HARRISBURG | Development Thread [Archive] - Page 13

EastSideHBG

Mar 4, 2006, 3:01 PM

Thank GOD they came to their senses on this one! :banana:

Cumberland County OKs Corridor One deal

The proposed pact would bar efforts to extend the rail line into Cumberland County without consent of the county commissioners, who have insisted Corridor One be tested on the East Shore to see if it will draw enough riders to be financially viable.

Friday, March 03, 2006
BY MATT MILLER
Of Our Carlisle Bureau

CARLISLE - A state-brokered deal might quiet the controversy over the Corridor One commuter rail project and safeguard options for rail or express bus service linking the East and West shores.

The proposed agreement, brokered during talks held by Transportation Secretary Allen Biehler this week, includes most of the demands made last month by Cumberland County commissioners, who are skeptical about Corridor One.

Cumberland commissioners unanimously approved the deal yesterday. It is under review by the Dauphin County commissioners, Harrisburg officials and the Capital Area Transit's board of directors.

"This is a good faith effort for our area to move forward in finding a cost-efficient solution for mass transit," Cumberland Commission Chairman Bruce Barclay said.

A key component of the proposal requires that Corridor One be launched on a Lancaster-to-Harrisburg route and not come into Cumberland as planned. The shorter route is expected to cost $30 million to build.

The proposed pact also would bar any efforts to extend the rail line into Cumberland without consent of that county's commissioners, who have insisted Corridor One be tested on the East Shore to see if it draws enough riders to be financially viable.

If the deal is ratified, Cumberland commissioners will provide $500,000 toward building an overpass in Lemoyne to allow use of a former Cumberland Valley Railroad bridge owned by CAT for rail or express bus service between the West Shore and Harrisburg.

Without the overpass, a Norfolk Southern project to build a so-called Lemoyne Connector to streamline its freight rail system would block the commuter route.

Cumberland's is the only local government contributing toward the $14.2 million connector project. The state and Norfolk Southern also are to chip in, and CAT is to dedicate a share of federal funding.

The deal does not include a demand by Cumberland commissioners that would have barred CAT or other agencies from interfering with county efforts to develop a bus rapid transit system.

"This agreement moves light years toward addressing the concerns that we have expressed," Cumberland Commissioner Rick Rovegno said.

Still, Commissioner Gary Eichelberger called the deal "very imperfect."

He said Cumberland's financial contribution to the connector project "saves" the commuter rail option, which is what CAT and its subsidiary, the Modern Transit Partnership, should have done on their own.

Eichelberger also called on MTP to publicly outline funding sources for its lobbying efforts on behalf of Corridor One. Rovegno said MTP meetings should be open to the public, too.

Dick Miller, chairman of CAT's board, has circulated the proposed agreement among the directors. Miller will canvass them for input and reply in a few days to Biehler as to whether the agency will accept the deal, CAT Executive Director James Hoffer said.

City spokesman Randy King said Mayor Stephen R. Reed is considering the proposal and is generally supportive but has not made a decision. Reed is pleased the deal would preserve the cross-river commuter rail option, King said.

Dauphin County Commission Chairman Jeff Haste said his board probably will approve the deal. "We just want to preserve our [mass transit] options," Haste said.

EastSideHBG

Mar 4, 2006, 3:08 PM

RETAILING

Ethan Allen store to open

Friday, March 03, 2006

Ethan Allen Interiors Inc., a furniture retailer, will open a 20,000-square-foot store on Thursday at Paxton Towne Center in Lower Paxton Twp.

Manager Peggy Brunner said the store will have 18,000 square feet of showroom space and eventually have up to 14 design consultants led by Diane Rhen, the project manager.

The local store and one in Lancaster County are owned by the company. Nationwide, about half of Ethan Allen stores are privately owned franchises.

Ethan Allen had a furniture store on the West Shore that closed in 1996. Brunner said the company sought to return to the Harrisburg area because "it is a high-growth area that definitely fits the Ethan Allen demographics."

The phone number at the new store is 657-5900.

EastSideHBG

Mar 4, 2006, 3:11 PM

Is this really the City's place? I am mixed on this one...

HARRISBURG

City might take over cinema building

Friday, March 03, 2006
BY JOHN LUCIEW AND LI WANG
Of The Patriot-News

The show would go on at Harrisburg's Midtown Cinema, even if the cinema building changes hands.

"Our No. 1 priority is the continued operation of the Midtown Cinema," city spokesman Randy King said yesterday.

Midtown Cinema co-founder Todd Shill added, "It's not the cinema that is going, it's the cinema building ownership that [may be] changing."

The city could become the new owner of the cinema building at 250 Reily St. if the owner, the Midtown Market District, opts to dissolve itself.

King said city officials have had "preliminary, informal" discussions with Midtown Market District board members, who indicated that the nonprofit redevelopment group could determine the building's fate this month.

King said the Midtown Market District could transfer ownership of the cinema building to Harrisburg as repayment for two city loans totaling $425,000 that the group used to purchase and renovate the building in 2000.

Midtown Market District President Clare Jones said the group's 11-member board would decide March 30 whether to sell the building outright or turn it over to the city.

Jones noted that the city, through the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority, had offered to buy the building a year ago for $370,000.

Aside from its ownership of the 10,000-square-foot cinema building, the Midtown Market District has been much less active in recent years.

Two other groups, Friends of Midtown and the Third Street Corridor Initiative, have taken up the task of redeveloping that area.

Jones said it would be up to a new generation of leaders to determine the future of the Midtown Market District, if any. She said there would be officer elections in May or June, at which time she would step down.

The cinema is operated independently by Allen Brown and Shill, who welcomed the possibility of new ownership.

"We always felt a new, energetic owner would be excited about developing the building," said Shill, adding that a 5,000-square-foot section in the rear of the warehouse-style theater building remains undeveloped.

King said any change in ownership of the cinema building would be at the behest of the Midtown Market District.

He said the city has not threatened foreclosure on the two mortgages it holds, despite the fact that the Midtown Market District is $46,000 in arrears and has never made a payment on the loans.

"We're not taking any action here," King said. "The city has never pressured them to make the payments. This was an economic development project that has had a positive impact on the entire midtown neighborhood. No one is a loser here."

However, King said if Midtown Market District dissolves and the city takes ownership of the cinema building, Harrisburg could seek to sell it, as long as the new owner agreed to keep the theater intact.

One person interested in taking over the building is local filmmaker James Roxbury, who has already submitted a written proposal to the City Council.

In his document, Roxbury said the unused space in the building could serve as film and editing classrooms for Harrisburg University and the city's SciTech High School. It also could be a center to promote filmmaking in the state.

"I would love to buy that building," Roxbury said. "I think it's a great asset."

The Midtown Cinema opened on Nov. 30, 2001, as a three-screen independent movie theater. Plans for the theater date back in 1998, when the Midtown Market District began to woo Brown, who had recently lost the lease for his Palmyra Art Cinema.

Recent films shown at the theater include the Oscar-nominated films "Brokeback Mountain" and "Capote."

EastSideHBG

Mar 4, 2006, 4:49 PM

Just emphasizing what we all already know: Swatara Twp. is booming!

Swatara's character evolves amid growth spurt

Saturday, March 04, 2006
BY MARY KLAUS
Of The Patriot-News

Joseph Canulli remembers growing up in Swatara Twp. when a horse farm occupied the last 10 blocks of Derry Street, woods covered the present site of Wal-Mart and Swatara Square, and residents went to Dave's Dream for pork barbecue.

"My dad used to farm the lower part of Derry Street," Canulli said. "He rented land that was a horse farm. He grew corn and other vegetables and sold them at a roadside stand."

Now, motorists on Interstates 83 and 283 and Paxton Street can't help but notice the office buildings, restaurants, banks and hotels popping up in Swatara Twp.

While the commercial property building boom has been difficult to miss, the township's housing expansion has been less noticeable but just as steady.

Nearly 1,000 housing units, including single-family units and town houses, are in the works in stages from sketch plans to getting certificates of occupancy, said Richard Bazdar, the Swatara Twp. code enforcement director.

"Development in this township doesn't show signs of ceasing, both on the commercial and on the residential side," Bazdar said.

Commercial development over the past few years includes the former AMP Inc. headquarters becoming TecPort Business Center.

The Harrisburg Mall, formerly the Harrisburg East Mall, has been remodeled, including conversion of an anchor location for Bass Pro Shops, and more than a dozen restaurants have opened nearby. Construction of a 14-screen theater behind the mall is to begin by June.

In addition, High Pointe Commons, a shopping center featuring Target and J.C. Penney, is being built in fields off Lindle Road. A $12.9-million building to house WITF-TV, WITF-FM radio and Central Pennsylvania magazine also is being built on Lindle Road.

Why the commercial and residential building boom in such a short time?

"Development draws development," Bazdar said. "When TecPort and the mall started developing at the commercial end, it generated a momentum that spread to residential development. Swatara Twp. now has a lot to offer. The Swatara Twp. board of commissioners works well with developers, which attracts them here. And, with increasing traffic and higher gas costs, people like to live close to work."

Canulli, a township resident for 40 years, lives in Rutherford, a few blocks from where he grew up. He said the township has experienced "tremendous growth" and changed from a slow-paced lifestyle to a hurried, congested one.

"Lower Derry Street was all pasture," he said. "Grayson Road was all woods with only Feeser's Foods. The only thing down from the Harrisburg East Mall was the Keystone Drive-In. Everything else there was fields."

He said the township's Bressler neighborhood "has changed the least of any place in the township," adding that families live there for generations. "It has kept its unique community character."

Betty Potteiger recalled the rural character of Chambers Hill when she moved there 50 years ago.

Potteiger, 79, said her father farmed the old Dimeler farm off today's Gaynor Lane and the Boyer farm off of what became Cardinal Drive. She said she always has enjoyed watching deer roam through Chambers Hill.

"In the 1960s, we bought our lot for $150, then had our house built five years later," she said. "Now lots sell for thousands of dollars. The biggest changes I've seen are more houses going up, lots of new stores and traffic. I hate the traffic and I worry about the deer getting hit. Where will the deer go with all this development?"

Changes are happening to most of the township, said David Shuey, McNaughton Co. vice president of sales. His company is building dozens of houses in the township.

"Swatara Twp. is a very desirable location with access to all the major highways," he said.

"Homeowners like the fact that it's close to work, shopping and recreation and is in the Central Dauphin School District. We like working with Swatara Twp. officials. They favor smart growth and are sympathetic to the need for more residential opportunities for their citizens."

The township "has a favorable tax rate," Shuey said. Swatara Twp. hasn't raised municipal real estate taxes in 15 years.

"There's also the momentum factor. When one or two housing developments start and a municipality is a popular place to go, the demand goes up," Shuey said.

Xeelee

Mar 4, 2006, 5:28 PM

Hey mang this is all cool information. How's it going? :)

danwxman

Mar 4, 2006, 11:48 PM

I've been lurking for a while, even tried registering once...I could never figure out why it wouldn't let me....then I realized that I had a hotmail email account.:haha:

Anyway, I really enjoy reading this thread...it's cool to see that there are some people just as obsessed as me with the Harrisburg metro.

So I thought I'd start off by posting an article from the Carlisle Sentinel (which does have some great articles from time to time regarding all the growth occuring in Cumberland County) about the brand new Target that just opened up. I was in it today, and let me just say it was MOBBED....and the grand opening isn't even until tomorrow! Also, let me just say it is much nicer then the East Shore one, and even has a Starbucks!

Target opens at Carlisle Crossing
By By Tatiana Zarnowski, March 3, 2006

Getting her Target fix used to mean LoriEllen Orr had to wait till she took her children to the doctor in Harrisburg.

Now that a new Target store in South Middleton Township is open, shopping isn't such a scheduling act for the Carlisle woman -- especially since Orr works in the guest services department.

"I'm hooked for life," she says.

The store opened "quietly" Tuesday evening, says store team leader Becky Hazeltine. A grand opening is scheduled for Sunday.

Late Thursday morning, a few customers braved the rain to check out the merchandise as store employees welcomed them.

Hazeltine says customers are attracted to Target's wide aisles, clean floors, bright lights and signs. "Our guests are very pleased that we're here. It's something that they've been waiting for a long time."

Hazeltine, who is from Baltimore, moved to this area at the end of November. Staff started filling the new building with merchandise in late January, she says.

Target sells a variety of merchandise, from clothing and groceries to electronics and music.

A Starbucks is just inside the front door.

More opening soon

It is the sixth establishment to open at Carlisle Crossing, a 341,000-square-foot retail center between York and Trindle roads east of Carlisle.

Kohl's department store and Red Robin restaurant opened in October. A Nextel store, Yankee Candle and Famous Footwear also are open at the shopping center.

According to signs in their windows, these stores plan to open soon:

* Pier 1 Imports on March 10;

* PetSmart on March 13;

* GameStop plans a grand opening March 25;

* Michaels craft store on April 13.

Other stores that are slated to open in the shopping center include Old Navy, Sally Beauty Supply and Cost Cutters.

FYI

Target is at 246 Westminster Drive in Carlisle Crossing near Exits 48 and 49 on Interstate 81. Phone is 243-3887.

It is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

wrightchr

Mar 5, 2006, 1:56 AM

danwxman

Mar 5, 2006, 2:05 AM

^ welcome to the forum danwxman. i was at the Carlisle Crossing shopping center a couple weeks ago and ate at Red Robin. it's the chains 4th store in the harrisburg area. i know target also has plans to build another store on the west shore in either camp hill or mechanicsburg.

Yes, the Target will be built at Silver Spring Square which is along the Carlisle Pike, at the site of the former flea market and trailer park. Demolition just began a few weeks ago, the former flea market and speedway is now nothing but a pile of ruble and dirt. A few trailers remain, but I imagine they will be gone in a few weeks. A Wegmans and Chili's will also be built there.

EastSideHBG

Mar 5, 2006, 4:18 AM

Thanks, Xeelee, good to hear from you! I am doing okay...just hanging in there and taking it one day at a time (all one can do in this crazy world anymore it seems LOL). How is life for you these days? I hope all is well! :)

danwxman, welcome to the forum! It is simply awesome for me to see all of the new and old HBG members on board now, and it sure is nice having other eyes and ears out there to share development news, rants, etc., with! :yes: :tup:

Well all I have some exciting news to report: they started the State St. Promenade project already and have the side from 2nd - 3rd streets completely gutted already! They are moving FAST on this project (and keep in mind it wasn't supposed to start until April) so I would imagine it will be done well ahead of schedule. Not to sound too corny here, but nostalgia really did hit me pretty hard when I passed it tonight and saw all of the trees, meters, etc., gone. I am ALL FOR this project mind you but I do have A LOT of very fond memories in that area and I remember running around those parking islands as a youngster....getting older is kind of weird in many ways LOL

Anyway, I can't wait to have the before and after pics in my collection. The City truly is living up to its "City on the Move" moniker for sure! :tup:

EastSideHBG

Mar 5, 2006, 4:23 AM

danwxman

Mar 5, 2006, 5:44 AM

Oh and RE: Target, I am not surprised to see how fast they have inhabited the area. I am mixed on the one going up in Swatara Twp. near the HBG Mall to be honest with you, though. On one hand, I think it is a bit too close to the one on Rt. 22. On another, I think it is in a pretty good spot and will service all of the present residents (and ones to come) in Swatara and beyond.

What I do find VERY interesting is how each part of the HBG metro is developing its own identity, and very quickly too...this area reminds me of a scaled down DC/Baltimore metro with each passing day...

It really seems like Target is going head-to-head with Wal-Mart in our area. The three new Targets (Carlisle and soon to be Swatara and Silver Spring) are all just minutes from Wal-Mart. It's a good strategy to me, and consider how packed the area Wal-Marts usually are, I think Target will be very successful in this area.

danwxman

Mar 5, 2006, 5:47 AM

EastSideHBG

Mar 5, 2006, 2:46 PM

Would that mix well with all of the churches and rowhomes, though? IMO a place like 3rd st. in Midtown would be a better place for such things, as it is already geared towards commercial.

200 block of State Street to stay closed until mid-May

Sunday, March 05, 2006
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

The 200 block of State Street will remain closed to through traffic and public parking until mid-May to accommodate a $2.26 million beautification project.

The second phase of the project, between Front and Second streets, will close that block from the spring until September.

City spokesman Randy King said the two-phase project will beautify State Street between the Capitol and the Susquehanna River. It is to be completed in time for the Capitol's centennial celebration this October, he said.

The project involves removing trees from the median and relandscaping, installing antique-style lights and redoing the sidewalks in a brick style.

Parking will be eliminated along the median, but the parallel parking along the street curb will be changed to head-in parking. As a result, the net-loss of parking spaces will be small, King said.

The project is being funded by $1 million in federal highway funds and other grants.

**************
Wormleysburg town houses planned

Developers hope views along river will sell homes

Sunday, March 05, 2006
BY ELLEN LYON
Of The Patriot-News

Three partners want to build five luxury town houses in the $650,000 price range along a stretch of Wormleysburg's Front Street that is better known for small businesses and modest older homes.

It's a strip that one of the partners, Dean Gekas of Wormleysburg, predicts will one day "explode" with new development and redevelopment because of its front-seat view of the Susquehanna River and the city of Harrisburg.

"We're selling the views," Gekas said.

Partner Scott Kuhn of Philadelphia noted that with this $2.5 million project "we're really taking the chance here ourselves. ... I just see this as a developable area that's untapped right now."

The majority of the houses along Front Street have been selling for about $175,000 or more, according to Borough Council member Stephen Hawbecker, who also is a real estate agent with Remax Realty Associates.

Gekas, who is a nephew of former U.S. Rep. George Gekas, and Kuhn, who grew up in the Lewisberry area, opened a Flagstar Bank branch at 320 N. Front St. in Wormleysburg last May. Kuhn also operates the mortgage lender's Philadelphia branch. Their other partner is Tat Granata of Susquehanna Twp., who has a home improvement business.

The partners bought three lots from 10-18 N. Front St. for the project they are calling Edgewater, after Wormleysburg borough's original name.

One lot has a single-family house on it. The middle lot is vacant. And the other lot has a duplex on it. The houses, which Kuhn says date to the 1940s and "are at the end of their functional life," will be demolished.

They bought the lots in two transactions between September and January for about $380,000, they said.

The plans call for four-story, three-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath homes with about 3,800-square-feet of space inside, a terra-cotta roof and an exterior of brick, cut stone and stucco. Each of the five homes will have an elevator, grilling deck and two-car garage in the rear and balconies facing the river off the living room and master bedroom.

"It's the empty-nester we're trying to appeal to," Gekas said.

"And the busy professional that doesn't really want to have yard work and maintenance," Kuhn added.

The amenities will include a fireplace in the family room, a gourmet kitchen with double ovens and built-in refrigerator, a Jacuzzi in the master bathroom, walk-in closets and a study off the master bedroom.

"This type of town home is not represented in the Harrisburg area," Kuhn said. "It's going to be a village, [with a] Tuscan Italianish-type feel."

The partners hope to begin construction this summer and finish within a year.

They submitted plans to the borough Planning Commission on Feb. 6 and received an exception to the zoning ordinance allowing smaller side yards for the project, according to borough manager Gary Berresford.

They are now asking for a second exception to allow them to go 10 feet above the 40-foot height limit on Front Street, Berresford said.

The Planning Commission will take up that request at its 6:30 p.m. meeting tomorrow, he said.

Borough officials aren't certain this development will be a harbinger of more to come along Front Street, although the borough is planning a riverfront walking path to draw more people to the area.

Berresford said he expects more commercial, rather than residential, development there in coming years.

Hawbecker said many of the residents currently living along Front Street "are there to stay for a while," although he added that he welcomed the new investment in the borough.

Gekas and Kuhn remain excited about the possibilities for their project.

"This is our entry into this market as developers. So this product is really important to us for more than one reason," Kuhn said.

EastSideHBG

Mar 5, 2006, 2:56 PM

It really seems like Target is going head-to-head with Wal-Mart in our area. The three new Targets (Carlisle and soon to be Swatara and Silver Spring) are all just minutes from Wal-Mart. It's a good strategy to me, and consider how packed the area Wal-Marts usually are, I think Target will be very successful in this area.
I agree, and I view Target as the lesser of the evils IMO and would rather see them take control of the area vs. Wal-Mart.

This Univ., if done right (and it seems as if it is), is going to be a HUGE draw for the area and the redevelopment potential is endless! And a new 17-story tower added to the skyline?!? Sounds good to me!!! :banana:

Expansion by college could have big impact

Sunday, March 05, 2006
BY DAVID DeKOK
Of The Patriot-News

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is expected to have a major impact on inner-city development, especially in the Cameron Street corridor that skirts the city's Allison Hill neighborhood -- eventually.

University President Mel Schiavelli sees the school having a development role much like the University of Pennsylvania has in Philadelphia, although not on that scale.

"We are also a community redevelopment project," he said. "We are hoping that startup companies will locate near the campus. Penn does a lot of that on 40th Street [in Philadelphia]."

The university enrolled its first tuition-paying class of 110 students last September. Tuition is $14,000 for a year.

Harrisburg University shares space with the affiliated SciTech High on Market Street in downtown Harrisburg. Construction of a 17-story classroom tower (some floors will be parking) on what is now a parking lot at Fourth and Market streets downtown is expected to begin this spring and continue for two years.

The new building will enable the university to enroll between 1,200 and 1,400 students, Schiavelli said. He estimates that will meet its needs until about 2015 or 2018.

By that time, Schiavelli hopes to have acquired the post office property a few blocks east at 813 Market St., where the building will be demolished and more university buildings constructed.

Schiavelli envisions the university -- some day -- on much of the land bounded by the State Street and Mulberry Street bridges on the north and south, the railroad tracks on the west and the edge of Allison Hill to the east.

If and when that happens, Allison Hill may become an attractive place for students to live. Many homes in the neighborhood would be a short walk from the university campus, although something would have to be done to make crossing Cameron Street safer for pedestrians.

The university has been talking with the U.S. Postal Service about acquiring the post office property along Market Street, but the government has conditions. The main condition is that the university, at its expense, build or acquire a distribution center and a retail store for use by the post office.

The post office uses its property at 813 Market St. as a distribution center and retail outlet, and those operations would need to be moved if the property is sold.

Developer Tony Pascotti, one of the partners who sold the university the property at Fourth and Market streets, said the Postal Service's preferred relocation site is across the street on land occupied by The Patriot-News Co. office building.

John Kirkpatrick, editor, publisher and president of The Patriot-News, said conversations with the university have taken place, but not for more than a year.

"They have expressed their interest in controlling the whole area at some point," he said of the university. "Not just us, but other property owners, as well."

The newspaper has not received a formal proposal for its property. Any sale would likely be years away.

All of the property in the Cameron Street corridor envisioned as the future university campus is in a floodplain. The area has been flooded frequently in the past by overflow from Paxton Creek. Engineers familiar with the area and with construction techniques believe the problem can be handled by raising the elevation of buildings a few feet.

Schiavelli spent 26 years at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, including service as acting president, and later was academic provost at the University of Delaware. He sees Harrisburg University as a classic urban campus. He used the example of George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Some urban colleges have student dormitories and some don't. Harrisburg University, at least for the time being, will be in the latter category.

Some students will commute from home, and others will rent apartments in the city. Schiavelli said a few students are living at International House on Chestnut Street. An influx of young people is certain to help the local economy.

"The kids will want Second Street," he said, referring to the bars and restaurants in that part of the city. "They'll want bookstores and record stores."

More students in the first class came from outside the region than expected, Schiavelli said, despite minimal outside marketing. A few came from Baltimore -- "they found us on the Internet" -- and Frederick in Maryland, and others from Bucks, Berks, Lehigh, York and Lancaster counties, he said.

Once here, they find a nontraditional college that Schiavelli calls "liberal arts for the 21st century." One big difference is no academic departments, such as physics or chemistry. Multi-disciplinary is in.

"We don't want to build silos of academic disciplines," he said. "We want cross-disciplines."

Young people who succeed in the 21st century will have a broad range of skills that enable them to do a number of things well, Schiavelli said. Students will be taught to think in terms of careers, not just jobs.

"It's a challenge and an experiment," he said. "Our 110 students are warming up to a different kind of teaching. We don't have lectures that are death by PowerPoint. Our style is not sage on the stage, but guide at the side."

EastSideHBG

Mar 5, 2006, 3:03 PM

This just goes to show that my theory of out-of-town developers taking notice of this area is certainly true...word of mouth is spreading I am sure...

Out-of-town builders see potential for new housing

Sunday, March 05, 2006
BY ELLEN LYON
Of The Patriot-News

When Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse of Baltimore got a contract from the city to build Capitol Heights, the first new housing development in Harrisburg in years, "it was quite a gamble," recalls Ted Rouse.

"For the first two or three years, we weren't sure we made the right decision," said Rouse, who left the company last summer. While Struever Bros. was used to selling five or six units a month in its Baltimore developments, it was averaging 28 to 32 units a year in midtown Harrisburg, a sales rate it considered "anemic," Rouse said.

But the company could see that Harrisburg was "ripe for revitalization and redevelopment," with a city government that is "developer-friendly," according to Tom Peplinski, development director for Struever Bros.

Susquehanna Real Estate in York is another urban redevelopment company that sees potential in Harrisburg. Last summer, it entered the Harrisburg market with its purchase of the Tracy Mansion at 1829 N. Front St., three blocks south of the Governor's Residence, CEO and President Jack Kay said.

Susquehanna Real Estate is "exploring a number of options" for the 1.5 acres, Kay said. The ideas could include retail stores and a restaurant, as well as up to 50 condominiums starting at about $300,000 each. "Assuming this works out, we are very open to looking at other areas of the city," he said.

Wagman Construction of York also is known for its urban redevelopment projects. It has looked at several projects in Harrisburg but has yet to find one that works financially for the company, said Eric Menzer, vice president.

Wagman isn't looking for public subsidies but for market-rate projects, although it has made use of historic tax credits, he said. The problem in Harrisburg is the rental rates in certain neighborhoods don't match the construction costs, Menzer said.

In the last 10 years, the state has helped on the cost side with redevelopment grants, but it needs to do more on the demand side by enacting property-tax reform, he said.

The deck remains stacked against cities, Menzer said, because they are geographically limited and tend to have the oldest infrastructure and the most tax-exempt properties.

Since 1974, Struever Bros. has developed a reputation for rebuilding blighted urban neighborhoods despite the obstacles. The company "has always made its name doing these harder projects," Peplinski said.

Harrisburg turned out to be no exception. Capitol Heights in midtown "started out as an outpost," Peplinski observed. "We were out there by ourselves ... and now it has become a destination. We have people who want to move into Harrisburg."

Since 2000, about 110 units, mostly town houses, have sold and gone to settlement in Capitol Heights, leaving an additional 70 or 80 to be built, he noted.

Five years ago, the average sale price was $110,000, Peplinski said. Today, it's more than $150,000.

Struever Bros. has decided to take on a second project in Harrisburg -- a 72-unit town-house community called The Towns at Governor's Square, which starts in midtown and crosses Maclay Street into uptown. Prices will begin at $80,000, Peplinski said.

The $30 million project also includes construction or renovation of 222 rental units with Landex Corp. to be called the Residences at Governor's Square.

"We strive to create what they call mixed-income neighborhoods," Peplinski said. "It really allows a neighborhood, and then a city, to transform itself and then reinvent itself."

Because the Towns at Governor's Square is receiving about $2.2 million in federal funding, 17 of the 72 homes will have to be what is called "affordable housing," sold to people who earn between 80 percent and 115 percent of the area median income, he said.

Eventually, Struever Bros. would like to build a supermarket and coffee shop in the area to serve both of its developments, Peplinski said.

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

MOVERS & SHAKERS:
A N D

Sunday, March 05, 2006
BY ELLEN LYON
Of The Patriot-News

Several years ago, commercial developer Tony Pascotti was working for a public company that was looking for a site for a new headquarters building. Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed showed Pascotti two sites in the city.

"I fell in love with both sites," Pascotti recalled. He recommended them to the company's board, but the board opted to go with a suburban location.

Later, he formed Phoenix Development with partners Tom Flynn and Rick Reynolds. They acquired one of those sites on North Front Street for their first big project -- the new Pennsylvania Housing and Finance Agency headquarters.

Their next big project -- completed last year -- was Market Square Plaza, a $32 million office tower on the second site. Sage Real Estate Group of Montgomery County later bought the building.

Pascotti, Flynn and Reynolds, who has left Phoenix to form his own development company, are among the "go-to" guys in the city, according to other developers and real estate agents.

"My love was always downtown Harrisburg," Pascotti said. "I just see so much happening in Harrisburg because the city has so revitalized from an office and entertainment point of view."

Yet many developers still lack the "gumption" to risk $25 million or $30 million on a project in the city, Pascotti said. "I think it's a matter of time and going to the next level, the next level being more housing downtown."

That, in turn, will bring more stores to serve the new residents, he predicted.

One of the first investors in the new city was the nonprofit Harristown Development Corp., founded in 1974. Harristown's accomplishments include the Strawberry Square office complex and mall, the Hilton Harrisburg & Towers and 333 Market St.

"The core of our mission is about revitalizing downtown Harrisburg and redeveloping Harrisburg," noted Brad Jones, vice president of community development.

In recent years, Harristown has invested about $9.5 million in nine properties along Chestnut and South Third streets that were "either vacant or underutilized or blighted," Jones said. The result is the International House for interns and students, and International Place, a restaurant, culinary school, bakery and butcher shop.

For a long time, Harristown worked alone, but "part of our mission is to help facilitate and bring in other developers," Jones said. "I think the 21st century has seen new windows of opportunities from lots of interested parties."

Another early pioneer was John Vartan, who began investing in the city about 30 years ago. His achievements include the Forum Place building and an office building at Third and Walnut streets. Vartan Village, a planned community in midtown, never came to fruition, and Vartan died in late 2004.

Yet the Vartan Group remains a player in the city, despite what Robert J. DeSousa, Vartan Group's CEO, says are the high costs of doing business there.

"We remain considerable landowners in Harrisburg, and we plan to continue development in the city of Harrisburg," DeSousa said. "We're in Harrisburg for the long haul."

Pascotti's former partner, Rick Reynolds, is CEO of a group of companies, including Reynolds Construction Management Inc. and Reynolds Development Group. He predicts that midtown and south Harrisburg will be the next big development areas. His company is expected to start construction this spring on Harrisburg University of Science and Technology along Market Street.

Already, Reynolds said, there is a lot of residential development going on in midtown by individual investors.

Small developers lead:

One of those smaller investors is Alex Hartzler.

Last year, Hartzler left webclients.net, an online advertising agency on Front Street, to head WCI Partners, a $5 million real estate investment fund founded by Hartzler and his former webclients.net partners. They had been rehabilitating up to four houses a year on a part-time basis, but they hope to do that many each month, hesaid.

They have concentrated in midtown and uptown because "we feel those areas are particularly ripe," he said.

WCI Partners hopes to help return a thriving middle class to Harrisburg by renovating and reselling its homes for between $100,000 and $200,000, Hartzler said. "A healthy community has all economic strata," he noted.

Another new player in the city is Thomas Powers, who opened the real estate development company Powers & Associates at 1703 N. Front St. last year. It will concentrate on rehabilitating blighted and underutilized urban areas, according to Powers, who helped develop TecPort Business Center in Swatara Twp. The firm has projects in Carlisle, Mechanicsburg and Steelton and had been working on three potential projects in Harrisburg -- one uptown and two downtown, he said.

"It all starts with the mayor and what the mayor has done" to revitalize the city, Powers said.

Add to the mix a stable employer such as the state government and young people choosing to stay here and you reach a critical mass. In the late 1990s, developers and business people saw potential on Second Street, creating a series of restaurants and bars known as Restaurant Row.

"It's all about momentum. Someone starts something like Restaurant Row [and] it just catches fire," Powers said.

EastSideHBG

Mar 5, 2006, 3:07 PM

Allison Hill

Immigrant entrepreneurs find opportunities in neighborhood

Sunday, March 05, 2006
BY ELLEN LYON
Of The Patriot-News

The sign above La Union Market on Derry Street, in the south Allison Hill neighborhood of Harrisburg, says it all.

Written in both English and Spanish, the sign advertises money orders, CDs and utility bill-payment service. The names of the proprietors -- Jesus and Elizabeth Briseno -- also are proudly displayed.

The Brisenos are part of a small but growing immigrant entrepreneurial class battling litter-lined streets, crime and Allison Hill's tough reputation to open businesses and claim their share of the American dream.

"Businesses have been springing up, and we are talking to people who are interested in opening businesses," said Linda Figueroa, executive director of the Community Action Commission.

The nonprofit commission, which receives public and private funding, runs the "seed," or community revitalization side, of the city's Weed & Seed program. The program has targeted south Allison Hill, the most densely populated neighborhood in Harrisburg.

Elaine Burns, the commission's revitalization coordinator, sees progress, which she attributes to more community involvement. "There's marked improvement, but we have far to go," Burns said.

Last October, the neighborhood got its first bank branch in years when PNC Bank opened an office at 13th and Derry streets. Across the street is Mount Pleasant Plaza, where Pak's Food Market expanded and several new stores opened a few years ago.

"The face of the area has changed a lot in the six years I've been here. It's definitely becoming more Latino and more ethnically diverse," Burns said.

South Allison Hill has residents from north and central Africa, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Central America and South America, she noted. These recent immigrants see opportunities here and are hard working, she said.

Jesus Briseno, who is from Mexico and has a background in construction, renovated the facade and interior of his store before opening it about a year ago.

He and his wife sell baked goods, canned foods, sodas, fruit, hats, jackets, cowboy boots, over-the-counter medicines and other sundries. At a counter in the back you can order tacos and other freshly prepared food.

They have plans for more. Jesus Briseno wants to remove a wall of the store and open a restaurant next door. "We can open a lot more businesses for the Spanish people," he said.

But, Briseno complained, he has friends who are afraid to visit his store because of crime in the neighborhood. He said he'd like to see more police patrolling the streets.

A few doors down another husband and wife from Mexico, Bernardo and Yudrenne Moreno, operate Moreno Jewelry from behind a locked door. They buzz customers in through the security door, yet in their first year they have already been robbed, Yudrenne Moreno said.

Business is good, she said, "but the area is dangerous. ... too much drug use."

Sometimes, after school lets out, there are fights between the Mexican and African-American residents, she said. "My husband and me and the others here, we're always talking they need more security here."

Moreno said she'd like to see more police on foot and on bicycles.

Christine Perez, a cashier at Pak's Food Market, agrees. "More cops should be around because the other day we had shoplifters," she said.

Trash, which is piled up on sidewalks and in alleys, is another big complaint among business owners.

Burns said residents and volunteers removed 200 tons of bulk trash from the neighborhood last year. The problem has several causes, including the high population density and some residents putting their household waste in public trash cans that then overflow, she said.

Sandra Hardy opened Safe Haven Quality Care, a home-care service for the elderly and people with disabilities, on Derry Street last October. She sees a shortage of parking as another problem for businesses.

"Street cleaning and parking [are] horrific," she said. "Could we not have one of these vacant lots turned into a parking lot?"

Allison Hill is plagued by negligent absentee property owners, said Hardy, who recently bought a home in the neighborhood with her husband, Leslie.

She suggested that more lighting at night and more businesses with jobs to offer would deter crime. Jobs keep people busy and off the streets, she noted.

Some people already have ideas about what new businesses they would like to see.

Inez Cruz, who lives in the neighborhood, wants a department store. "Something not so fancy or expensive but more variety," she said.

Cruz said she was glad Barj Dollar Deals opened recently at the corner of Derry and 13th streets.

Burns said she would like to see a good South American coffee shop, a bakery and more restaurants.

"If you want to have genuine ethnic food, come to Allison Hill. That's definitely our strong suit," Burns said.

chuikov

Mar 5, 2006, 4:15 PM

I've spent a good deal of time in the Allison Hill area lately for work. It reminds me of the South Side of Bethlehem in some ways. Hopefully it's heading in the same direction. It's good to see that people are investing a little bit at a time.

EastSideHBG

Mar 6, 2006, 3:25 PM

Movie theaters see happy ending in expansion

Monday, March 06, 2006
BY TOM DOCHAT AND DAN MILLER
Of The Patriot-News

All those reports about the struggling movie-theater industry?

Maybe not in the Harrisburg area.

The owners of the Harrisburg Mall recently announced plans for a 14-screen theater at the Swatara Twp. property.

This comes on top of a 12-screen theater that opened in June along Simpson Ferry Road in Hampden Twp. on the West Shore.

In Lebanon, a 10-screen theater is under construction at the Lebanon Valley Mall.

This activity comes as the movie business tries to bounce back from a down year amid concerns that customers are staying home watching rentals on big-screen TVs or recently released flicks on cable.

Last week, Comcast Corp., both the nation's largest cable operator and the largest provider in the Harrisburg market, announced a deal with IFC Entertainment to show independent movies on cable at the same time they hit theaters.

But Jennifer Smith of Derry Twp. said that for her children, nothing beats a movie in the theater. "It's louder, and they think it's more exciting," she said.

Theater owners are not deterred by the industry's outlook. And David Poland, the editor of the Movie City News Web site, says there's no reason for them to be dismayed.

He compares the drop-off in 2005 box-office numbers to a baseball player who's hitting .340 but was hitting .370 the previous year. Box office receipts nationwide fell to $8.8 billion last year from $9.4 billion in 2004, according to the Web site Box Office Mojo.

"I'd go as far as to say that 2005 has been a good year," Poland said. "If you choose to compare everything in terms of week-to-week, film-to-film, it's going to seem like a bad year. People tend to forget that 2004's 'Shrek 2' is the second-highest-grossing domestic film ever."

Gina Troutman DiSanto is the vice president of concessions and marketing for Cinema Centers Inc., the owner of the new 12-screen theater on the West Shore. "We fluctuate a lot. It definitely goes in cycles," she said.

Van Troutman, the company's executive vice president, said the new theaters opened just before the industry tailed off last summer. The market "turned the corner" around Thanksgiving when the Harry Potter movie was released, he said, adding that business has been strong since then.

Anne Ragains, the president and CEO of AlianceManagement Inc., which plans to build the 14-screen Harrisburg Mall theaters, agreed. She said her company was down in 2005, but not as much as the overall industry. She attributed the slide to the movies last year, as well as a record 2004.

"It's typical in all industries to have ups and downs," she said. "It really doesn't concern me." She is optimistic about this year with the releases of "The Da Vinci Code" and sequels to "Mission Impossible" and "Superman."

Ragains said her company did a thorough analysis of the market before committing to the Harrisburg Mall project.

Bill Gladstone of NAI/CIR, a commercial real estate firm in Wormleysburg, said he thinks the market could support more theaters if owners find the right location and if a complex has features that none of the others have.

"If you take a look at the residential development going on around here, it's huge," Gladstone said.

Bob Gorland, a retail consultant for Matthew P. Casey & Associates, said the mall's location would be a plus for the theaters because they can draw from the city and southern Dauphin County.

But there's the question of whether 14 more theaters will break the saturation point. "It's rare for me to go to a movie and the theater is even half-full," Gorland said.

Justin Osif of Swatara Twp. was with Arianne Hall of Hummelstown waiting to catch a flick at the AMC Colonial Commons 9 in Lower Paxton Twp. on Thursday.

They both think that increased competition can push theaters to do a better job. More theaters could mean more show times that are more convenient, Osif said.

Mary Lou Fanus of Lower Paxton Twp. goes to the movies often but said she seldom has a hard time finding a seat.

"Last week, there were only seven people besides my friend and I. I don't think near as many people come," she said.

EastSideHBG

Mar 6, 2006, 6:01 PM

I can't believe how fast they are throwing up the new garage at 6th and Forester Streets! :eek: And they have begun construction on the judicial center also. Now add all of this in with the new Fed. bldg. in the area, HBG University's construction, etc., and you have one BOOMING (and even more diverse) downtown! :banana:

danwxman

Mar 6, 2006, 6:47 PM

http://www.cumberlink.com/content/articles/2006/03/06/business/busi01.jpg

Partners aim to entertain
By Karla Browne, March 6, 2006

Groundbreaking is planned this month on a multimillion dollar entertainment complex near Camp Hill.

The Coliseum is designed to combine dining, gaming and private-event packages in a two-story, 35,000-square-foot facility. It will include three restaurant and a bar.

"Without a doubt, there’s nothing like this in existence in the whole country," says co-owner Jim Geedy of Upper Allen Township.

The 1987 Red Land High School graduate is chief operating officer of a corporation he formed to run the complex with Patrick Meyers, 44, a Hampden Township resident who is a financial manager for Ferris Baker Watts in Camp Hill.

Pool prompts talk

Geedy is a marketer for the Association for Pool, a 60,000-plus-member nationwide organization that includes a local billiard league he recently sold.

The idea for The Coliseum "kind of evolved," between the two men, Geedy says. "I considered putting in a real nice restaurant with a pool hall. (Meyers) was more in tune with family-oriented entertainment."

The result is a plan for a video game arcade, 10 pocket billiard tables and 12 bowling lanes plus wall-to-wall television screens.

The lower level Coliseum Grill is geared to family dining and lighter fare. On the upper level, Salud will offer an eclectic menu created by chefs Danny Bendas and Dean Small.

The nationally franchised MaggieMoo’s Ice Cream and Treatery will feature ice cream made fresh on the premises daily and special appearances by mascot "MaggieMoo," a seven-foot-tall bipedal cow.

"It’s going to be a lot of fun," Geedy says.

An events coordinator is to custom-design birthday parties, bridal receptions, business retreats and more at the complex at 410 St. John’s Church Road.

For more information, email info@coliseumfun.com.

EastSideHBG

Mar 6, 2006, 7:46 PM

/\
Sounds like a Dave & Buster's. I think this is a really good idea for the area and I am sure it will do well!

wrightchr

Mar 7, 2006, 12:24 AM

wow...i'm impressed with all the great posts here. there is so much going on. i've been stuck up in pottsville for too long lol :D

Dave...was a permanant site for the federal bldg decided yet? i've been out of the loop so i may have missed it.

Spudmrg

Mar 7, 2006, 1:31 AM

Some of us are "stuck" a bit further away than Pottsville ;). Was in downtown Allentown today....and I could'nt believe what I was seeing. At 12:15 PM (as in....lunch time), the streets in the core of the city were empty. I walked all over the central core of the city and there was almost no one around, other than the few smokers hanging by doorways. No matter what issues 'da burg has, it is'nt that bad.

EastSideHBG

Mar 7, 2006, 6:13 PM

Very true, Mike, very true! ;)

EastSideHBG

Mar 9, 2006, 5:27 PM

Sure is dead around these parts. Where did everyone go?!?

:sly:

Anyway, Tom Sawyer's Diner is together and set to open in May. Looks pretty cool. For those that don't know, it's an old-school group of 50s diner cars that is now taking up all of the grass lot in front of the 2nd St. garage. This is not my first choice for such an important parcel of land but hey, it is MUCH better than nothing (and being 24 hrs. is a big bonus too). I wonder where the cops and ambulances will park now when the bars/clubs let out, though. ;)

Spudmrg

Mar 10, 2006, 2:19 AM

A) The diner cars can be moved for when a "better use" comes along, B)Those dinner cars were sitting waiting to get demolished for a road project outside Allentown, and C) DT needs a 24-hour diner.

wrightchr

Mar 10, 2006, 3:29 AM

i think the 24 hour dinner is a great idea....what ever happened to the three level bar/entertainment complex that was proposed for that spot?

personally, i'd really like to see the revival of modern highrise building for that location that was proposed in the past, with the bottom floors being used for retail/commerical establishments like restaurants :D

EastSideHBG

Mar 10, 2006, 3:31 PM

AWESOME news, as it was bumped up from 17 to 22 stories and will have a HUGE impact on our skyline! And I am happy to see that it will more than likely be a GLASS 'scraper for once (IMO we need more glass in our skyline). :rock:

Harrisburg University plans 22-story tower

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

It would have college classrooms, hundreds of parking spaces, retail businesses and an auditorium all rolled into what would become Harrisburg's second-tallest building.

The downtown center for Harrisburg University of Science and Technology would rise 22 floors and 230 feet above Fourth and Market streets.

Its six stories of classroom space would be enough for many as 1,800 students and provide a home for the growing university for 10 to 12 years, university officials said.

Only 333 Market St., which houses the state Department of Education across Market Street from the proposed building, would be taller.

Details of the university tower were made public as the university's architectural firm, Burt, Hill of Butler, unveiled the first artist's drawing of the project.

The drawings show a pre-cast concrete, brick and glass tower that will be known for its distinctive over-hanging roof that resembles a graduation cap.

"It's a big challenge to create a high-rise university, yet give it a campus feel," said architect Alex Wing.

Eric D. Darr, the university's vice president of finance and administration, estimated that the tower would cost $75 million to design, build and furnish.

University officials and building designers said they are still pricing materials and working out how much construction would cost.

The plans were shown to the Harrisburg Planning Commission Wednesday, but the university has yet to submit its official application for city approvals.

Darr and architect Alex Wing said they hoped to break ground on the building in October and complete it within 24 months.

Harrisburg University enrolled its first tuition-paying class of 110 students in September. It's sharing space with the affiliated SciTech High in the 200 block of Market Street.

The first floor would include a library, reading room and public meeting space. There would be room for street-level retail businesses and a hallway connecting the building to Strawberry Square, the designers said.

The building would have 11 levels of parking for as many as 507 cars.

About 300 of the spaces would be earmarked for the university.

In addition to classrooms, there would be administrative suites, a 125-seat auditorium and a rooftop garden and courtyard.

There are no residential quarters for students.

Rather than have the building appear as a monolith, architects said they incorporated large vertical glass columns that run the length of the elevator shafts and make the building seem "see-through."

"It gives it a sense of openness," Wing said, adding that the overall effect of the design elements is to evoke a "sculpted form."

Early reaction of planning commission members was positive.

"I am completely impressed," said member Ronnie Shaeffer. I think it's well thought out."

"It looks great," added member Calobe Jackson Jr. "I like it."

While university officials said the building would meet the university's needs until 2018, they remain interested in acquiring the U.S. Postal Service property at 813 Market St.

They envision that the Harrisburg University campus eventually would occupy much of the land bounded by the State Street and Mulberry Street bridges on the north and south, the railroad tracks on the west, and the edge of Allison Hill to the east.

wrightchr

Mar 10, 2006, 5:29 PM

^ wow...i'm very impressed. this is definately HUGE!

but at 22 floors and 230 feet, the building would only be 70m tall...making it the tenth tallest in the city, not the second. the glass look will be something very different though and definately contribute something to the skyline.
333 Market St - 103.9 m
Pennsylvania Place - 88.7 m
Pennsylvania State Capitol - 82.9 m
Presbyterian Apartments - 79.2 m
Fulton Bank - 78.0 m est
Market Square Plaza - 75.0 m
Rachel Carson Building - 73.0 m
Strawberry Square Phase I - 71.0 m
Penn National Insurance Plaza - 70.0 m

EastSideHBG

Mar 10, 2006, 7:25 PM

/\
Yeah, Chris, I too was wondering why the article printed where it would fall in the skyline wrong. :???:

EastSideHBG

Mar 11, 2006, 4:16 PM

This kind of sucks, but I guess the bright side is that it opens the door for something else...

Farm Show area hotel plans dropped

Farm Show hotel plans derailed again

Saturday, March 11, 2006
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

Patrons of the Pennsylvania State Farm Show might be waiting for a convenient, nearby hotel until the cows come home.

That's because a second project to build a hotel on or near the Farm Show Complex appears to have wilted in the field.

Harrisburg officials said the developer of a 95-room Comfort Inn Suites Hotel at 1017-1033 Maclay St. was unable to close on the property, casting the project in doubt.

"At the 11th hour, the deal didn't go through," said Harrisburg economic development director Ed Nielsen.

The developer, Donald H. Erwin, president of Insite Development of Mechanicsburg, declined to comment on specifics, except to say that he attempted two closings on the land at the agreed-upon price.

The tract is across from the southern end of the Farm Show grounds.

Erwin said he is still committed to building a hotel near the Farm Show Complex, but not necessarily at the Maclay Street site.

Erwin had hoped to break ground last month, with the opening of the hotel in time for next year's Farm Show.

It is the second hotel project for the area to be cast in limbo. Last year, Crossgates Inc. of Harrisburg dropped plans to build a 150-room suites-style hotel and conference center on the grounds after the state Senate postponed a vote on approving the land deal for the venture.

Under the legislation, the state would have sold a 5-acre plot at the northeast end of the Farm Show Complex to Crossgates for $550,000.

But Sen. Jeffrey Piccola, R-Dauphin County, persuaded the State Government Committee to postpone the vote, citing concerns about the parking spaces and other issues.

Crossgates officials said the delay was too long to hold the company's deal with the hotel franchise, Staybridge Suites.

But city spokesman Randy King said interest in developing the area around the Farm Show remains strong.

King said another developer is considering a site on the south side of Industrial Road for a Super 8 Motel and a stand-alone restaurant.

King said it might be possible to revive a hotel for the Farm Show grounds if the project includes a parking garage.

However, a spokesman for the state Department of General Services said there's been no discussions of another deal to sell Farm Show land for such a project.

Another hotel has been proposed for a site about a mile away, off Kohn Road and along Interstate 81 in Susquehanna Twp.

Lower Paxton Twp. developer Rick Szeles, managing partner of Szeles Real Estate Development Co., said he hopes to start building the 100-room hotel and office buildings in 2007.

EastSideHBG

Mar 11, 2006, 4:20 PM

City Island stadium sign to reach for new heights

Sign at Senators' stadium to serve as 'regional marker'

Saturday, March 11, 2006
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

Some fans still refer to the baseball park on Harrisburg's City Island by its old name, RiverSide Stadium.

Soon, there'll be no mistaking the corporate moniker of the home of the Harrisburg Senators.

Commerce Bank, which plunked down $3.5 million in 2004 to attach its name to the stadium for the next 15 years, plans to erect an 80-foot-high, 488-square-foot illuminated sign to let everyone know.

"The sign is to be seen as a regional marker for the stadium," said Larry Lugaro, Commerce Bank's vice president of facilities.

"Before, we had a small, little sign -- about 8 feet high at the entrance," he said. "This will be a big sign."

The sign, which is to be erected near the stadium entrance, would stand taller than the City Island tree line and be about even with stadium lights.

It is scheduled to go up this spring, but probably won't be ready for the start of the Senators' season next month, Lugaro said.

The Senators are the Class AA affiliate of the Washington Nationals.

With its internal illumination, the sign would glow on both sides and be visible from the East and West shores of the Susquehanna River, Lugaro said.

It would be emblazoned with the words "Commerce Bank Park," and would feature the bank's red "C" logo against a blue background.

It would be topped by a representation of the capitol dome to denote Harrisburg.

Not everyone's a fan.

David Zwifka, executive director of Historic Harrisburg Association, said such a big sign could overpower the skyline, especially because the rest of City Island is undeveloped.

"I have to wonder what it would do to the general aesthetic of City Island," said Zwifka, who said he was speaking as a citizen and not for the preservation group because HHA hasn't looked into matter.

"I think a lot of people will wonder what's happening," Zwifka said. "Is it going to create a neon string out there in the middle of the river?"

Commerce Bank officials said the sign would enhance City Island's profile and serve as an added attraction. Lugaro said that the sign would be lit up only during the baseball season or when City Island is in operation.

"The high visibility of the sign will add value to the promotion of the ballpark and other City Island attractions," said Commerce Bank spokesman Jason S. Kirsch.

"We think it will fit well, especially in the context of the surroundings."

Bank officials presented their designs last week to the Harrisburg Planning Commission.

The bank needs a special exception to the city's zoning rules because the sign would exceed the height and size limits for City Island.

The sign would soar above the city's 8-foot height limit by 72 feet. That's roughly the height of a 10-story building. It would dwarf the city's 8-square-foot size limit for signs by 480 square feet.

The bank also must obtain approvals to build in the 100-year flood plain and secure land development approvals and building permits.

The construction of the sign originally was meant to coincide with renovations to the stadium, but that $30 million project was put on hold by Mayor Stephen R. Reed last August.

The plans called for installing skyboxes and adding more seats, a party deck, new restaurant and a grand entryway to the ballpark, which was built in 1987.

But Reed said he was forced to delay the stadium improvements because Gov. Ed Rendell has yet to deliver a state commitment to pick up $16.9 million of the cost.

That means that the remodeled baseball park won't be a reality until the spring of 2007, at the earliest.

Lugaro said the delay in the stadium improvements won't affect the new sign, which is being positioned to accent what would become the grand entryway to the renovated ballpark.

EastSideHBG

Mar 11, 2006, 4:21 PM

Another example of how the HBG metro's sci/tech focus is growing by leaps and bounds! :tup:

College science center plan advances

Saturday, March 11, 2006
BY JOE ELIAS
Of Our Carlisle Bureau

CARLISLE - The Borough Council has approved a land development plan for the next stage of construction of a multi-million dollar science center at Dickinson College.

The 150,000-square-foot complex is being built in phases along North College Street, an area the council rezoned in September from town center residential to institutional. The plan calls for consolidation of 12 lots.

Tuesday night's action allows the college to break ground this spring on a new science building on the site of the current James Building. That work, along with planned renovations to Althouse Hall on North College Street, comprise a $50 million construction phase scheduled for spring 2008 completion.

The first phase of the science center was completed in 2000 with construction of the $14 million Tome Scientific Building, which houses physics, astronomy, math and computer science departments.

The college has not placed a price tag on the final phase of the project, which will involve construction of a second building. It has not established a timetable for that building.

The geology, environmental studies and psychology departments housed in the James Building will be moved temporarily into the former Reeves-Hoffman crystal plant on West North Street, which Dickinson bought in 2003 for $1 million.

Spudmrg

Mar 11, 2006, 6:29 PM

Hmmmmm, why does Commerce Bank want a giant neon sign over Harrisburg.....it's not like anyone else has such a sign....oh wait....never mind.

There was a point of the Sci-Tech story that I missed on the first reading. Last sentence of the article:

"They envision that the Harrisburg University campus eventually would occupy much of the land bounded by the State Street and Mulberry Street bridges on the north and south, the railroad tracks on the west, and the edge of Allison Hill to the east."

Much of the land....I thought a good chunk of that was owned by the electric and steam companies? I don't have a problem with converting the post office into a university....but annexing real estate tax-paying land into a tax-exempt university....well, Harrisburg already has serious issues on how much land is tax exempt. Besides, that area will most likely be DT's 3rd expansion area (after the Southern Gateway/I-83/3rd Street, and the Northern Corridor/7th Street).

EastSideHBG

Mar 11, 2006, 8:49 PM

I agree, Mike, but I do think that area would be a PERFECT univ. section. My solution then? Offer relocation of the taxed companies that will be lost to one of the new gateway areas. IMO that would be a total win/win: the companies get a new spot AND you set the spark for growth in the new gateways...

EastSideHBG

Mar 12, 2006, 5:00 PM

Panel rejects rezoning request

Sunday, March 12, 2006
BY JACK SHERZER
Of The Patriot-News

A request to rezone 19 acres along Union Deposit Road next to the Union Square Shopping Center to clear the way for an apartment complex was unanimously rejected by the Susquehanna Twp. commissioners.

The refusal to rezone the mostly wooded tract was met with cheers by more than 50 residents at Thursday's meeting. The residents said they were concerned the planned 96 apartments would bring more traffic and congestion.

"Traffic," said Carl Reitz, of the 600 block of Shield Street, when asked why he objected to the change.

Janice Latteer, who lives on the same block and, like Reitz, has been there for the past 10 years, agreed.

"There is too much traffic, and it would just create more traffic," Latteer said.

Both also said they were afraid that if the development occurred, people in the neighborhood would sell and eventually destroy the neighborhood.

Area residents had said they were worried because the apartment complex's main access would be off Canby Street. That street is part of a small road network running through about 90 single-family homes in the Latshmere East housing development.

The commissioners didn't comment before rejecting the zoning change, which was sought by Mark X. DiSanto, CEO of Triple Crown, who had pledged to work with residents to address concerns.

DiSanto, who was not at Thursday's meeting, proposed three apartment buildings with 32 units each.

In describing the development, which would be called "Pin Oak," DiSanto had touted quality, higher-density housing as being less taxing on local infrastructure, reducing commuting times and pressures on roads, and combating sprawls.

He also claimed traffic studies showed the apartment complex would generate 37 percent fewer car trips per day than if the land were developed under existing highway commercial zoning.

DiSanto had sought to have the entire tract rezoned to "business-office-professional" use.

DiSanto could not be reached for comment Friday on what he now intends to do.

Attorney Bruce J. Warshawsky, representing Dr. Robert Kaneda, who owns most of the land in question, said his client and the developer may resubmit the request after they work on ways to alleviate traffic concerns.

DiSanto had requested the township hold off on voting, and Warshawsky said that request was done because they wanted some time to address problems raised by residents.

Warshawsky said his client and the developer might also just build allowable commercial uses. All parties have acknowledged it's a tough piece to build on because of a large ravine with a stream running down the center.

"We understood the neighbors concerns, and we didn't want a quick vote," Warshawsky said. "We really thought we could sit down and strategize and come up with a plan that neighbors would probably support that would not impose traffic on nearby Canby Street."

chuikov

Mar 13, 2006, 2:09 PM

Iteresting article about the ballfield sign. This part especially:

"The sign would soar above the city's 8-foot height limit by 72 feet. That's roughly the height of a 10-story building. It would dwarf the city's 8-square-foot size limit for signs by 480 square feet."

The island is owned by the parks and rec department and is zoned as a park, but an 8' limit? Everything on the island is over 8' high. The lights, stands, party pavillion, parking garage, and the huge signs that ring the outfield.

I've never had cause to read the city's sign ordinance, but 8 sqare feet is also super-small. Almost every business has a sign bigger than that. Maybe the 8 square feet is the size limit for sandwich board type signs only (?).

EastSideHBG

Mar 13, 2006, 4:07 PM

Get ready for some nasty weather!

Severe Weather Alert

Special Weather Statement

WARREN-MCKEAN-POTTER-ELK-CAMERON- NORTHERN CLINTON-CLEARFIELD- NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE-CAMBRIA-BLAIR- HUNTINGDON-MIFFLIN- JUNIATA-SOMERSET- BEDFORD-FULTON-FRANKLIN-TIOGA-NORTHERN LYCOMING- SULLIVAN-SOUTHERN CLINTON- SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER- MONTOUR- NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-PERRY- DAUPHIN-SCHUYLKILL-LEBANON- CUMBERLAND- ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER- 952 AM EST MON MAR 13 2006
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND EVEN A FEW ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT...

A POTENT STORM WILL MOVE NORTHEAST TO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES BY THIS EVENING...REACHING SOUTHERN QUEBEC TUESDAY MORNING.

VERY WARM AND MOIST AIR WILL MOVE INTO ALL OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AND THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY FOR THIS AFTERNOON WITH TEMPERATURES REACHING THE 60S AND 70S. THE COMBINATION OF THIS INSTABILITY AND STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS EXCEEDING 40 MPH SEVERAL THOUSAND FEET ABOVE GROUND...WILL PRODUCE SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS BEGINNING EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.

AS THE COLD FRONT TRAILING SOUTH FROM THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER MOVES ACROSS THE REGION LATE TODAY THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT...A NORTH TO SOUTH LINE OF MORE NUMEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP OVER THE OHIO VALLEY AND RACE EAST TO THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS OF PENNSYLVANIA BETWEEN 5 AND 8 PM...BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE AND HAIL. THE TIME THAT THIS ANTICIPATED LINE... OR SECOND ROUND OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY WILL BE 10 PM AND 3AM.

SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL TAP THE STRONGER WINDS ALOFT AND DEVELOP ROTATION...WHICH COULD LEAD TO ISOLATED TORNADOES.

WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF HAIL...WIND DAMAGE AND NUMEROUS TORNADOES HAVE OCCURRED WITH THIS STORMS ACROSS THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS STATES OVER THE WEEKEND.

EastSideHBG

Mar 14, 2006, 2:00 PM

A little too close to home! :uhh:

Shooting report probed

Police last night halted downtown traffic along the 200 block of Chestnut Street as they investigated a report of a shot or shots fired from a seventh-story window at Executive House.

Police responded at about 10 p.m. and interviewed an unidentified woman. After speaking with building security, police went to the seventh floor in an attempt to identify the possible gunman.

The incident was under investigation at press time.

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

I must say that it is VERY refreshing to see them take transit into consideration w/ a project of this size! A good sign of the metro's changing mentality indeed...

Housing complex sketch gets OK

Tuesday, March 14, 2006
BY DIANA STRICKER
For The Patriot-News

The Middletown Council has approved sketch plans for a 311-unit housing complex, and the council has adopted a new comprehensive plan to guide development.

Council last week gave the go-ahead for developers to proceed with the design phase of the Woodland Hills housing complex.

"I'm confident this plan will add to the revitalization of this borough," council member Rodney Horton said before the vote.

The proposal calls for 205 single-family homes, 62 duplexes and 44 townhouses on 167 acres in the northern end of the borough. The project is being developed by H-T Partners of Landisville, which is owned by Thomas Kile, Greg Kile and Howard Boyd.

The project has been under review since 2004 and has undergone several changes. The engineering firm will now proceed with subdivision plans, which must also be approved by council before construction begins.

The comprehensive plan, which replaces one enacted in 1979, was unanimously approved following a public hearing.

"This is a broad-brush picture of what is happening now in the borough and what might happen in the future," said Ed Guebtner, a consultant with Mullin and Lonergan Associates.

Guebtner said the goals are to preserve the historic nature of the borough, to work with local organizations toward the revitalization of Main Street and adjacent residential areas, and to apply for grants for various development projects.

Some of the proposed goals in the 77-page report include:
Preserving the "quaint feeling" of Main Street by retaining small commercial businesses and promoting aesthetic design guidelines.
Rehabilitating some existing housing and preserving historic structures.
Constructing a transit center at the site of the rail freight terminal between Catherine and Union streets, as part of the Corridor One project under consideration for the midstate.
Improving the park system by building a riverfront hiking/biking trail to connect the various riverfront parks in the community. The report said the borough has a "well-established park system that has unfortunately gone underutilized."
Reviewing and updating zoning ordinances. The report said the "existing zoning ordinance is more than 30 years out of date."
He said that any changes would be subject to a vote of council following discussion and public input.

EastSideHBG

Mar 14, 2006, 2:04 PM

Housing huddle

Politicians tour site of new homes, rentals

Tuesday, March 14, 2006
BY DAN MILLER
Of The Patriot-News

A pro football quarterback turned politician huddled yesterday for new housing in Harrisburg.

Jack Kemp, secretary of Housing and Urban Development under the first President George Bush, was led by Mayor Stephen R. Reed on a tour of homes and rental units going up at the former Maclay Street Apartments at midtown and uptown Harrisburg.

Kemp was asked to attend by U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, whose role in preserving federal housing funds was championed by Kemp and the city's Democratic mayor.

Reed said funding for the development includes a HUD grant, Community Development Block Grant money and low-income tax credits. Reed underscored the role of federal assistance combined with funds from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency in attracting private investment.

The $29.4 million package will have 292 units, including 222 rental units named The Residences at Governor's Square. An additional 71 units are homes for sale known as The Towns at Governor's Square.

The project is two-thirds finished with 100 percent occupancy, Reed said. The project mixes new housing and rehabilitation of existing units.

The mayor portrayed the current landscape as a "startling contrast" to Maclay Street Apartments, where high density and blight spawned "a haven for criminal behavior."

About five years ago, the city took over the rental units from the federal government and, in 2002, sought proposals from the private sector. The winning package came from developer Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse of Baltimore, and Landex Corp. as manager of the rental units.

Kemp, who is now a consultant to businesses, extolled the public-private financing and blend of rental- and owner-occupied housing in an urban setting as typifying his goals at HUD. Santorum had asked Kemp to attend so Kemp could give his expertise on housing issues.

"This is a model that could be used in every city and in every urban setting," as well as a strategy for rebuilding New Orleans, Kemp said. He said Santorum has been a long-time advocate of using public and private partnerships to build new affordable housing.

Santorum said he supported extending low-income tax credits. He cited Bush's desire to slash community development block grants as an area where he "disagrees" with the president.

"I'm a strong believer of that program," Santorum said, adding the grants are among "a whole host" of federal housing programs "under attack in this budget."

Larry Smar, spokesman for Democratic state Treasurer Robert Casey Jr., Santorum's likely opponent in November, said Santorum hasn't done enough.

"Santorum hasn't been using his close relationship with Bush effectively to lobby against those cuts and the Bush budget as a whole," Smar said. "He's trying to pick a couple of areas where there are differences and try to make people forget he votes with (Bush) 98 percent of the time."

chuikov

Mar 14, 2006, 7:00 PM

Here's the latest on the state hospital building...

Posted on Tue, Mar. 14, 2006
News in brief from central PennsylvaniaAssociated PressHARRISBURG, Pa. - A shelter that provides emergency lodging and food for about 160 families a year has had its rent raised by the state from $1 a year to nearly $57,000.
Coupled with a $173,500 loss in funding from various sources, that is causing a severe impact this year on the $470,000 annual budget of the Interfaith Shelter, said Mark A. Totaro, executive director and chief executive officer of Catholic Charities, which operates the shelter.
The facility on the grounds of the former Harrisburg State Hospital is the region's only shelter that allows families to stay together, Totaro said. Other shelters accept individuals or single mothers, but not couples, two-parent families, single fathers with children or older male children.
The shelter has paid the state Department of General Services $1 a year rent since it opened in 1992. But the state announced in 2004 that Harrisburg State Hospital was closing, and Totaro received papers last week adding $3.54 per square foot in operating rent to pay for heat, electricity, water, sewer and grounds upkeep, which amounts to $56,934 a year.
"Closing is the last thing we want to do, but we need help," Totaro said. The General Services Department was "looking into it," spokesman Ed Myslewicz said.
---

chuikov

Mar 14, 2006, 9:12 PM

"A little too close to home! :uhh:

Shooting report probed

Police last night halted downtown traffic along the 200 block of Chestnut Street as they investigated a report of a shot or shots fired from a seventh-story window at Executive House.

Police responded at about 10 p.m. and interviewed an unidentified woman. After speaking with building security, police went to the seventh floor in an attempt to identify the possible gunman.

The incident was under investigation at press time."

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

Any further word on this? I've been searching around a bit, but havn't found anything. Hope nobody got hit.

Coincidentally, we're doing some work at the building now, so you'll be seeing a crane lift going on in the parking lot soon.

EastSideHBG

Mar 14, 2006, 9:14 PM

What a slap in the face to the community that is, eh? Not only did the State displace all of the people from the hospital, but now they may be closing down this shelter too. :no:

chuikov

Mar 14, 2006, 9:52 PM

What a slap in the face to the community that is, eh? Not only did the State displace all of the people from the hospital, but now they may be closing down this shelter too. :no:

The $57,000 the state was eating for the bills etc seems like a very small price to pay to help keep that operation going.

EastSideHBG

Mar 15, 2006, 2:41 PM

Good news! See what happens when you go public? ;)

Shelter gets a reprieve from state on its rent

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

The Interfaith Shelter, which faced a nearly $57,000 rent increase from the state Department of General Services, received a reprieve yesterday after its problem became public.

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/114241819539810.xml&coll=1

EastSideHBG

Mar 15, 2006, 2:43 PM

HARRISBURG

Council's smoke-free plan would affect Reed

Wednesday, March 15, 2006
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

The butts might have to stop in Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed's office.

The City Council last night introduced an ordinance that would ban smoking in all city-owned or run offices, including the mayor's office, where Reed and many of his staffers light up.

A Reed spokeswoman who attended last night's council meeting said she didn't know if Reed was aware of the proposed ban. Attempts to reach Reed last night were unsuccessful.

Although the mayor's wing of the City Government Center remains one of the few governmental spaces where smoking is allowed, council members say Reed isn't the target.

"It doesn't affect the mayor any differently than any other citizen," said Gloria Martin-Roberts, who sponsored the bill. "It's a no-smoking policy to protect the health of all citizens, including the mayor."

The proposed ordinance states that there shall be "no exceptions" to the smoking ban for city buildings.

The smoke-free policy also would cover Harrisburg's police station, firehouses, maintenance sheds, garages and other buildings.

The proposed law even would extend the policy to all city-owned vehicles -- including the Crown Victoria driven by Reed, whose affection for Salem Lights is well-known.

Violators would face a summary citation and a $50 fine.

Martin-Roberts said the hope is that the ban would protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke while prompting smokers to light up less or kick the habit.

"This is not a moral issue," she said. "It's a health issue."

Martin-Roberts said she was motivated by her many years of working in the health field.

She is an executive of Hamilton Health Center, and she's a former director of the Bureau of Preventative Health Programs in the state Department of Health. In that capacity, she oversaw the state's tobacco-prevention programs.

The ordinance also would urge all city businesses, restaurants and bars to voluntarily adopt smoke-free policies, but it would not mandate smoking bans in such places.

Martin-Roberts pointed to states that have gone smoke-free, such as New York, California and New Jersey, saying their restaurants and bars continue to thrive. She lauded the recently opened Cafe Fresco as a downtown restaurant and bar that is doing a great business while going smoke-free.

"None of these businesses are suffering," she said.

Martin-Roberts said what hasn't been fully addressed are the economic losses and health damage caused by secondhand smoke.

Her ordinance also calls on the Legislature to pass a statewide smoking ban for public places and work spaces.

The council last night referred the proposal to its Public Safety Committee for discussion and public hearings. No final vote on the smoking ban has been scheduled.

EastSideHBG

Mar 15, 2006, 2:55 PM

LOL tell this news to me, as I am STILL out of a job! Like I always say, HBG's job market is not very diverse and it is only good for some fields. Yes I do feel that things are getting better, but I still believe it has a way to go yet...

And the area is an anomaly of sorts: the jobless rate is falling but the jobs are disappearing too as you will see in the article. My theory? People are losing their solid jobs in their fields and have no choice but to get a job in the service industry to make ends meet.

Area jobless rate drops in January

Wednesday, March 15, 2006
BY TOM DOCHAT
Of The Patriot-News

The Harrisburg-area unemployment rate tumbled to 3.3 percent in January, from 4 percent in December 2005.

Seasonal unemployment rates in January also dropped significantly in other areas of the state.

Ryan Horner, an analyst with the Center for Workforce Information and Analysis, urged caution in looking at the January numbers. He said February's unemployment data, scheduled for release on April 4, will help determine whether the January drop was "artificial."

Horner noted that several seasonal factors can come into play in January. Since the month was warmer than normal, people may have been working at more construction-related jobs than is typical for January, he said.

"It raises our eyebrows when we see these big drops," he said.

At 3.3 percent, the Harrisburg area continued to have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state. The Lancaster area had the lowest jobless rate in January at 3 percent, followed by the Lebanon area at 3.1 percent and the State College area at 3.2 percent. The York-area unemployment rate was 3.5 percent in January.

The state unemployment rate in January was 4.4 percent, and the national rate was 4.7 percent. Horner noted that 47 of the 50 states reported a dip in unemployment in January.

The total number of jobs in the Harrisburg area in January was 321,100, down 6,400 from December due to post-holiday cutbacks among retailers and the leisure and hospitality sector. Over the past five years, the December to January drop has averaged 7,800 jobs, Horner said.

Service industries posted a decline of 5,500 jobs from December to January, while the number of goods-producing jobs was down by 900. Horner said the January drops in retail, education and hospitality were lower than their five-year averages.

The January job total is 4,800 more than a year ago, an increase of 1.5 percent. Statewide, the number of jobs has increased 1.2 percent over the past 12 months.

The average manufacturing wage in the Harrisburg area -- Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties -- was $16.04 an hour in January, compared with the statewide average of $15.31. The average manufacturing work week was 38.6 hours in the Harrisburg area, compared with 40.5 hours statewide.

The number of manufacturing jobs in the Harrisburg area is down by 800 over the past year.

chuikov

Mar 15, 2006, 3:30 PM

Good news on the shelter!

EastSideHBG

Mar 16, 2006, 4:36 PM

Commuter rail deal raises hope system will be built

Thursday, March 16, 2006
BY MATT MILLER
Of Our Carlisle Bureau

A newly struck deal aimed at safeguarding West Shore mass transit options may also bring the unity that has been missing from efforts to bring commuter rail service to the midstate.

The so-called Lemoyne Connector pact requires Cumberland and Dauphin counties, Capital Area Transit and Harrisburg to cooperate in seeking federal funding for a shortened version of the proposed Corridor One rail system.

Cumberland commissioners, the toughest critics of the original Corridor One plan, approved the deal early this month. The other parties have since followed suit.

"This is extremely important," said John Ward, president of Modern Transit Partnership, the rail system's promoter. "If we can talk with one voice it makes a greater impact."

The price for that unity is $500,000 and a pledge that, for now, Corridor One will stay out of Cumberland and will instead be launched on a Lancaster-to-Harrisburg route.

Cumberland commissioners will pay the $500,000 toward building an overpass as part of the $14.2 million Lemoyne Connector project Norfolk Southern is pursuing to streamline its freight rail system.

The overpass will ensure freight trains don't block an old rail line eyed for commuter rail or express bus service between the West Shore and Harrisburg.

In exchange, Cumberland commissioners secured a pledge that Corridor One won't come into their county without their permission.

For years, they have argued that Corridor One should be tested on the East Shore to see if it draws enough riders to be financially feasible. The shortened system will cost about $30 million to build, $58 million less than with a Cumberland leg.

"We have always stated that we favor advancing mass transit. But we want to see effective use of taxpayer dollars," Cumberland Commissioner Rick Rovegno said. "We hope [Corridor One] works. Having more options is better than having fewer."

Rovegno stressed that the connector deal also calls for cooperation in exploring other, possibly more cost-effective mass transit options, such as an express bus service his board is considering.

"My reading of this agreement is that it will bring unity," CAT Executive Director James Hoffer said of the connector pact. "That's a key point."

Hoffer said shortening Corridor One must also be approved by the Federal Transit Administration and the Harrisburg Area Transportation Study, which sets priorities for local transit projects. HATS, which backed the full route for Corridor One, could act in April.

Dauphin County Commissioner Jeff Haste said his board approved the connector deal reluctantly, realizing it is needed to preserve transit options. He said he doubts the East Shore test will give a true reading of Corridor One's potential.

"I think all we've done is delay the inevitable, whether the inevitable is the project is killed or it goes across the river," Haste said.

Ward said commuter rail eventually will come to the West Shore.

"We don't like to lose the Cumberland County ridership, but it's more important to get this system operational than it is to sit around haggling," he said.

EastSideHBG

Mar 16, 2006, 4:39 PM

Sprawling away! On the bright side, I know Tom faley fairly well and he does have a good head on his shoulders. You will see some proof of this from his comments below.

Surge in new housing worries officials

SOUTH MIDDLETON TWP.

Thursday, March 16, 2006
BY ANDREA CICCOCIOPPO
Of Our Carlisle Bureau

BOILING SPRINGS - The narrow roads that meander through the lush farmland of South Middleton Twp. have long attracted cyclists and Sunday drivers, but the quiet landscape is slated for abrupt change.

The number of new homes proposed in the community has risen to nearly 1,500, and that has some officials concerned about traffic, zoning and how schools will be affected.

"In the past three or four years, we've eaten up almost half of our remaining residentially zoned property," Supervisor Tom Faley said.

In the most recent proposals, two developers have submitted plans that call for more than 300 homes.

The proposal for Georgetowne would bring 214 single-family detached homes to 115 acres known as the Dixon farm between East Springville and Ridge roads. Georgetowne, a Lexington Land Development Group plan, would abut a portion of Misty Meadows and the proposed Traditions of America age-restricted community.

The plan shows traffic directed onto East Springville Road and at two points on South Ridge Road.

"As one public official, I'm concerned about traffic issues," Faley said. "I think we're reaching the point where we need to discuss a traffic light at Springville and Forge roads. It can't be pushed off the plate much longer."

Parkview at Boiling Springs calls for 129 single-family detached homes on 72 acres off West Springville Road near the water tank on the south side of the Indian Hills neighborhood.

According to the blueprints, Parkview traffic would be routed onto Chestnut and Poplar drives in Indian Hills and West Springville Road east of Route 174.

"We already have a bad intersection at Springville and Route 174 and this plan's proposed entrance on West Springville appears to make the situation worse," Faley said.

In addition to the plans for Traditions of America, the age-restricted community that would add 250 homes on Ridge Road, officials are considering the proposed Carlisle Forge community of 581 homes at York Road and Fairview Street. They have already approved Wheatstone community of 179 homes on East Springville Road.

Construction of 113 homes in Netherby on Lindsey Road is under way.

The comprehensive plan is under review and supervisors are expected to decide whether any parts of the township need to be rezoned.

"I personally feel at this stage I'm not interested in rezoning any land residential as long as we still have available residential space out there," Faley said.

South Middleton School District is also monitoring growth, said Jeff Ammerman, business manager.

The district's 2,130 students attend Rice Elementary School, Iron Forge Educational Center, Yellow Breeches Middle School and Boiling Springs High School.

The four school buildings have room for new students but officials have no model for predicting which grades would fill to capacity.

"We are certainly very tight at the Rice building" for kindergarten through third-graders, Ammerman said.

Elizabeth Gibson contributed to this report. ANDREA CICCOCIOPPO: 249-2006 or aciccocioppo@patriot-news.com

BOARD TO MEET

The South Middleton Planning Commission plans to review plans for the Georgetowne and Parkview developments at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the township building on Park Drive. Residents will be able to view and comment on the plans.

EastSideHBG

Mar 17, 2006, 2:21 PM

HARRISBURG

25 years of Reed's reign to be heralded

Friday, March 17, 2006
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

When Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed took his first oath of office in 1982, a stamp cost 20 cents, a gallon of milk went for $1.71 and gasoline could be had for 52 cents a gallon.

Motorists might have been better off back then, but not Pennsylvania's capital city.

Reed loves to point out that once-proud Harrisburg had sunk to the second-most distressed city in the nation.

In other words, it was a perfect rescue mission for the one-time emergency medical technician-turned-mayor.

As Reed looks to log his 25th year leading the city, he claims progress on virtually all fronts -- education, public and private development, housing and home-ownership and attracting new businesses, especially restaurants and night spots downtown.

"We have been able to restore hope and optimism for the future of Harrisburg, in stark contrast to the despair and blight that we found when we first came into office," Reed said.

"Harrisburg is now well poised for the future," he said.

But first, organizers of a party set for tomorrow night are determined to look back at Reed's first 25 years to measure just how far the city has come.

"This will be the only celebration of the mayor's [25 years]. It's a milestone," said John Levenda, chief organizer of the event at the Hilton Harrisburg & Towers.

The $150-a-plate dinner and accompanying silent auction will benefit Reed's proposed National Sports Hall of Fame for City Island.

In an age in which many marriages, much less terms in office, fail to reach the silver anniversary, it's no wonder as many as 400 movers and shakers from the city and the region are expected to turn out to pay homage to a quarter-century of Reed's rule.

Levenda said numerous speakers are lined up to expound on Reed's contributions. The highlight might be a "before-and-after" slide show illustrating Reed's impact on nearly every aspect of the city.

The official silver anniversary booklet includes a term-by-term timeline tracing each piece Reed helped put into place, setting the stage for the city's resurgence.

For example, Reed didn't plunge in with big projects such as City Island or the Hilton.

He started by helping convert Old City Hall into residences and pushing for the New Fox Ridge town house development in midtown.

While he was at it, Reed ensured that most of old midtown was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The action preserved the neighborhood's turn-of-the-century town houses, which would become hot properties in the mid-1990s.

It wasn't until Reed's second term that City Island and baseball became synonymous. The Hilton opened its doors in 1990, laying the groundwork for Restaurant Row more than a decade later.

Reed gives most of the credit to voters who have elected him for seven terms.

During that period, more than $3.2 billion in private investment has been sunk into Harrisburg projects, a sum that exceeds the amount spent in far bigger cities, Reed said.

But Reed said the city's development has achieved a momentum of its own, noting that progress would be "self-sustaining" no matter who were mayor.

For many politicians, it would be the perfect time to hand off the reins. But Reed sees a "void" in his resume -- the continued high failure rates of students in the Harrisburg School District. He said the huge task of turning around the city schools keeps him on the job.

"Much more work remains to be done," Reed said, adding that a healthy, high-achieving school system would fuel further residential development, among other positive effects.

So Reed's 25th will be far from a swan song, and don't expect a misty-eyed mayor, either. In fact, Levenda said Reed would rather shun celebrations.

"He's a person who doesn't show much emotion," Levenda said. "He keeps his feelings to himself. But you only get one 25th, and we're determined to celebrate it."

JOHN LUCIEW: 255-8171 or jluciew@patriot-news.com

25 YEARS AS MAYOR

Stephen R. Reed's highlights, lowlights and yet-to-be-categorized accomplishments. HIGHLIGHTS Downtown development For more, see Page B7

EastSideHBG

Mar 18, 2006, 4:05 PM

I disagree with Reed and think smoking should be banned in City buildings. I have been forced to sit in some of these offices while they are smoking and it is awful, and IMO, unprofessional.

Reed huffs about bid to snuff cigarettes

REED

Saturday, March 18, 2006
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed yesterday defended his right to puff away in his private office in the city government center.

Reed, a cigarette smoker known to favor Salem Lights, was reacting to a smoke-free ordinance introduced this week by City Council.

The bill would ban smoking in all city-owned buildings, as well as certain outdoor areas, such as city parks and playgrounds.

If passed, that would mean no lighting up on City Island or Riverfront Park, among other outdoor spaces in Harrisburg. But it stops short of smoke-free laws passed in other cities, such as New York, where the bans extend to privately run restaurants, bars and other public places.

Reed said there's no reason to extend the smoking ban indoors and argued that it would be too hard to enforce outdoors.

"If you are smoking in a private space where there's no interaction with the public, you're allowed to smoke," Reed said of the city's current smoking policy.

Reed and many on his staff smoke. They light up at their desks and in their offices within the administration wing on the second floor of city hall. Reed said the same right to smoke is extended to other city employees who work in offices where there's no interaction with the public.

The proposed smoke-free policy would cover Harrisburg's police station, firehouses, maintenance sheds, garages and other buildings.

The proposal also would ban smoking in city-owned vehicles -- including the city-issued Crown Victoria driven by Reed.

Violators would face a summary citation and a $50 fine.

But Reed said the proposed indoor smoking ban would have little impact, as most of the city's indoor public spaces are covered by an existing no-smoking policy.

"There's very little in terms of interior space that would be covered," Reed said. "So what's the point?"

Asked if he thought he was the real target of the ordinance, Reed responded with sarcasm.

"Would City Council ever do something like that?" he said. "You must be cynics."

Reed said the ordinance is "overly broad" in extending smoking bans to city parks, playgrounds and other city-owned outdoor facilities. He said the language could be interpreted to ban smoking on city sidewalks and streets.

"How do you enforce that?" Reed asked.

Councilwoman Gloria Martin-Roberts, who introduced the bill, said she hopes the ban would protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke and prompt smokers to light up less or kick the habit. She said she was motivated by her years of working in the health field.

The ordinance would urge all businesses, restaurants and bars to voluntarily adopt smoke-free policies, but it would not mandate smoking bans in such places.

And the bill calls on the Legislature to pass a statewide smoking ban for public places and work spaces.

The ordinance has been referred to council's Public Safety Committee for discussion and public hearings. No final vote has been scheduled.

EastSideHBG

Mar 18, 2006, 9:17 PM

What is a matter with people?!? Sure seems like an awful lot of people falling from DT buildings these days...

:no:

NEWS INFORMATION FROM THE OFFICE OF MAYOR STEPHEN R. REED
City of Harrisburg
King City Government Center
Harrisburg, PA 17101-1678
Telephone: 717.255.3040
FOR IMMEDIATE USE
18 March 2006

WOMAN DIES IN FALL FROM DOWNTOWN PARKING GARAGE

Mayor Stephen R. Reed today announced that 25-year old Zeynep Barnes of Camp Hill died in an accidental fall from a downtown parking garage early this morning. Barnes was still alive when rescued by city firefighters, but died shortly later at the scene.

Reed said the incident was first reported to police at 3:10 a.m. by friends who accompanied the young woman. Witnesses said the group of young people, three males and two females, left a downtown bar around closing time and took an elevator to the top floor of the Walnut Street Garage. Upon arrival on the top floor of the garage, the group traversed beams adjoining the garage to the Wachovia Tower next door. A space of approximately 18 inches separates the two buildings. They then climbed to the top of the Wachovia Tower where they sat down for a few minutes before deciding to return to the ground because of the cold and wind.

As they were descending from the building they had to make a jump of some six feet in order to return to the top floor of the parking garage. Barnes reportedly lost her grip while doing so and fell ten stories to the bottom, wedged between the two buildings. After her accomplices were unable to find her they called police.

Responding police, fire and EMT crews quickly determined that Barnes was unreachable and were forced to cut out an exterior wall in the east side of the first floor of the Walnut Street Parking Garage to reach the trapped and injured woman, who was still barely alive at the time. The exact cause of death will be determined by autopsy next week.

Reed said several of the woman’s friends left the scene but were later brought back and questioned. The two males who stayed contacted police and provided details of the incident to police. They indicate that the climbing stunt had actually been going on for an extended period of time prior to last night’s incident, with many persons knowing about and participating in the risky venture. Several of last night’s participants, including the victim, are regular rock climbers and considered the act an extension of their sport.

The Mayor said the death is believed to be accidental and no charges have yet been filed in the case, but the investigation is continuing. All five of the persons in the group had been drinking throughout the evening, including the victim.

wrightchr

Mar 19, 2006, 1:42 AM

^ Dave, i think i know that girl. i believe she graduated a year ahead of me in high school. this is very saddening to hear...especially since today is my 25th birthday and i can't imagine anything worse than falling to your own death at such a young age. she has a younger sister that graduated with my brother. very sad indeed. mabye the city parking authority needs to construct better safegaurds to deter stunts like this...like cctv cameras and fencing along the fringe of garage roofs.

on another note, i'm in dublin, ireland for the week...my wife and i arrived last tuesday and we've been having a great st. patricks day festival here. there is so much construction going on here, it's just ridiculous. dublin is a very historic and modern city...a great blend of old and new development. reminds me of boston in a way. on monday we are heading to london for 5 days and then to paris for 3 days before returning home. i've been hearing reports of massive student riots in paris...i really hope we don't have any problems.

i will say that after visiting dublin and the irish countryside, i can definately tell why PA has such a high concentration irish immigrants. the geophysical layout, the vegitation, and industry in PA, almost mirror that of Ireland. my wife and i took a rail tour today to the wicklow mountains and it's just crazy how much it looks like home. i can't get over it. speaking of which...the rail system here is pretty good. it's not that extensive but it's definately helping to continue the cities resurgence. i think the cumberland county commissioners should take a better look at systems like the DART and realize the potential benefits of regional rail back home. establishing a good rail and bus hub/spoke system is really the way the to go.

wrightchr

Mar 19, 2006, 2:16 AM

some new development news on one of Harrisburg's largest suburban boroughs.

Camp Hill plans downtown upgrade
Sunday, March 12, 2006
BY ELLEN LYON
Of The Patriot-News
Camp Hill borough intends to apply for state grants to revitalize its business district and make it more appealing to retailers and shoppers.

The Camp Hill Economic Development Group will spearhead the effort, concentrating first on Market Street between 17th and 24th streets, Mayor Doug Morrow told about 70 residents and business owners gathered Tuesday in borough hall.

The borough will seek Main Street program funds from the state for facade improvements and for low-interest loans to lure businesses to empty buildings on Market Street, Morrow said.

Market Street rents average between $10 and $14 a square foot, and businesses do well there, he said. But many of the buildings are former residences with limited expansion space.

A later phase will involve applying for Elm Street program grants to do sidewalk and other improvements along side streets, he said.

Camp Hill's downtown is "uniquely situated" to appeal to niche boutiques and to take advantage of a national retail trend away from malls, Craig Bachik, of Kairos Design Group in Lemoyne, told the crowd. Kairos is working on a project to revitalize Steelton's downtown and is seeking a contract with Camp Hill.

"The borough of Camp Hill is a place people want to move to," Bachik said.

Bachik and his partner Renee Regal presented a four-step "visioning process" for the revitalization. They estimated the process would take nine months to a year.

The first step involves collecting data and doing an architectural inventory.

Next, Kairos would analyze trends and predict where the borough is headed
Then they would help create a vision for the downtown's future and present it at a public hearing. "The goal is to rally everyone around a common plan," Bachik said.

Finally, they would develop an action plan.

One of Kairos' first suggestions is sidewalk "bump-outs" at some Market Street intersections to reduce motor vehicle traffic speed and encourage pedestrian traffic.

Improvements will be made in stages. "They're not going to over-tax you just to put bricks on Market Street," Bachik said of the Borough Council.

Camp Hill's relative affluence might make it harder to get state grants so the borough will have to spend what it gets wisely and in order of priority, he said.

Longtime borough resident Bill Bottonari noted that a transformation is already occurring along Market Street with the opening of new restaurants and businesses.

"I think this is a new beginning, and it really looks good to me," Bottonari said. "You don't have a community unless you have a downtown."

ELLEN LYON: 975-9783 or elyon@patriot-news.com

harrisburger

Mar 19, 2006, 4:37 AM

i hope that downtown camp hill is beautified. it has always had so much potential and is finally filling up with some new restaurants. i was worried when cafe on market left....in regards to the new falling fatality. i heard on the news tonight there was a state college kid who died, falling from 6 stories i think. that's 3 deaths linked to falling, all involving alcohol in a few weeks of each other. it's all quite odd.

EastSideHBG

Mar 19, 2006, 4:19 PM

That is really awesome, Chris! My sister was in Ireland for the first time a few months ago and she also said the same thing re: similarities w/ PA. Have a good time and safe travels to you and your wife! :)

And I am sad to hear you knew the girl who fell. :(

I agree, harrisburger, and Camp Hill is one of my favorite 'burbs and it ranks way up there with its DT potential IMO.

And okay, it is one of my favorites when you don't take the attitude into consideration. ;)

wrightchr

Mar 19, 2006, 8:14 PM

thanks Dave...we're having a great time.

it looks like the sports hall of fame has about 10 million earmarked for it's construction. if the foundation can sell the naming rights and build a structure with leasable office space on city island, i think it will be in better financial shape than the civil war museum. i know some people are skeptical of all these museum projects but i'm keeping an open mind. i really think that with a good marketing plan and some vision, they can be successfull at attracting visitors to the city and region and help to mold harrisburg into a modern hub of culture.

Reed honored at fundraiser for sports hall
Sunday, March 19, 2006
BY IRVIN KITTRELL III
Of The Patriot-News
State Rep. Ron Buxton remembers sitting in a city home about 25 years ago and listening to his friend saying he wanted to leave his elective position as a state legislator and run for mayor of Harrisburg.

Buxton, D-Harrisburg, thought it was a bad idea, he said.

Harrisburg was a dying city, fraught with problems and despair. He thought Stephen R. Reed would fare better in the General Assembly.

Reed turned a deaf ear to his friends. He ran for mayor, won, and he's been mayor ever since.

"I'm very happy that my opinion wasn't listened to 25 years ago," Buxton said last night at Reed's 25th anniversary celebration. "I'm pleased to be a part of his 25 years in office."

About 400 people attended the $150-a-plate dinner to mark the occasion at the Hilton Harrisburg & Towers. Guest speakers included Attorney General Tom Corbett, Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll, Buxton, Mickey Minnich, executive director of Big 33 Football Classic and Clare Jones, president of the Greater Harrisburg National Association of the Advancement of Colored People.

Reed said the event was a fundraiser for the National Sports Hall of Fame. All the proceeds will go to the hall of fame foundation, John Lavenda, the foundation's president and CEO, said. The event included auctions of vacations, dinners and a bus tour of the Gettysburg National Military Park, with Reed as the tour guide.

Lavenda said the money raised will be used to market the hall of fame to businesses. He said the goal is to get a business to buy the hall's naming rights, similar to Commerce Bank buying the naming rights to the baseball stadium on City Island.

Reed said he is totally behind the project.

"He would not allow us to put his name to this event if he wasn't," Lavenda said.

It was not known last night how much money was raised.

Reed began his speech by announcing the final score of the Harrisburg High School basketball team's win in the state tournament. Reed continued by outlining the growth of Harrisburg and how a vision was needed to ensure it would happen.

He also outlined the vision of the hall of fame project. Reed said the project already has $9.5 million in the bank, money given to the project by former Gov. Tom Ridge several days before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America.

"It's already in place," he said about the money. "We need to complete what was started before America's attack."

IRVIN KITTRELL III: 255-8412 or ikittrell@patriot-news.com

wrightchr

Mar 19, 2006, 9:02 PM

here's an excerpt from the pariot-news letters to the editor. harrisburg city council is reviewing legislation that will make it the first city in the state with a ban on smoking in all bars, clubs, pubs, restaruants, etc. this letter to the editor is from a smoker who adamately disagrees. i think it's a great idea and for every individual smoker it pisses off, it brings back downtown another non-smoker who avoids city establishments because of smoking. i can honestly say that reeking of smoke after a night out makes me sick...and i think twice about going to the bars DT, or anywhere for that matter.

according to smokefreeworld.com [ http://www.smokefreeworld.com/ ], "Calfornia, Delaware, New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey (casinos exempted), Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington all have dedicated bans on smoking in public establishments. Montana banned smoking in restaurants - bars exempt till 2009". in my recent travels i've discovered that most of the nations of the EU also have very strict bans on smoking. the fines are often 500 euro and/or inprisonment. any thoughts you guys?

A love-hate deal for city entertainment
Saturday, March 18, 2006
I have a love-hate relationship with Harrisburg.

I love the large number of diverse dining and entertainment establishments within easy walking distance downtown. The Hilton and the Whitaker Center provide venues for jazz and other music artists.

Harrisburg is much improved over 20 years ago! However, so much for the love.

Perhaps success breeds arrogance. Harrisburg City Council plans to urge restaurants to ban smoking.

Mandates usually follow urging. Should this happen, I will continue to purchase and enjoy my first Friday night cigar in the tobacco shop in Strawberry Square.

Subsequent cigars, dining and socializing with friends and coworkers will be at any of the numerous establishments in Wormleysburg, where parking is free and the Harrisburg skyline provides a picturesque background for the Susquehanna.

Also, any pre- and post-concert activities similarly will be held outside city limits.

Market forces, not a government nanny-state, are what should determine whether a restaurant bans, permits or segregates smoking.

If it is indeed a matter of health, why then aren't these restaurants "urged" to ban alcohol consumption, when death from a DUI-related wreck kills much sooner than emphysema?

-- TONY GONZALEZ SR., Gardners

EastSideHBG

Mar 20, 2006, 4:22 PM

I think there should be a ban on smoking, but I must admit that I would have some guilt over a government established/enforced ban. Maybe give some sort of incentive instead?

I do feel it is one's right to smoke but it is our right to breathe too. It is easier to fix the smoking issue so that is what must go IMO. But again, having the gov't behind anything that involves taking one's rights tends to make me a little squeamish...

chuikov

Mar 21, 2006, 1:15 AM

My opinion is that government at all levels has the right to ban smoking in publically owned buildings and the government can also outlaw smoking, but it should not try to force private businesses to disallow smoking. Smoking is less popular than ever, and the remaining smokers are getting used to smoking in designated areas or smoking outside only anyway. It's a lame, populist move on the part of any government that issues a blanket no smoking dictate. Market forces and common sense should, and are sorting it out already.

I used to run a coffehouse (93-00), and smoking was a point of conflict for a while when we first opened. We decided it was in our best interests to make it a no smoking establishment. A few people were miffed, but it worked out well in the end, and smokers are much more used to going outside now than they were in '93. It's not a big deal - I just don't want the local government kibbitzing in it.

Evergrey

Mar 21, 2006, 6:19 AM

This is an extremely disturbing article:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06080/673847.stm

Prostitution ring traded in girls as young as 12
Tuesday, March 21, 2006

By Robin Erb and Roberta de Boer, Block News Alliance

HARRISBURG -- For a truck stop that became one focus of "Innocence Lost," a major federal inquiry into underage prostitution, The Gables is surprisingly small and homely.

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20060321AVprostitution6_450.jpg
April McSwain was just 14 when she climbed on a bus in 1995 to work as a prostitute in Harrisburg. She was on her first "date" within hours and was arrested five days later.

"You could sit and watch girls run down the rows, run under the trucks, in all directions," Trooper David Olweiler said. "There were some nights out there it looked ridiculous."

On a stretch of roadway just off I-81 and surrounded by other, larger, better-lit truck stops, The Gables' patch of asphalt ends at the edge of a woods -- convenient for hookers hiding from police.

The truck stop was often jammed by late afternoon, according to investigators, especially "party row," the dark far end of the parking lot notorious for "lot lizards."

If she was able to duck the cops and enticed enough clients, a prostitute could end many nights $1,000 richer -- even with lots of competition.

Out of "the game" for almost a year, a Toledo woman known on the street as "Fire" said she had been selling sex long before her string of arrests in Harrisburg.

And the $418.50 fine and court costs? She shrugged. Shell it out and get back to the lot. There was plenty more.

"You could go back and double up, triple up what they took" she said.

Like most of the prostitutes named in the indictment, Fire, 25, comes from Toledo, Ohio, 420 miles away. "That became a joke around here: Is everyone from Toledo a prostitute?" said Trooper David Olweiler, a state police intelligence officer.

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20060321AVtrucks_450.jpg
Tucked away in the back of Gables of Harrisburg truck stop, which is located off I-81 at Exit 27 in Harrisburg, is "party row," seen in a rearview mirror, where many truckers park to solicit prostitutes. Toledo pimps and prostitutes worked this location before they were indicted.

During her years in the sex trade, Fire said, she worked for four pimps, including, she said, Derek Maes.

Mr. Maes is now sitting in a Pennsylvania jail, awaiting trial next month on federal prostitution charges that could put the 41-year-old Toledoan away for life.

A 102-page federal indictment unsealed in December names him and 13 other men as co-conspirators in a nationwide sex-trade ring. He knows investigators allege this ring traded and sold girls as young as 12 -- routinely beating them if they failed to follow orders or make enough money.

But Mr. Maes said federal prosecutors have it wrong. He's no pimp, he said in phone interviews from the jail last week, he's "a player."

"Pimps do things like ... lock the girls up in closets. I'm 'finesseful,' you know what I'm saying?"

Mr. Maes has been accused at least three times of breaking women's noses. But he insisted that he forced no one to do anything. "These girls, they love the game. They love the game, trust me. It's the glamour, it's the pimped-out ride. ... It's Snoop. It's all of that."

Robert Scott, 44, agreed.

Convicted twice before of pimp-related charges involving minors, the Toledo man also awaits trial. Four others charged in the Harrisburg case, he said, are relatives: two sons, a cousin, and a nephew.

"The prosecutors are trying to make it like a bunch of us running around with candy in our pocket, going to parks and picking up little kids. It wasn't like that at all -- period," he said.

If the girls were forced or scared, Mr. Scott asked, why didn't they call home? And when they were arrested, Mr. Scott added, why didn't they ask police for help?

In a nondescript strip mall office, West Hanover Township Magistrate Roy Bridges handles everything from wedding vows to murder charges.

His three clerks set out candy on the front counter, and they and Judge Bridges, an avuncular man with a friendly smile, chatted with the girls they'd see again and again and again.

Even in some of the coldest weather, the judge said, "You should have seen how some of them were dressed. Sometimes troopers would wrap them up in one of those yellow blankets used to cover dead bodies."

Of the more than 100 prostitutes identified in the Harrisburg investigation, about two dozen were underage, officials said. The youngest was 13.

That's not surprising. Researchers and police alike say that 14 is the average age when minors enter the sex trade.

But law enforcement said it would be naive to believe that the young teens were willing participants, even though some of the girls may have offered aliases and fake Social Security numbers.

The federal indictment against the pimps reads like an inventory of brutality: beatings and robberies to keep hookers in check. But it wasn't just at the hands of the pimps, Trooper Olweiler said. "What really started to push this was we had girls dumped. We had one dumped off the highway with a sock in her mouth."

At least two died. One barely survived, he said.

"It's not like they're just getting slapped. These girls are getting violently abused," said David Johnson, chief of the FBI's Crimes Against Children unit.

Beyond that, maintaining control is a matter of psychological conditioning, especially for girls already fleeing homes of incest, battering, or even simple neglect, said Chip Burrus, the FBI's acting assistant director of the criminal investigative division. "Normal," he said, is a relative term.

"A lot of these girls, you wouldn't know they're victims. They love to brag. You wouldn't know they were in it against their will," he said.

Mr. Burrus takes it one step further: "You can't consent to be a prostitute at age 14. That's just an impossibility."

But Mr. Scott and other co-defendants argue that no one is forced into the business. And, as for brutality, Mr. Scott said: "Have I ever hit a woman? Yeah, I hit a woman, I'm not going to lie to you," he said. "You know why I hit her? Because she hit me. ... My old man raised me. [He said if] you're big enough to give a punch, you're big enough to get a punch."

Besides, Mr. Scott said, he's not even a pimp. If anything, he's in a partnership -- and partners are always free to change allegiance.

"She's choosing the best investment for her money," Scott said. "It's like going to Smith Barney or any other firm that invests your money."

Certainly there were sporadic turf wars, robberies, and a fight or two at area motels. But for the most part, business stayed within truck cabs, said West Hanover Township manager Mike Rimer.

Still, there are surprising ways to measure whether business is booming.

After Pennsylvania State Police began cracking down on the problem in 2004, money from court fines poured in to the West Hanover Township coffers.

In 2003, the township collected $3,319 in "ordinance fines," which included fines for prostitution or vandalism or trespassing. With undercover police working The Gables the following year, fines jumped almost tenfold, to $32,430, Mr. Rimer said.

These days, The Gables parking lot is newly lit, newly managed, and considerably quieter.

But for how long? From his state police barracks about a mile from the Gables, Trooper Olweiler considered the question.

"For a while, after the indictments came down -- even before -- it was pretty much cleared out," he said. "For a long time, we didn't see anybody. But one of our patrols came back the other day and said they're back out there."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(The Block News Alliance consists of the Post-Gazette and The Blade of Toledo, Ohio, which are both owned by Block Communications Inc. Robin Erb and roberta de Boer are staff writers for The Blade.)

EastSideHBG

Mar 21, 2006, 3:58 PM

Oh yeah, unfortunately prostitution is BIG business here in the HBG area. I attribute a lot of it to being a transportation hub.

danwxman

Mar 21, 2006, 5:34 PM

Oh yeah, unfortunately prostitution is BIG business here in the HBG area. I attribute a lot of it to being a transportation hub.

Yes, anybody from around here can tell you prostitution is a major problem. The vast majority of it is at the truck stops. The good news is that the Cumberland County commissioners have recently started to crack down with numerous busts in the past year.

danwxman

Mar 21, 2006, 5:35 PM

From the Central-Penn Business Journal:

HIA-Minneapolis nonstop service returns
Harrisburg International Airport will once again offer nonstop service to and from Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport beginning June 8. The daily Northwest Airlines flight will depart HIA at 8:45 a.m. and arrive in Minneapolis at 10:25 a.m. The return flight will depart Minneapolis at 7:15 p.m. and arrive in Harrisburg at 10:26 p.m. Through Minneapolis/St. Paul airport, travelers can connect to Northwest Airlines flights to more than 30 cities worldwide. The fights will run until at least Aug. 21 and will continue if demand for the service is high, said HIA spokesman Scott Miller.

wrightchr

Mar 21, 2006, 9:42 PM

^ glad to see Northwest is adding another flight. as for the prostitution thing...i really had no idea that this type of stuff was going on or that it was big business in our area. after all...i don't frequent truck stops, so how would i know!?! lol

Wheelingman04

Mar 22, 2006, 6:49 AM

Can anybody give me a brief summary of what skyscrapers are proposed, approved and under construction in downtown Harrisburg?

What is this university they are building near Allison Hill?

EastSideHBG

Mar 22, 2006, 3:34 PM

Can anybody give me a brief summary of what skyscrapers are proposed, approved and under construction in downtown Harrisburg?

What is this university they are building near Allison Hill?
If you go back through this thread all of your questions will be answered, Wheelingman04. But to answer your question briefly:
Market Square Plaza, a new 18-story bldg. on 2nd St., has been completed and is up and running. Same with an 8-story bldg. on front St. Currently there is now just one skyscraper proposed and it looks like it is going to happen. It will be 22-stories, located on an empty lot at 4th and Market Streets and will house the Harrisburg University, which brings me to your next question in a sec.
Currently U/C is the new Commonwealth Judicial Center that will house all of the State's courts in one place. This will be a HUGE draw to the area as you would imagine!
A new federal bldg. will be going up somewhere in DT HBG but the site has yet to be chosen. There is a lot of controversy w/ this one becuase one of the sites calls for the razing of some beautiful and totally habited historic buildings. The City is giving the feds other options, but like the typical fed. gov't, they don't seem to care or want to listen.
Harrisburg University is a Science/Technical Univ. that is in DT HBG. The high school is already up and running in DT and it has had amazing success during its first year of operation. The long-range goal is for the Univ. to occupy a big chunk of the area around the new bldg. at 4th and Market, which would extend it to a post office on Market (the city is negotiating w/ them now to buy their property and then relocate them) and then up into Allison Hill, where the Univ. would like to see housing. It's an amazing plan and it will do wonders for the area as you would imagine.
That's all I have time for right now. Like I said earlier, Wheelingman, just go through this thread and you will see all you need to...that's what it is here for. :)

EastSideHBG

Mar 22, 2006, 3:36 PM

School districts should rethink funding HACC, critics say

Wednesday, March 22, 2006
BY FORD TURNER
Of The Patriot-News

Homeowners in Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties share a higher-education distinction they might prefer to avoid.

Through school taxes, they pay for people from other families to attend a community college.

In most places in Pennsylvania, it does not work that way. Only 54 of the state's 501 school districts sponsor a community college. Twenty-two of them are in the midstate, concentrated in Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry counties.

The system caused taxpayers in the Central Dauphin School District to pay $2.3 million for Harrisburg Area Community College students last year, West Shore School district taxpayers to pay $1.1 million, and Cumberland Valley School District taxpayers to pay $1 million, while school taxpayers in most of the state paid nothing in community college support.

"It has become a real problem," said state Sen. Patricia Vance, R-Cumberland, who also is a HACC trustee. "You can't justify the way it is administered now because it is unfair."

The inequity is most glaring in HACC's service area.

For example, someone who lives on one side of Stony Run in Monaghan Twp. pays $1,872 to take a full-time course load at HACC. Someone who lives on the other side of the brook in Fairview Twp. only pays $936, because in Fairview Twp. -- part of the West Shore School District -- school taxpayers pick up the other $936 of the tuition.

"The way HACC is funded here, in this part of the state, is awful," said West Shore Superintendent Richard J. Domencic, who moved to central Pennsylvania from the western part of the state in 2004.

HACC's recent growth has been at its newer campuses in Lancaster, Gettysburg, Lebanon, and York. The more than 7,000 students who attend those campuses get no tuition help from their school districts.

That, said Jean Walker, Cumberland Valley School District Superintendent, proves that students are willing to pay the full, nonsponsored rate.

"The students from those areas are paying more money and they are still going. ... My belief is that students can afford to pay for a community college education," Walker said.

Delegates from HACC's 22 sponsoring school districts meet tonight to vote on the Harrisburg campus' 2006-07 budget of $54.3 million. Little opposition, if any, is expected.

Audrey Hanna, Cumberland Valley's representative and head of the delegate board, said the budget and the funding system are separate matters. She said she spoke to Vance about the discontent, and Vance said she hoped the Legislature could look at the issue this summer.

Hanna, a HACC delegate for at least 12 years, said she was not aware of any effort by the school to review the funding situation. Patrick Early, a HACC spokesman, said the school would create a task force to look at the issue.

HACC's sponsorship by school taxpayers dates back more than 40 years.

The Legislature passed the Community College Act in 1963. Afterward, HACC became the first community college in the state, with students sponsored by many school districts near the Harrisburg campus.

But most of the state's community colleges went another route and were sponsored by county governments. Today, 10 of the 14 community colleges in Pennsylvania have county sponsorship and no school district involvement.

One of them, Community College of Beaver County, switched from school district to county sponsorship in 2002. Chief Operations and Finance Officer Stephen Danik said budgeting had become a "cumbersome, complicated process" involving 11 sponsoring school districts. Dealing with a single government entity, he said, has "really improved the way the college operates."

Delaware, Northampton, and Lehigh Carbon community colleges are sponsored by a total of 32 school districts.

Midstate education officials see HACC as well-run and vital. But its reliance on school taxpayer support, some said, needs to be reviewed.

"With no disrespect," said Anthony Filippelli, dean of HACC's Lebanon campus from 1998 to 2004 and a former East Pennsboro school director, " ... 2006 is a much different period than 1962, 1963, and 1964, yet there has been no study conducted in central Pennsylvania."

Patricia Sanker, superintendent of South Middleton School District, said it would be "wonderful" to have the funding system changed. Domencic, the West Shore superintendent, said he supported the concept of community colleges.

But he looks at the amount his district must surrender for community college education -- regardless of its K-12 financial needs -- and it makes him wonder.

"There is an awful lot I could do with a million two," he said.

EastSideHBG

Mar 22, 2006, 3:40 PM

Very interesting when you think about it, that half of a borough will be gone like that if the airport has their way. I never cared for Highspire and I wouldn't mind, but I am not the one that lives there, so...

UP TO THE CHALLENGE

Highspire's mayor believes borough has promising future

Wednesday, March 22, 2006
BY MARY KLAUS
Of The Patriot-News

Highspire Mayor John Hoerner knows his borough has a dwindling population, little room for expansion and a school district with a high school a Dauphin County investigating jury declared to be "in chaos."

But the borough's new mayor says he believes in his municipality.

"I was born and raised in Highspire," said Hoerner, a Steelton-Highspire High School 1972 graduate. "I love my town. I work here too, at 84 Lumber.

"Highspire is a friendly town where neighbors want to help each other out. It's a walking town. You can get nearly anything you want by walking to it, whether the parks, stores or businesses."

Councilwoman April Miller said Hoerner, who served on Borough Council for six years, including two as vice president, already is missed on the council.

But, she said, he is becoming "a wonderful hands-on mayor. He's caring, happy, positive-thinking and energetic. He has great hopes for this town. He will be the type of mayor everyone sees and feels good about."

Hoerner said he ran for mayor to promote "the positive things" about Highspire. Yet he's not blind to its challenges.

The borough population, which the U.S. Census Bureau listed as 2,959 in 1980, fell to 2,720 by the 2000 census.

The median value of a single-family, owner-occupied home is $78,600, and the median family income is $40,398.

Steelton-Highspire High School has drawn criticism from the state auditor general for failing to report violent crimes over a four-year period, and the school district has struggled with low scores on state assessment tests.

But Hoerner said the high school "is turning itself around. And we have a new elementary school going up."

Then, there's the airport noise issue.

Last fall, the usually closely knit borough residents were divided on whether about 500 homeowners living near Harrisburg International Airport should have the opportunity to sell their houses to the airport through a federally financed program.

The program, which would have to be approved by Borough Council, stems from a Federal Aviation Administration airport noise study that concluded that homeowners within a federally established noise annoyance level would be eligible to sell their houses if they wished to do so. The airport then would sell the homes to buyers who would sign papers indicating they were aware of the noise levels.

Some residents were eager to sell, while others were wary of the potential loss of half the town's homes.

Borough officials never officially accepted or rejected the report, although they expressed concerns about it in a letter to the airport.

"We talked to Fred Testa [HIA director of aviation] and to the FAA in the fall," Hoerner said. "They are willing to wait until our comprehensive plan is done before we have to decide to opt in or out."

Testa said the FAA will decide by July about whether it will provide money to the airport to buy houses in the noise zones of Middletown and Lower Swatara Twp.

"Highspire isn't included in our plan," Testa said. "But we've left them room to opt back in later. It may take Highspire a couple years to finish their comprehensive plan. We can't hold off applying to the FAA for money because Highspire isn't ready."

Hoerner said Highspire has attracted businesses over the last few years, including 84 Lumber, Spectrum Recycling and Capital Area Triumph Dealership. He said established businesses are doing well, too.

"We are landlocked," Hoerner said. "We can't do things like some municipalities do. But we are committed to updating our comprehensive plan this year. This spring, we are surveying all our businesses and residences and asking them for input about the future of Highspire."

For now, Hoerner said, "we need some young families to move in. We have well-built, affordable housing."

The mayor said his town has great parks, a community band and special events, including an Easter egg hunt in April, a community picnic each September and a community carol sing each December.

"Our special events pull the town together," he said. "We do extra things, too, like having our ballplayers sweep the cinders off the sidewalks at the end of winter before the street sweeper comes through town."

Hoerner knows that firsthand. As a baseball coach for 27 years and president of the Highspire Athletic Association "off and on for years," he helped two generations of youth grow up.

Donald Shields of Highspire, who over the years played then coached football, baseball and basketball in Highspire, said he has known Hoerner for at least 25 years.

"He's a low-keyed coach who gets to know each player," Shields said. "He's very good with the boys and likes to see everyone get along. He's an optimistic person, too."

Hoerner and his wife, Brenda, have four children: Jonathan, Jason, Jessica and Nicole. He called Highspire a great place to raise children.

"As mayor, I want anyone in Highspire to come to me and talk about their concerns," he said. " I have an open door, and I will listen."

wrightchr

Mar 22, 2006, 9:02 PM

If you go back through this thread all of your questions will be answered, Wheelingman04. But to answer your question briefly:
Market Square Plaza, a new 18-story bldg. on 2nd St., has been completed and is up and running. Same with an 8-story bldg. on front St. Currently there is now just one skyscraper proposed and it looks like it is going to happen. It will be 22-stories, located on an empty lot at 4th and Market Streets and will house the Harrisburg University, which brings me to your next question in a sec.
Currently U/C is the new Commonwealth Judicial Center that will house all of the State's courts in one place. This will be a HUGE draw to the area as you would imagine!
A new federal bldg. will be going up somewhere in DT HBG but the site has yet to be chosen. There is a lot of controversy w/ this one becuase one of the sites calls for the razing of some beautiful and totally habited historic buildings. The City is giving the feds other options, but like the typical fed. gov't, they don't seem to care or want to listen.
Harrisburg University is a Science/Technical Univ. that is in DT HBG. The high school is already up and running in DT and it has had amazing success during its first year of operation. The long-range goal is for the Univ. to occupy a big chunk of the area around the new bldg. at 4th and Market, which would extend it to a post office on Market (the city is negotiating w/ them now to buy their property and then relocate them) and then up into Allison Hill, where the Univ. would like to see housing. It's an amazing plan and it will do wonders for the area as you would imagine.
That's all I have time for right now. Like I said earlier, Wheelingman, just go through this thread and you will see all you need to...that's what it is here for. :)

i would also include the south street parking garage scheduled to start construction soon. it will cost $17 million, at a height of 36.6 meters, maintain 750 spaces and will be operated by the Harrisburg Parking Authority.

Wheelingman04

Mar 23, 2006, 1:42 AM

^Thanks guys for the info.

EastSideHBG

Mar 23, 2006, 2:47 AM

i would also include the south street parking garage scheduled to start construction soon. it will cost $17 million, at a height of 36.6 meters, maintain 750 spaces and will be operated by the Harrisburg Parking Authority.
My memory escapes me, Chris, but where exactly is this garge going to be located again? I know there was a lot of fuss over it because of the height and it being in a historic district and all, but for the life of me I can't remember where exactly this garage will go.

And does anyone know what is going on next to the Verizon building? They now have a construction fence up and a safety walkway built. I wonder if Verizon is adding an addition on to that bldg., as it would make sense because there was that empty lot there?

And I still have heard no word on what will happen w/ the empty lot that Belco created now that they aren't builduing their addition and moving their operations center out of the city. :rolleyes:

Wheelingman04

Mar 23, 2006, 3:43 AM

EastSideHBG

Mar 23, 2006, 3:23 PM

/\
A very tall building in the middle of the skyline? You never know...

BIZ MINUTE

Passenger traffic still falling at HIA

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Passenger traffic at Harrisburg International Airport dropped 16 percent last month when compared to February 2005, according to the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority, which owns HIA.

Board member David McIntosh blamed the decline on airlines making fewer seats available for travel from HIA. Bankruptcy-related service reductions by TransMeridian Airlines, Northwest Airlines Corp. and Delta Air Lines Inc. resulted in almost 18 percent fewer seats for sale at HIA this February, he said.

"Unfortunately, we expect similar results in March as we are comparing 2006 results against our second-best January, February and March [of 2005] in the airport's history," McIntosh said.

HIA Aviation Director Fred Testa told the authority he will be meeting soon with representatives of several airlines to try and convince them to use HIA or increase the number of seats they offer at the airport.

Last month, the authority reported a 9 percent drop in travelers using HIA in January compared to January 2005.

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

And speaking of HIA, this burns me up because it is so unfair! HIA wanted Cramer's out of there because they are a competitor, plain and simple. For the gov't to step in thanks to this Eminent Domain crap is sickening to me and a sad, sad day for America. :(

Cramer's Airport Parking Loses Battle Over Eminent Domain

Wednesday March 22, 2006 6:04pm Posted By: Kate Shackleford

Dauphin County, PA -

The company that runs Harrisburg International Airport gets the green light to take over a business through eminent domain. A judge says the airport authority can takeover Cramer Parking. He threw out a lawsuit filed by the attorney general-claiming the takeover violates anti-trust laws. The authority says it wants the land for expansion. The owner of the parking lot does "not" want to sell. The AG's office has not decided if it will appeal. Another ruling is pending on how much the airport must pay for the land.

chuikov

Mar 23, 2006, 4:32 PM

Here's some photos of construction activity on Boas St. yesterday.

They look like they are putting the finishing touches on the new garage:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v402/mattburtner/Harrisburg3010.jpg

And Nextel installing an antenna site on Towne House. (Sprint is already up there)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v402/mattburtner/Harrisburg3011.jpg

EastSideHBG

Mar 23, 2006, 6:36 PM

Thanks for the pics, chuikov! The size of the garage is deceiving from that angle, as there is a pretty large drop from the street (you can actully see the beginning of the downward slope if you look at that SUV parked beside it). Even still, I wonder if it should've been built a little taller for two reasons: 1) more parking 2) so I can get some better pics from the rooftop. ;)

chuikov

Mar 23, 2006, 8:35 PM

Yeah, I was a little surprized it wasn't built a few stories taller. It looks pretty good for a garage though - especially from the Forster St side.

Spudmrg

Mar 24, 2006, 1:59 AM

wrightchr

Mar 24, 2006, 11:43 AM

My memory escapes me, Chris, but where exactly is this garge going to be located again? I know there was a lot of fuss over it because of the height and it being in a historic district and all, but for the life of me I can't remember where exactly this garage will go.

And does anyone know what is going on next to the Verizon building? They now have a construction fence up and a safety walkway built. I wonder if Verizon is adding an addition on to that bldg., as it would make sense because there was that empty lot there?

And I still have heard no word on what will happen w/ the empty lot that Belco created now that they aren't builduing their addition and moving their operations center out of the city. :rolleyes:

i know it's in the area of a major bank on second street, but my memory escapes me as well Dave. it's going to be 12 levels right adjacent to state street. i'll have to go looking for it the next time i'm in town. i believe it will be the parking authorities 9th or 10 garage, an impressive statistic in itself.

wrightchr

Mar 24, 2006, 11:48 AM

One minor point with the new court building.......it won't house all of the courts, just the Harrisburg offices. All 3 courts will continue to hear many cases in Philly and Pittsburgh (and still maintain offices in both places).

that's true...from what i understand, the commonwealth has it's court offices scattered throughout the suburbs. the new building will consolidate them into one central location DT. i think the new building will be very grand and definately contribute something to the capitol complex and the aesthetics of the cities urban environment. i just wish i would have been designed a little taller...lets say 12 instead of 9 floors.

wrightchr

Mar 24, 2006, 11:57 AM

I think Harrisburg needs one more big and tall blue glass skyscraper downtown like the Lexington Financial Center in Kentucky which is 410ft. tall. It should be placed right in the middle of the skyline. That would rock. Still, Harrisburg does have a good skyline;definately the 3rd best in PA.

What do you guys think? Could that be a possibility for the future?

i think it's definately in the cards for the future. forum place, which sits at 5th and chestnut, is 12 floors...but the structural foundation of the building was designed for expansion to 41 floors. that would make it one of the tallest in the state and definately harrisburg if it were ever built higher. there are several new prospective mid-highrise buildings planned and under construction, but none that would exceed the height of 333 market street (103m). once again i'll mention the regional rail project and it's perspective effects on DT. if the rail corridors are successfull and can handle large passenger volumes, it will pave the way for higher buildings in the CBD and adjacent areas. otherwise, we're going to run out of room by building more parking garages and traffic congestion is already bad enough. at some point, all this new development in the city peeks out at a level in which the infrastructure can support it. i think we're approaching that level.

EastSideHBG

Mar 24, 2006, 3:17 PM

I'm glad to see this getting built, as this area was in dire need for something like this!

Coming attraction

Friday, March 24, 2006

A 35,000-SQUARE-FOOT family entertainment center is under construction in Hampden Twp., on Saint John's Church Road near the intersection of Trindle Road.

The developer broke ground yesterday for The Coliseum. The center should be ready to open in early 2007, said Patrick Myers, president and CEO of The Coliseum Entertainment Group.

The two-story complex will have two restaurants, a Maggie Moo's ice cream parlor, an arcade and billiards lounge, video bowling and a sports area with about 40 large-screen televisions.

The Coliseum Entertainment Group is a corporation made up of private investors, said Myers, who lives in Hampden Twp. Financing for the $6.5 million project was provided by Members 1st Federal Credit Union, and eciConstruction of Dillsburg is the general contractor.

**********

And a good article about Reed and the money he has spent/is spending on artifacts:

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1143195783269740.xml&coll=1

EastSideHBG

Mar 24, 2006, 3:50 PM

at some point, all this new development in the city peeks out at a level in which the infrastructure can support it. i think we're approaching that level.
Nah, I still think we have a long way to go thanks to the Northern and Southern Gateway projects. Of course I am still in support of mass transit and think that is the way to go, though!

danwxman

Mar 24, 2006, 7:24 PM

http://www.cumberlink.com/content/articles/2006/03/24/news/news20.jpg

Silver Spring site readied for retailing
By Joseph Cress,March 24, 2006

A sign warning “Stay Out” stands in front of a bulldozer guarding the entrance to what used to be a Sunday morning tradition.

The Silver Spring flea market is history — razed to make way for a shopping center.

A parking lot once filled with cars every weekend now is storage for long segments of drainage pipe. An industrial-sized tub grinder reducing stacks of tree trunks to mulch has replaced the roar of engines from nearby Silver Spring Speedway.

And all that remains of the adjacent mobile home park are piles of wood and metal scrap, cinder blocks and vacant rectangular lots of chip stone.

14 demolition permits

Demolition work is virtually complete at the site of the future Silver Spring Square II retail center along Carlisle Pike.

This is the result of about 14 demolition permits that Silver Spring Township issued in January, says Bob Greene, building code officer.

As of Thursday, no building permits were issued, he said, and Regency Centers has yet to record its land development plan with Cumberland County.

Township Zoning Officer Jim Hall is not sure when that could happen but, in the meantime, Regency Centers has a stormwater land disturbance permit to move earth, put in curbing and install a drainage system.

Powell Arms is vice president in charge of investments for the Northeast Region of Regency Centers. He confirmed work is under way to install drainage and utilities as well as smooth out the rolling hills of the construction site.

Target date: March 2007

The plan is to break ground on the first buildings by mid-June with the grand opening of the center planned for March 2007, Arms says.

Hall says the developer submitted an application before the zoning hearing board for variances from the township ordinance governing the size and number of signs.

Best Buy, Bed Bath and Beyond, Ross, Target and Wegmans Food Market were listed in the application as stores seeking more signage than what is permitted, Hall says.

The zoning board granted some but not all of the requests, Hall says, noting he does not know if Regency has commitments from any of the retail chains.

Arms says Regency has not secured commitments from all the stores. “We are still working with them.”

He would not disclose any details on which stores have committed, preferring to let each chain announce its own plans for the site.

Arms says Regency is talking with three prospective restaurant chains to occupy free standing buildings and is still looking for tenant stores in the range of 20,000 square feet or less to occupy the retail center.

Last October, a spokeswoman for Wegmans confirmed the company plans to build a store there.

Communications Specialist Jeanne Colleluori said Wednesday the chain still plans to build a store in the township but the building site has yet to be prepared and delivered to Wegmans by Regency.

Wegmans anticipates opening the store sometime in 2007, Colleluori says.

The Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans is family-owned with 69 stores in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.

Calls to Target, Best Buy and Bed Bath and Beyond were not returned by press time.

Ross not committed yet

Katie Loughnot is vice president in charge of investor and media relations for Ross.

She says her company would only confirm a location once a lease has been fully signed and executed.

As of Thursday, the company did not have any such lease for a location in the Silver Spring Township or Mechanicsburg area, Loughnot says.

She adds Ross is looking at several locations throughout Pennsylvania. Based in the San Francisco Bay area, Ross has 20 stores in Pennsylvania including one in Carlisle.

Eventually, Regency Centers will demolish several stores along Carlisle Pike, including the building at 6430 Carlisle Pike that since 1985 has housed Cremo’s Variety Outlet.

Owner Larry Cremo said Wednesday that construction began last week on a new location less than half a mile up the pike beside the Saturn auto dealership.

Regency Centers has been working with the family-run business, allowing it to continue to operate until construction of the new outlet is complete — possibly by late July, Cremo says.

“We have been giving them constant updates” about the new variety outlet’s progress.

Cremo adds this is a positive move for the outlet, which outgrew the old building about 10 years ago. “We will have more room to expand.”

http://www.cumberlink.com/content/articles/2006/03/24/news/news20-1.jpg

danwxman

Mar 24, 2006, 7:26 PM

High proposes retail and entertainment center near Lancaster
A Lancaster County real-estate company wants to construct a retail and entertainment complex in Manheim Township. High Real Estate Group’s project, called The Crossings at Conestoga Creek, would be on an 85-acre site across from Long’s Park. The project would include up to 650,000 square feet of space for tenants such as a movie theater, restaurants and specialty shops. The project would feature an open-air, pedestrian friendly design to give it a warm and inviting ambiance, said Steve Evans, managing director of High Real Estate Group’s retail division. “It’s intended to be an experience,” he said. High’s plans also call for infrastructure improvements both on and beyond the property, including an enhancement to the Route 30 interchange at Harrisburg Pike. The estimated cost of the entire project is $100 million. - Christina Olenchek

Well, more sprawl for Lancaster county, but the "open-air, pedestrian friendly" design sounds interesting.

wrightchr

Mar 24, 2006, 10:15 PM

^ both of these are interesting...thanks danwxman.

EastSideHBG

Mar 25, 2006, 4:30 PM

Thanks for the info, danwxman, and I am glad to see you posting here. The HBG group keeps on growing! :tup:

chuikov

Mar 26, 2006, 4:17 AM

Thanks for the info, danwxman, and I am glad to see you posting here. The HBG group keeps on growing! :tup:

Yup. I think I'll post a little photo line-up of the projects in progress in Cumberland Co. I noticed at least 7 or 8 last week just driving around for work. I'll take a closer look at some of them tomorrow.

BTW: I just spent the last 2 days in Morgantown, WV. That place is booming more than ever!

Wheelingman04

Mar 26, 2006, 4:52 AM

^ Morgantown is a cool University town. I wish Wheeling had a growing economy and population like Morgantown does.

EastSideHBG

Mar 26, 2006, 6:29 PM

VENTURE CAPITAL

Regional investing activity increases

Sunday, March 26, 2006
BY DAN MILLER
Of The Patriot-News

Central Pennsylvania isn't Silicon Valley, but that's not necessarily bad for someone who wants to start a business.

"In large part, you are better off being here than in other places" because competition for venture capital isn't as "cutthroat," said Jan Rumberger, an area venture capitalist. "We also have investors here who are willing to fund many kinds of companies, not just the latest high-tech things."

Venture capitalists invest in companies in return for an ownership stake. An institutional venture capitalist firm usually is a group of investors who pool their money.

Last year, institutional venture capital firms invested $49.5 million in three separate deals in the 17th Congressional District, according to the PricewaterhouseCoopers MoneyTree Venture Capital Profile. This was the first such investment in the 17th District -- which includes Dauphin County, Lebanon County and parts of Perry County -- since a firm reported a $10 million investment in 1999.

The investments in 2005 included $3.2 million by Chicago-based Thoma Cressey Equity Partners. An effort to reach the company for comment was unsuccessful.

Penn Venture Partners of Harrisburg also made an equity investment in the 17th District last year, working with Journal Publications Inc., also of Harrisburg. Dean Kline of Penn Venture Partners would not disclose the amount. Penn Venture typically makes investments of $500,000 to $2 million in companies that have annual revenues ranging from $1 million to $25 million, Kline said.

The survey reported that no companies in the 19th Congressional District, which includes York County, Adams County and parts of Cumberland County, have received institutional venture capital funding since $500,000 invested in 2002.

Kline said the survey probably gives an incomplete picture for the region, as individual "angel" investors are not as likely to report their investments as are institutional venture capital firms.

Kline sees the area as poised for steady, if undramatic, progress when it comes to the availability of more venture capital. One reason is the state's role in seeding venture capital growth.

Kline said his fund and the Life Science Greenhouse likely would not exist without the state Department of Community and Economic Development and Ben Franklin Technology Partners. But local governments and economic development agencies must become more proactive in steering companies toward opportunities, he added.

Rumberger said the region needs "a critical mass" of home-grown companies to stay and spawn new ones. He sees promise in the proposed research park that Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center wants to build in Derry Twp. The park "is going to be a magnet for bio-tech companies. We may also draw companies from Maryland and other areas," he said.

The midstate is the third-largest recipient in the nation of research dollars from the U.S. Department of Defense, said Kelly Lewis, president and CEO of the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania. "What we're trying to get better at is turning that federal research dollar into the development of products and solutions," Lewis said. "When we get Lancaster, York, Harrisburg and State College working together we are a very strong region."

Jill Edwards, executive director of the Ben Franklin Venture Investment Forum, said there is a gap in venture capital funding for area companies with annual sales of $1 million to $10 million. The companies have reached the limit of what individuals and small groups here can invest, but they aren't big enough to attract large investors.

Lewis said outside acquisition can provide the investment a company needs to stay and grow in this area.

In 2005, a Canadian company bought Perfect Order, a midstate technology services business. The company has a new name -- Versatile Inc. -- but "is growing by leaps and bounds and adding staff in Mechanicsburg," Lewis said.

"The national and international markets are recognizing that this area has strong intellectual capital, and that is being reflected in these purchases and partnerships," Lewis said.

EastSideHBG

Mar 27, 2006, 3:54 PM

HARRISBURG

Many see proposed ban on outdoor smoking as overzealous

Proposed ban on outdoor smoking seen as overzealous

Monday, March 27, 2006
BY JIM LEWIS
Of The Patriot-News

On Harrisburg's City Island, a cold spring day keeps away the visitors and the only sign that smoking is permitted in the park is a red bucket marked "butts" that sits on the platform of the miniature train ride.

But Gary Wright, a reformed smoker from Hershey, doesn't mind. He leaves his office downtown to walk around the park on his lunch hour, and it doesn't bother him if another visitor lights a cigarette.

While City Council considers a proposed ban on smoking in city parks and on other city-owned property, Wright sees the attempt to outlaw cigarettes outdoors as overzealous. "Personally, I think we're going a little overboard with the anti-smoking campaign," he said.

"I don't see people up in arms over smoking on City Island," Wright said. "Sometimes I think politicians create issues where none exists. There are pressing issues, but this isn't one of them."

Other park visitors say the ban would eliminate secondhand smoke and make city parks such as City Island, Reservoir Park and Italian Lake more pleasant.

Kyong Chong of Wormleysburg has cut his smoking habit from two packs a day to five filtered cigarettes a day. "I smoke, but I don't like it," said Chong, walking his fuzzy white dog in deserted Riverfront Park along the Susquehanna River. "When the weather gets warmer, a lot more people will come, and sometimes the wind blows heavy and smoke comes to me."

City Council introduced a bill recently that would ban smoking in parks, City Government Center offices and city firehouses, garages, maintenance sheds and vehicles. The bill was referred to the council's Public Safety Committee for discussion and public hearings.

If passed, it would forbid park visitors, firefighters, police officers and city hall workers -- including Mayor Stephen R. Reed, a smoker -- from smoking on city property.

Nine states prohibit smoking in workplaces, including restaurants and bars -- neighboring Delaware and New York are among them -- but the debate over the dangers of secondhand smoke typically focuses on smoking indoors.

Secondhand smoke is considered by the Environmental Protection Agency to be a known cause of cancer, causing about 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 35,000 to 62,000 heart disease deaths in adult nonsmokers each year, according to the American Lung Association.

Smoke is just as dangerous whether it's breathed in indoors or outdoors, said Deborah Brown, vice president of community outreach and advocacy for the American Lung Association of Pennsylvania.

"Any time you're exposed to secondhand smoke and breathe in those toxins, you're putting your body at harm," Brown said.

Some park visitors say they believe the fresh air dissipates the smoke, eliminating it as a nuisance.

"I figure if someone's sitting on a park bench here and smoking, I don't have to stand near them," said Roz Silverman, a nonsmoker, as she walked her dog along Italian Lake. "I think there's enough open space for smoke to dissipate. I don't know of a better place to smoke than outdoors."

Marla Smith, a smoker from Harrisburg, takes her two grandsons, age 6 and 9, to the playground at Reservoir Park every time they visit from Downingtown. "I don't leave cigarette butts on the ground -- I put them in my pocket, and I try not to smoke near my grandchildren," Smith said.

Still, she thinks a smoking ban in parks would be "sad." "I think it's a personal preference. To ban cigarettes, you're banning people from activities."

wrightchr

Mar 27, 2006, 6:27 PM

^ it does sound a little overboard to me. but i'm a non-smoker and i can definately understand why others get offended by secondhand smoke. this might sound dumb, but maybe they could allow smoking in specific zones. i know that seattle airport has similar anti-smoking regulations and specific zones where people are allowed to smoke. i'm not sure if the city is the same way. the fines for smoking outside the zones are pretty hefty as well. in this day and age, people should educate themselves about the effects of second hand smoke and that it has become the leading cause of cancer...especially in individuals who have never smoked. with all the advances in healthcare and medical research, we know today what we didn't know 10, 20, even 30 years ago. it amazes me that people still think it's ok to subject not only themselves, but others as well, to the toxic chemicals in the cigarettes they smoke.

chuikov

Mar 28, 2006, 3:39 PM

The City has more right to ban smoking in the parks than it does in privately owned bars.

Designated areas within the parks would be a good solution. There's really no need for people to hang around crowded areas or swing sets smoking. But banning it outright is going too far.

For the most part, I agree with Mr. Wright. Politicians are going overboard with it because they think it will make them more popular. They ought to spend time on more important things rather than sucking up to nanny staters.

BTW: I quit smoking a while back (and I can breath better now).

EastSideHBG

Mar 28, 2006, 4:28 PM

I totally agree, guys!

It's nice to see some progressive thinking:

Supervisors create team to plan growth

Tuesday, March 28, 2006
BY JEFF McGAW
For The Patriot-News

Anticipating a new era of development in Perry County, Penn Twp. supervisors yesterday created a team to help their township cope.

The supervisors met with local and regional planning experts, then voted unanimously to create an "impact support team." It will be steered by the Penn Twp. Planning Commission and will include township and county officials as well as paid development consultants.

The group will examine current regulations and explore ways those regulations can support sensible growth, officials said.

Three large developments are proposed in the southeastern part of the county. A New Jersey developer has proposed to build 936 residential units on 1,155 acres of Cove Mountain near Perdix and adjacent to the Susquenita School District's property in Penn Twp.

The development would consist of single family homes, town houses and condominiums, and would increase housing in the township by about 75 percent: from 1,242 housing units to 2,178.

"I'm a firm believer that if you own the property you can do what you want," said Supervisor Robert Shaffer, who organized yesterday's meeting. "We're not saying it's wrong. We're saying 'Let's do it right.'"

A 122-unit in Penn Twp. and a 325-unit development in Marysville also are in the planning stages.

Planners and residents have raised concerns about additional traffic along Route 11/15 and stress on utilities and infrastructure.

"There is no plan to resolve all of the traffic concerns [on Route 11/15] in Perdix," said James W. Szymborski, executive director of the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission.

EastSideHBG

Mar 28, 2006, 4:32 PM

Hershey medical research center nears reality

Tuesday, March 28, 2006
BY DAVID WENNER
Of The Patriot-News

North Carolina's famed Research Triangle Park began with one building, Jay Moskowitz noted.

A building soon to be built in Derry Twp. could have a comparable impact on central Pennsylvania, the dean of research at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center said.

The Hershey Center for Applied Research will combine high-tech business ventures with laboratories and other services and the support they need to develop and manufacture their products.

The goal is to spawn and attract businesses that eventually will create a local economy driven by high-tech companies that provide thousands of high-paying jobs. That is what happened more than a generation ago after community leaders pooled resources to create Research Triangle Park.

"It could be the most significant project in the next decade for us," said David Black, CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and the Capital Regional Economic Development Corp.

Construction of the 80,000-square-foot building is to begin in mid-April on land owned by Hershey Trust Co. The center is expected to open in about a year.

The first phase of construction also will involve converting a nearby farmhouse into a marketing office and installing utilities for two more buildings. The research complex someday might involve a dozen buildings, Black said.

Likely tenants include:

-Businesses started by people at the medical center seeking to commercialize their inventions.

-Ventures that received startup help from the Life Sciences Greenhouse of Central Pennsylvania.

-Ventures that received startup help from the Life Sciences Greenhouse of Central Pennsylvania.

-Companies from outside the area that want to be near a research-oriented medical center.

The Hershey Center for Applied Research also is attractive because of nearby highways, railroads, Harrisburg International Airport and a proposed commuter rail line that might connect Lancaster, York, Harrisburg and Carlisle, he said.

The first tenants are signed up: the medical center's pharmacology department and technology transfer office, which will relocate there; and the Life Sciences Greenhouse of Central Pennsylvania.

The purpose of the technology transfer office is to enable medical center research to be commercialized by outside firms. The presence of the pharmacology department will give outside firms access to research and expertise that could promote development of new drugs.

Moskowitz said much of the activity at the center probably will involve products related to biology and medicine, but it also is open to ventures related to information technology, which has a growing role in health care.

The first phase is expected to cost $70 million. The project recently received $5 million in state grants and loans.

The developer is Wexford Science &Technology, a Maryland firm that will own the buildings and be the landlord. The chamber, CREDC, the life sciences greenhouse and the Milton Hershey School and Hershey Trust were involved in pulling the project together.

EastSideHBG

Mar 28, 2006, 4:33 PM

Site near HIA to be cleaned up

Tuesday, March 28, 2006
BY DAN MILLER
Of The Patriot-News

The Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority, owner of Harrisburg International Airport, has hired a company to clean up the inside of the old Crawford Station power plant near the airport.

Environmental Abatement Services Inc. of Export was awarded a contract to do the job for $1.1 million. The company had submitted the lower of two bids. Altchem Environmental Services of Southampton had bid $1.53 million.

Authority spokesman Scott Miller said Environmental Abatement Services will remove asbestos from inside the power plant, which is at the eastern edge of HIA in Middletown. The company also will remove hazardous materials and drain water from the basement.

The work should start in May and be finished in October, Miller said.

The authority plans to use $450,000 from a state grant to help pay for the work. HIA also has $337,000 from the state Bureau of Aviation and will provide $307,500 in matching funds.

The authority wants to demolish the former power plant. Miller said 2007 is the earliest that will happen, pending the receipt of more outside financing for the demolition work.

Once the building is razed, the property might be used to provide more space for the 193rd Special Operations Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, which is based at HIA.

A project already under way will enable the 193rd to park all of its aircraft on its own ramps without interfering with the civilian part of the airport, said Maj. Eric McKissick, executive officer of the unit.

That project is being funded with $5 million from the 2006 federal budget.

The 193rd has "no immediate plans" for the Crawford site, although it is "attractive" as an option for future expansion, McKissick said.

Jeff Stonehill, Middletown borough manager, said the Crawford land is zoned for commercial use. He said the borough has not received development plans for the Crawford property.

EastSideHBG

Mar 30, 2006, 1:15 PM

Check this out, Chris. Speak of the devil, eh? :banana: This garage will have a decent impact on the skyline, and the end of the article shows just how much interest there is in living/working DT!

HARRISBURG

Ground broken for 750-space parking garage

Thursday, March 30, 2006
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

The city has finally broken ground on an oft-delayed 12-story parking garage at 220 South Street in downtown Harrisburg.

At a ground-breaking ceremony this week, Mayor Stephen R. Reed said the 750-space garage would help ease downtown's parking crunch and promote business development and retention.

But the slow pace of the project, which was delayed because of legal challenges, wasn't in time to save the Belco Community Credit Union.

Once intent on remaining downtown, Belco switched gears and decided to move its headquarters and most operations to a former AMP Inc. building in Swatara Twp.

The credit union plans to begin shifting workers to the new office by early 2007. When the transition is complete, only about 20 employees will remain downtown to run a branch office and a division that offers financial planning.

Belco had hoped to expand its home in the 400 block of North Second Street and stay in the city. But the expansion depended on the timely construction of the parking garage, the start of which had been delayed nearly a year.

The $14 million garage was approved last June, but the project was challenged by the PMA Foundation.

PMA owns a neighboring building at 225 State St. that houses the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Association. The organization maintained that the project was too big for the neighborhood.

As a result, the city was forced to reattain all approvals for the project, securing zoning exceptions to build the 120-foot-tall garage in the city's special intensity district, where the height limits range from 45 feet to 70 feet.

The project also needed exemptions for larger lot coverage and floor-area ratios.

The City Council also passed zoning changes that applied specifically to public parking garages downtown.

That cleared the way for the concrete parking garage, which will be cast on site. Construction is expected to take about 16 months, with a planned opening of July 2007.

Reserved spaces will lease for $165 per month, and unreserved spaces will cost $120 per month. Hourly parking will be available at daily rates of $3 to $18.

Belco officials are pondering whether to market portions of the downtown property or sell the whole site and lease back space for its branch.

Reed said Belco has a deal to lease multiple spaces in the garage, as does the Pennsylvania State Education Association.

The garage would ease a 500-person waiting list for reserved parking downtown, Reed said.