corridor One.

CAT Executive Director James Hoffer said he hopes Biehler will arrange more talks. He said CAT's bus system won't be gutted to fund Corridor One because federal authorities -- who would provide much of the rail system's financing -- don't allow that.

[wrightchr]

^ the cumberland county commissioners suck...that's all there is to it!

[EastSideHBG]

REGIONAL

Sales of homes break more records

Sunday, February 19, 2006
BY ELLEN LYON
Of The Patriot-News

The midstate housing market showed no signs of slowing down in 2005 as home sales and average sale prices smashed records once again.

Local real estate agents sold 8,751 homes last year, or 283 more than in 2004, according to the Central Penn Multi-List, which tracks such sales in Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry and northern York counties.

The average sale price was $169,840, or $13,682 more than in 2004, when the previous record was set.

Some national analysts have predicted a slowdown in certain overheated markets around the country. However, local industry watchers are not seeing it.

"We tend to lag behind major metropolitan areas and the rest of the country," said Fred Humphrey, president of the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors. "We're just a tad behind them and we don't always follow them.

"There's going to have to be a major change, and it's going to have to be national or global for our market to start slowing down fast," observed Humphrey, a real estate agent with RE/MAX Realty Professionals in Lower Paxton Twp.

Paul Graham, interim president of the Lebanon County Association of Realtors, agreed. "Maybe in Florida, Jersey and California, because that's usually hyper-inflated, but Pennsylvania being the ultraconservative state it is, I don't see that happening," he said.

Lebanon County, where home sales are tracked by the Keystone Multi-List, also broke a record in 2005 with 1,556 homes sold for an average price of $154,011. That compares with 1,502 homes sold in 2004 for an average price of $140,934.

Graham, who works for Brownstone Real Estate Co. in Hershey and Lebanon, said the average sale price would be even higher if Lebanon wasn't included in the numbers. Homes there tend to sell for $55,000 to $65,000, he said.

Humphrey and Graham agreed that the most likely segment of the local market to see a slowdown would be the top range of homes that sell for $450,000 and more. There aren't as many buyers for those, they said.

Marian Crosson of Steelton had the opposite problem. The Department of Defense logistician and her mother, Elizabeth Williams, couldn't find a house with the features they wanted. So they are having a home custom built at Forest Hills, in Lower Paxton Twp., for $700,000, she said.

Their 5,600-square-foot house has two master bedroom suites, three other bedrooms, five bathrooms, an exercise room and a three-car garage.

Crosson was more surprised at the cost of land around here. The lot, which is a little more than an acre, cost about $120,000.

"I didn't expect land to be as expensive as it was," she said. "I was expecting at the most $80,000 or $90,000."

Home prices are rising, too. They appreciated 8.8 percent last year in the Central Penn Multi-List coverage area, compared with a 9.5 percent appreciation rate in 2004.

"To me that's a healthy sign," Humphrey said. The market is more likely to be able to sustain a slowing appreciation rate, as opposed to a rapidly climbing one, he explained.

The lower appreciation rate in 2005, which is still higher than the 8 percent appreciation rate in 2003, probably reflects a slowing economy and slightly higher interest rates, Humphrey said.

"Most of the markets around the country are starting to see the appreciation rates come down," he noted.

The inventory of homes for sale remains tight. Real estate agents still complain "they have the buyers but can't find the properties," especially in the $80,000 to $170,000 range, Humphrey said.

Graham said he worries about a shortage of affordable housing. One client could only go up to $135,000. She put in bids on four houses and was beat every time by higher bidders, he said.

Mary Curtis, a client of Humphrey's who was looking with her husband, Ezekiel, for a ranch-style home, said the market is competitive. They found one house they liked, but it sold "before I even had a chance to put a bid on it. I was thinking [about it]," Curtis said.

After several months of hunting, the couple bought a three-bedroom, 21/2-bath home in Susquehanna Twp. for less than $155,000 in September, Curtis said.

The number of real estate agents has been growing with the market. Humphrey said the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors saw an increase of about 200 new members last year, independent of the group's merger with the Carlisle Association of Realtors.

Humphrey and Graham predict another year of steady growth for the local real estate market in 2006. The first busy season of the year usually starts in February.

"That's when we're going to find out whether there's been a real change in the market," Humphrey said.

[EastSideHBG]

Here is a VERY interesting article:

THE GIRLS NEXT DOOR
Along rural Routes 11/15, conservative communities co-exist with a booming sex trade

[EastSideHBG]

This better f*cking pass!!! And to all of the NIMBYs that will crawl out of the woodwork to oppose this, I say shut the hell up and move to the 'burbs if you don't want a CITY to develop and change!!!


Harrisburg riverfront skyline may get a lift

Council considers raising height limit on Front Street

Tuesday, February 21, 2006
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

Condo buildings could loom up to 110-feet high along a portion of Harrisburg's Front Street, and hotels and restaurants would be welcome there, as well.

Such projects would be permitted on Front Street, between Verbeke and Maclay streets, under zoning changes being considered by City Council. The city's current height limit for the zone is 45 feet.

City officials said the changes are long overdue and necessary to spur development of such parcels as the vacant lot at Verbeke and Front streets.

"The existing ordinance dates back to before vertical construction became so important to urban development," city spokesman Randy King said.

But preservation groups, such as the Historic Harrisburg Association, urged the city to move slowly and consider the impact on Harrisburg's skyline and riverfront.

HHA Executive Director David Zwifka said the taller buildings could create a "monolith" and that new restaurants and hotels would promote further commercialization of the once-residential street.

Front Street is known for its old mansions and grand homes, though some have been demolished and replaced over the years, and many others have been converted into offices or apartments. There are no restaurants or hotels.

"We do have some concerns," Zwifka said. "One hundred feet right off the riverbank is awfully high. It goes up quite a bit."

Council's Community and Economic Development Committee is expected to hold public hearings on the changes, but no dates have been set.

King said the changes, long requested by developers, have the potential to spur large-scale residential developments -- most notably, condos -- in new and existing buildings on that part of Front Street.

"The proposed ordinance allows for better use of the limited developable space left in the heavily built-up midtown area, and it expands the types of development we would like to see occurring," King said.

In fact, Mayor Stephen R. Reed has suggested the vacant tract at Verbeke and Front as a prime location for the city's first high-rise condo development, but a developer has yet to step forward with plans.

King said the taller limits would make it easier for developers to justify their high-cost investments in such projects. Under current zoning, developers must win special exceptions and variances in order to exceed the 45-foot height limit.

"Vertical construction is often the only course of action for new development projects," said King. "With the high cost of such projects, the more floors they are able to add helps to make them more financially feasible."

King added that the changes have the potential to benefit at least one project already on the drawing table, but he declined to give specifics.

"There is a potential development project on the horizon that is dependent upon the change in the ordinance, but we are not yet permitted to reveal details about it," he said.

Zwifka pointed out that city development has long been guided by an unstated rule not to detract from or obscure the dominance of the Capitol dome on the city skyline.

"That was the tradition," he said. "They did not want the Capitol to disappear behind office towers."

Zwifka added that erecting such large buildings on Front Street would create a "wall" that could cut off other city residents from the Susquehanna River.

Zwifka said that the association still is researching the ordinance and formulating its official position.

Other changes in the proposed ordinance would allow for larger construction footprints and also would permit hotels, restaurant and multifamily residences in existing buildings on that stretch of Front Street.