[wrightchr]

Vartan Group plans mountain homes
River Ridge could feature some million-dollar estates

Friday, July 29, 2005
BY JACK SHERZER
Of The Patriot-News

It's not even fair to call it a road, this steep, uneven, narrow, rocky path through the dense forest that leads to the top of what's known as Second Mountain in Middle Paxton Twp.

But at the top it's flat, a plateau of about six or so acres. And through the trees it's possible to get panoramic views of the Susquehanna River.

Those views may soon be one of the key selling points of River Ridge, a development of 400 to 600 homes being planned by the Vartan Group Inc.

The mountain, bordered by Routes 22/322 along the river to the west and Fishing Creek Valley Road to the east, was bought over time by the late developer John O. Vartan, who completed the last transaction about seven years ago, company officials said.

"Whenever we drove by here, my dad would say 'That's my mountain,'" said Hovig Vartan, the company's chief financial officer. "I'm so proud of my father, having the vision to see opportunities like this years before anyone else."

The vision being formalized by the Vartan Group may include a tie-in with the Country Club of Harrisburg, across Fishing Creek Valley Road, with a mix of houses dotting the 504-acre mountain.

Robert J. DeSousa , CEO of the Vartan Group, said plans for River Ridge will likely feature perhaps four or five "million-plus" homes on the mountain's top, with other expensive homes perched lower on the mountain but still with breathtaking views.

There will likely be different styles and price ranges of condominiums also available toward the mountain's base, along Fishing Creek Valley Road, some perhaps starting in the $150,000-range, DeSousa said. He said those would address a need in the township for some higher density, more affordable housing.

DeSousa said plans should be submitted to Middle Paxton in about a month and that the details of how many homes can go on the mountain are still being worked out. The mountain's slope presents development challenges.

The higher-end homes on River Ridge, with the views, large lots and wooded setting, will offer a unique private setting still within a 20-minute drive of downtown Harrisburg, DeSousa said.
"This would be an exclusive, high-end resort community, no question," said William A. Aiello, senior vice president of CBRE/Harrisburg, the real estate firm selected by the Vartan Group to handle River Ridge's marketing.

The proposed development could almost double the number of homes available in Middle Paxton, a community of just under 5,000 people with 1,260 homes, according to the 2000 U.S. Census.

Supervisor J. Thomas Van Wagner, who had a briefing on the plans from Vartan officials, said he hasn't seen any details yet and didn't want to comment until he did.

But Conrad C. Lickel, general manager of the 500-member Country Club of Harrisburg, said the board is looking forward to working with the Vartan Group.

Lickel and DeSousa said possible tie-ins may include having a golf cart path that would connect the development with the club. DeSousa said some older club members looking to downsize may be attracted to a high-end condo.

"If you're developing a high-end community, I think there has to be within that ownership an interest in our product," Lickel said.

"A full-service country club that has sports activities from golf, tennis and swimming to full clubhouse activities."

In addition to offering a restaurant for members, the club also has catering and could be used for business meetings, Lickel said.

Sue McGeehan, president of the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors, said sales in the midstate show a growing market for higher-end homes.

Where last year there were 16 sales of homes for more than $500,000, so far this year there have been 37 sales, with the most expensive going for $1.4 million in Walton Spring Hills in Derry Twp.

"I would say there is a demand," McGeehan said, adding that she just had a would-be buyer looking for a home with a country-club affiliation.

That kind of interest is growing, she said.

"They want to be in close proximity to golf courses, particularly that upper-end buyer is usually a golfer, or likes tennis," she said.

"There's also the social aspect, and many times they are involved in business and want access to a club for business purposes."

Staff writer Garry Lenton contributed to this report. JACK SHERZER: 255-8263 or jsherzer@patriot-news.com

DEVELOPMENTS


The Vartan Group plans to build a 400-to-600 plot housing development atop Middle Paxton Twp.'s Second Mountain.

[wrightchr]

oh...and we're at 800 posts now WOOHOO:D

[EastSideHBG]

Sprawlin' away!!! 322 is going to be even more of a mess...

Hershey project forging forward

Houlihan's to build 'upscale' eatery in ex-press building

Saturday, July 30, 2005
BY MEGAN WALDE
Of The Patriot-News

The building appears little more than a renovated shell, and the future parking lot next to it a gravel-strewn hole, but the cornerstone project of downtown Hershey renovations is indeed moving forward.

The owners of the popular eatery chain Houlihan's plan to open a restaurant on the first floor of the former Hershey Press Building at the corner of Chocolate and Park avenues in Derry Twp. The chain, which characterizes itself as providing "a casual, upscale dining experience," is set to open its Hershey restaurant in the spring.

"We could not be more pleased to be opening in the Sweetest Place on Earth," said Dan Clay, Houlihan's senior vice president for operations. "We are particularly gratified that Hershey Entertainment and Resorts sought Houlihan's as part of its efforts to reinvigorate downtown Hershey."

Hershey Entertainment spokesman Garrett Gallia said the restaurant's style is a good fit for its project and has drawn other businesses interested in the remaining space of the 22,000-square-foot first floor.

"There has been tremendous interest in the first floor, but since the Houlihan's announcement, interest's been even greater," Gallia said.

Gallia declined to comment on other potential tenants.

Houlihan's will include an eating area with seating for 200 people, a lounge and a bar in about 6,500 square feet of space. The chain has locations in 21 states and Mexico.

Gallia said construction on the former press building is on time and on budget. The company is set to move in to its new headquarters this fall.

The former press building, built in 1916, last served as the home of the Poser's Department Store.

The Derry Twp. Industrial and Commercial Development Authority is building a parking garage and bus station adjacent to the building, with the first phase of parking on schedule to be complete in time for this fall's move-in by Hershey Entertainment staff.

[EastSideHBG]

Great news about the Trans. Bill!!!


State gets millions for transportation

State road work to get more funds

Saturday, July 30, 2005
BY BRETT LIEBERMAN
Of Our Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - Pennsylvania fared better than expected in the $286.4 billion transportation bill Congress approved yesterday, avoiding the major drop lawmakers feared in a formula that sets how much money states receive.

Pennsylvania will receive more than $1.6 billion annually, a 19 percent increase over the current law that has been extended 11 times since it expired in 2002. Congress and the White House have struggled to reach a compromise on the legislation that pays for highway, mass transit and safety programs through 2009, including at least 3,300 projects nationally.

The legislation signals the release of millions of dollars to the region for projects such as the 3rd Street extension in Harrisburg, bridges over railroad tracks in Lebanon, improvements to the Linglestown Square intersection in Lower Paxton Twp. and upgraded interchanges and highway exits in Adams and York counties.

It also includes authorization of Corridor One regional rail.

The legislation includes more than $100 million in midstate projects and several hundred million dollars statewide.

But Pennsylvania tied for last in the rate of growth. The average state will see a more than 30 percent increase in how much transportation money it will receive.

Perhaps the most important news for Pennsylvania, however, involved the funding formula that sets how much money states receive for every dollar in gas taxes paid into the federal highway trust fund.

Instead of a cut, Pennsylvania will see an initial increase in how much it receives, then a slight decline.

"It's certainly a great win for Pennsylvania," said U.S. Rep. Todd Platts, R-York County.

"We were fearful of payback from the last time, but we're all thrilled," said U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, D-Schuylkill County.

Holden and Platts, two of six Pennsylvanians on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said their numbers on the panel might have helped.

With former U.S. Rep. Bud Shuster, R-Everett, chairing the transportation panel when the last highway bill was written, Pennsylvania received $1.17 for every $1 in gas taxes paid.

States that pay more in federal gas taxes than they receive have long complained about unfairness.

States eventually will receive a guaranteed minimum of 92 cents for each dollar in gas taxes, an increase from the current 90.5 cents.

But the massive cut feared by lawmakers such as Platts and Bill Shuster, R-Blair County, never materialized.

Pennsylvania will receive $1.194 for each dollar in gas taxes paid in the federal fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

The rate of return will ratchet down to $1.1315 over the next three fiscal years, but that is better than lawmakers predicted.

Earlier in the week, Platts predicted Pennsylvania would remain a "recipient" state -- but barely.

Congressional aides said the number of road miles in the state, winter weather and other factors helped determine the better rate.

Pennsylvania's 40,500 miles of state highways are more than New York and New England combined, and its highway system is larger than those of all but three states.

Though House members were forced to slash their requests by 20 percent to hold down the bill's cost and allow more money for projects sought by senators, Holden secured $46 million and Platts secured $36 million.

U.S. Sens. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Rick Santorum, R-Pa., claimed another $230 million in highway and mass transit projects statewide, including many in the midstate.

The senators helped restore $3.3 million that had been cut from Platts' district.

Holden and Platts were able to secure more than twice as much money as their districts received when the bill was last authorized.

"In the 19th District, we can't get these projects under way fast enough," said Platts, citing the need for improvements to ease congestion.

Shuster's office did not return calls, but he was expected to have secured about $40 million.

The bill included nearly $706.3 million in earmarks for 422 projects in Pennsylvania, according to an analysis by Taxpayers for Common Sense, a group that watches government spending.

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

The projects in the highway bill include:
$5 million for the Third Street extension in Harrisburg.
$800,000 to improve access to Harrisburg International Airport off I-283.
$5.3 million for relocation of U.S. Route 11 between Ridge Hill and Hempt Roads in Cumberland County.
$6.4 million for the Ninth and 10th street bridges over railroad tracks in Lebanon.
$4 million for lighting on the State Street and Mulberry Street bridges in Harrisburg.
$5.8 million for interchange improvements to Exit 19 on Interstate 83 in York County.
$3.5 million to connect state Route 117 and state Route 3017 in Lebanon County, to relieve traffic congestion on U.S. 322.
$3.2 million for improvements to intersection of state routes 39 and 3019 in Linglestown.
$3.2 million to upgrade the U.S. 15 and 30 interchange.
$1 million for Capital Area Transit to buy 12 diesel-powered buses.
$1 million for the construction of an intermodal facility in Derry Twp.

[EastSideHBG]

Midstate developer starts new firm

Saturday, July 30, 2005
BY DAVID DeKOK
Of The Patriot-News

One of the leading property developers in central Pennsylvania is starting his own firm.

Tom Powers, who has headed the Harrisburg office of Crossgates Inc. for the last 12 years, is leaving to start Powers & Associates. The new firm, based at 1703 N. Front St. in Harrisburg, will focus on projects that restore old buildings or blighted areas to new uses.

His partners in the new firm will be Doug Neidich and John Tierney. Neidich recently sold his Intercon Systems electronic connector systems manufacturing firm in Middletown to Amphenol Corp. of Wallingford, Conn. Tierney, who will be chief financial officer, had worked for Neidich at Intercon Systems.

"I'll be honest," said Powers, 47. "I was not looking to go out on my own. It was my friendship with Doug. He approached me and talked about his desire to give something back to the community from a development perspective. He created a unique opportunity for me to give back something to Harrisburg."

Neidich said the philosophy of Powers & Associates will be projects that don't rip up virgin land for new buildings or contribute to sprawl. An example of a project that would interest the firm would be converting a former factory building into condos or apartments or retail and restaurant space.

"We want to be the good guys of real estate," he said.

They don't have any projects lined up yet. Powers and Neidich said they are looking for one project on the East Shore, most likely in Harrisburg, and one on the West Shore to get the ball rolling. Projects in Lancaster and York would follow.

Crossgates CEO Gregg Schwotzer said he will miss Powers as an employee and a friend but wishes him well. He said Crossgates has always been an entrepreneurial firm and tries to hire the sort of people who might one day want to head out on their own.

Among the projects Powers has handled for Crossgates is TecPort in Swatara Twp., WestPort Business Center in Lower Allen Twp., the Federal Express building along Fulling Mill Road and NorthPort Business Center in Lickdale, Lebanon County.

He will leave a couple of other projects in the nascent stage, including TecPort West in Summerdale and a new hotel planned for the Farm Show Complex parking area in Harrisburg.

Schwotzer said Crossgates has had a Harrisburg office for 30 years and doesn't plan to close it. He said Crossgates is looking at successors for Powers.

[EastSideHBG]

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
28 July 2005

CAFÉ FRESCO CENTER CITY ADDS TO RESTAURANT ROW

Mayor Stephen R. Reed today cut the ribbon to officially open Café Fresco Center City at 215 N. 2nd Street in the heart of downtown Harrisburg’s “Restaurant Row.” The new eatery features a full menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings, with an emphasis on gourmet coffees and espresso, and is downtown Harrisburg’s first smoke-free restaurant and nightclub.

Reed said the distinctive new attraction is owned and operated by longtime East Shore restaurateur Nick Laus, who has operated the existing Paxton Street Café Fresco since 2002, as well as Italian Pizza and Sub shop on Derry Street.

The new Café Fresco Center City features light American cuisine, gourmet pizzas, wraps, sandwiches and boutique wines. A special coffee bar will feature downtown Harrisburg’s most expansive array of gourmet coffees, espressos and various teas.

The Mayor said the new downtown Café Fresco occupies 3800 square feet of elegantly restored space that provides seating for up to 110 patrons. Nearly two dozen new jobs are created by the restaurant’s opening.

“Nick Laus has distinguished himself through years of successful restaurant operations,” said Mayor Reed. “His experience, creativity and dining acumen provide a firm foundation for the growth and success of his newest Café Fresco location, and we are delighted to welcome him to the downtown.”

Laus said he will be featuring live jazz music and other special attractions for patrons. A 12-seat bar will feature boutique wines and beers for the discerning consumer, and a “coffee bar” barrister station will serve some of the city’s premier gourmet coffees and teas.

Reed said Café Fresco Center City is open Mondays through Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Café Fresco can be reached at (717) 236.2599.

[wrightchr]

^ very nice about the smoke free restaurant. i don't smoke and many of my friends do not either. it's definately going to be attractive to the non-smoker crowd and further increase the diversity of establishments DT.

[harrisburger]

i walked past cafe fresco last week, and it looked very nice, but since it wasn't open yet, i settled for dunkin donuts...at work today (damon's west shore) i overheard customers at the bar talk about how great it was, and these were decidely not the normal coffee-bar-goers, they were quite the opposite...so it seems like it should be successful

[klingy04]

Hey everyone, I grew up in Mech. and all of your posts have always kept me updated with all that is going on in the Harrisburg area. I'll be moving back to the area in a month or so, so maybe i'll start posting some stuff :) ...anyways, anybody hear anything new on the Bridgeport Plaza in Wormleysburg? I came across the following link with some info and a nice pic (would be nice if you could enlarge it a little) but haven't heard much since. Anybody Else?

http://www.northeastrebusiness.com/articles/DEC04/feature1.html (Scroll down a little)

[EastSideHBG]

Welcome to the forum, klingy04, and welcome back to the area!!! Where are you coming back from if you don't mind me asking? It sure is nice to see our HBG area forumer list growing and growing!!!

:tup:

Re: Bridgeport, I talked to the architects/developers about it a few months ago and they told me everything is still on track, it's just that Catalona needs to secure a wee bit more funding. They didn't think it was going to be a problem, though, and it should be ready to roll really soon. Oh and I think Fall '06 is the target date (at the earliest). I wouldn'e be surprised if it wasn't until '07, though.

[EastSideHBG]

i walked past cafe fresco last week, and it looked very nice, but since it wasn't open yet, i settled for dunkin donuts...at work today (damon's west shore) i overheard customers at the bar talk about how great it was, and these were decidely not the normal coffee-bar-goers, they were quite the opposite...so it seems like it should be successful
Nice!!!

[wrightchr]

welcome klingy04...i'm glad to see you joining the forum. i hope to see you around more often. i think the bridgeport plaza development is great and i can't wait to come home and see all the new progress the region is making. my wife and i used to live on front street in wormleysburg, neaby this project. i wish we were still living there lol.

[klingy04]

I'm coming back from the SPRAWL between Baltimore and DC...you don't know how good we have it in the Burg until you leave and end up sitting in traffic for half of your day (I guess here is where I can insert my support for CorridorOne)...oh yeah, thanks for the Bridgeport update! Looking forward to some of the exciting up and coming projects.:yes:

[EastSideHBG]

I'm coming back from the SPRAWL between Baltimore and DC...you don't know how good we have it in the Burg until you leave and end up sitting in traffic for half of your day (I guess here is where I can insert my support for CorridorOne)..
Yeah, DC/B-more have us beat for sure, but sadly, our traffic is not the easiest thing to deal with anymore either. Rush hour seems to start around 3:30 and it doesn't wrap up until 6 - 6:30. There are some days where it takes me 25+ min. to go 6 miles, and this is with no accidents or adverse weather conditions. :no:

[wrightchr]

have any of you petitioned your legislators, county commissioners, etc. to support CorridorOne? you can find information and a sample letter on the corridorone website: http://www.mtptransit.org/support.asp

i recently sent a nasty gram to Rep. Patricia Vance, 31st District, Cumberland County. She opposes CorridorOne, along with the 3 Cumberland County commissioners. i basically explained some talking points about the project and the fact that it could potentially become the largest infrastructure and economic development project in the history of Central PA. not supporting this project is absurd on her part. i also gave her my two cents on the pay increase issue. even though she didn't vote for the increase, she's still part of the problem for not vocally opposing it. i will not vote for an incumbant (at all) in the next election, that's for sure.

just some food for thought :D

[wrightchr]

Harrisburg area gets more jobs as unemployment rate rises
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
The Patriot-News

The number of jobs in the Harrisburg area increased by 1,600 from May to June, with construction and manufacturing industries contributing half of the gain.

The total number of jobs reached 329,100 in June, up by 2,400, or 0.7 percent, from June 2004.

Construction and mining jobs increased by 500 from May, to 12,700, while manufacturing jobs were up by 300 from May, to 24,600. The number of manufacturing jobs is still down by 1,000 from June a year ago.

Service industries made up the other half of the job increase in June.

The biggest jump came in the seasonal leisure and hospitality category, which experienced an increase of 1,400 jobs from May.

Education and government jobs were down from May due to the completion of the school year.

The Harrisburg area, with a June unemployment rate of 4 percent, was tied with the State College area for the third-lowest rate in the state. The Lancaster and Lebanon areas each had unemployment rates of 3.7 percent in June.

In May, the unemployment rate in the Harrisburg area -- Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties -- was 3.9 percent.

[wrightchr]

i think this really sucks. i was looking forward to having construction start on this project. luring a AAA team to Harrisburg is a big deal and sould definately be a goal for Reed, the city, and the region. too bad the state money went to the "pay increase" instead :rolleyes:

Ballpark project put on hold

Tuesday, August 02, 2005
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

Don't worry about trying to reserve a skybox at Harrisburg's Commerce Bank Park. No need to save money for a club seat, either.

And forget about dining in the new restaurant above the left-field fence or throwing a birthday bash on the party deck in right.

None of the improvements, along with other plans to add seats and spruce up the entire stadium, will be happening any time soon.

Mayor Stephen R. Reed has officially declared a $30 million project to revamp the home of the Harrisburg Senators dead for this year.

Reed said he was forced to put the stadium renovations on hold 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 City Island baseball park, which was to re-open next April, won't be ready until the spring of 2007 at the earliest.

The Senators will continue to play home games at the stadium in its present condition, which includes a new playing field that was installed before the start of this season.

"This delays it for one year," said Reed of the project.

He expressed confidence that the state would eventually come through with its share -- just not in time for this year.

Reed said he needed the state commitment by the middle of last month in order to be ready to begin the construction as soon as the Senators' season ended.

The tight time frame was crucial in order to complete the renovations by next year's opener, as was the plan all along.

"It's too late for that now," Reed said. "There's just no possible way we would be able to complete the project by the middle of April."

When the money from the state's capital projects budget wasn't forthcoming, Reed went public with his concerns in late June and warned of a possible delay.

At the time, Kate Philips, a spokeswoman for Rendell, indicated that state money for the stadium would not be released anytime soon.

Philips pointed out that the city had just benefited from Rendell's release of $15 million for the planned Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. The governor passed that ceremonial check May 9.

As a result, the city put off soliciting bids from construction firms for the stadium work and began bracing for a year's delay.

This was despite the fact that Harrisburg has all but completed final designs for the stadium, prepared all bid documents and floated $18 million in bonds to cover its share of the projected $28 million to $30 million cost.

While the renovation project now goes into extra innings, Reed said he's sure Harrisburg will win in the end.

Reed said he has no doubt of Rendell's general commitment to the project and fully expects the money to be there next year.

Aside from the expansion, new amenities and improvements, the overhauled stadium also would make it possible for Harrisburg to attract a Class AAA minor-league franchise, provided that Reed can swing a deal to sell the Senators -- the Class AA affiliate of the Washington Nationals -- and woo another franchise to the city.

MAYBE IN 2007?

The renovated Commerce Bank Park would have:

1,700 more seats, for a total of 8,000 seats and a ballpark capacity of 9,500 fans, including standing room.

20 skyboxes.

766 club seats.

A party deck above the right-field fence.

A restaurant above the fence in left field.

New clubhouses for the players.

A grand entryway for the fans.

[EastSideHBG]

Yeah, that sucks about the ballpark. Like you said, Chris, money for raises but no money for this. :no:

[EastSideHBG]

I can't believe it has been 15 yrs. already!!! Man I am getting old LOL

And it's a little odd to me that a smaller chain steak house would go in so close to the bigger Texas Roadhouse but whatever.


Croc'nBerrys ends 15-year run

Wednesday, August 03, 2005
BY SUE GLEITER
Of The Patriot-News

After 15 years in business, Judd Goodman is closing J.T. Croc'nBerrys Bar & Grill today in Susquehanna Twp.

Goodman said he sold the 300-seat restaurant and bar at 3523 Union Deposit Road to Charlie Brown's Steakhouse, a New Jersey-based chain that specializes in prime rib, steaks, ribs and seafood.

Charlie Brown's operates restaurants in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, with the closest operations in Scranton and Williamsport.

With its "Cheers" atmosphere, Croc'nBerrys attracted regulars for happy hours and dinners and was a popular spot for watching sports on television. It was one of the first local establishments to add deck dining and offer karaoke, sumo wrestling, Velcro walls and bungee jumping.

Croc'nBerrys also presented musical groups, such acts as The Badlees, The Robert Reilly Band and The Julie Schreiber Band. Throughout the years, it was joined on Union Deposit Road by several chain restaurants.

"This past year was probably one of our strongest years in the past three or four years, so it had nothing to do with the competition," Goodman said. "Our niche is completely different than the chains. We're going after more of the locals."

Goodman, who also runs Dragonfly in Harrisburg, said he's working on another restaurant/bar concept on the East Shore. He would not elaborate.

"The one thing I keep hearing is this place is so unlike others. We have a huge base of regulars -- lunch regulars, dinner regulars, sports regulars. We always tried to be everything for everyone," said Betsy Goodman, Judd Goodman's sister. "I have people coming in saying this is an end of an era."

Regulars like Gary Malloy of Paxtang took seats around the large rectangular bar at Croc'nBerrys last evening.

"People are the reason you go to a place like this. This bar was designed to bring people around to talk," he said.

"It's like our 'Cheers,'" added Mark Baker of South Hanover Twp., who stops by the bar daily with his wife, Kathy.

"You know the bartender. When you come in, your drink was sitting there," Kathy Baker said.

Melissa Ferrari of Charlie Brown's human resources department said the restaurant will open next month. A second restaurant is planned later this year off of Whiteford Road in the York area.

Charlie Brown's was founded in 1966 and boasts "affordable prices in a family atmosphere" on it's Web site. It serves lunch and dinner and offers happy hours.

[EastSideHBG]

REAL ESTATE

Office-space market remains healthy, analyst says

Wednesday, August 03, 2005
BY DAVID DeKOK
Of The Patriot-News

Commercial office-space vacancies in the Harrisburg area rose again in the second quarter as new buildings came on the market and some businesses chose to buy rather than lease.

It marked the second consecutive quarter in which the net vacancy rate was in negative territory, meaning more leasable office space -- 4,100 square feet to be exact -- came on the market than was taken off. In the first quarter, the figure was a negative 1,370 square feet.

The survey is prepared quarterly by commercial real estate agent Thomas T. Posavec of Landmark Commercial Realty Inc. in Lemoyne. Posavec remains positive about the overall strength and direction of commercial office space in the Harrisburg area.

Nine buildings of the 799 buildings included in his survey accounted for 33 percent of the vacancies last quarter, according to Posavec. When you think about it, a net vacancy rate of 1,370 square feet isn't all that bad, he said.

"It's a normal occurrence in a complicated market like ours," Posavec said. "It's not a case of the sky falling. This is still a very good market with opportunity for larger users to get larger spaces. Smaller suites, under 4,000 square feet, continue to perform remarkably well."

Posavec divides the area into downtown, East Shore and West Shore. Of those, the West Shore did the best in the second quarter, ending up with a positive absorption of 26,500 square feet of space. Downtown, where the opening of the Market Square Plaza office tower added to the supply of space, saw a negative 24,400 square feet. East Shore suburban areas recorded a negative 6,200 square feet.

Demand for the best office space downtown remains unchanged from the first quarter, Posavec said, but demand has slipped for the less expensive Class B space.

He said some businesses that might have leased office space in the past are taking advantage of continuing low interest rates to buy property. The acquisition market is "very healthy," he said.

"Someone who could only afford to borrow $325,000 in the past can now afford $400,000," Posavec said. "The banks are being creative and are working out financing deals."

[EastSideHBG]

Crossgates withdraws Farm Show hotel plans

Thursday, August 04, 2005
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

A development company has dropped plans to build a suites-style hotel and conference center on the grounds of the state Farm Show Complex.

The move by Crossgates Inc. comes after the state Senate last month postponed a vote on legislation that would have approved a land deal for the hotel.

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

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

Gregg Schwotzer, president of Crossgates, said postponing the vote meant that the company could not secure the land until sometime this fall or early next year.

Schwotzer said that was too long of a delay to hold Crossgates' deal with the hotel franchise, Staybridge Suites.

"[The firm] had pulled the franchise," Schwotzer said. "It became time to move on."

Staybridge is a national chain with about 100 locations that bills itself as the "upscale suites hotel," with every room featuring a full kitchen.

The planned hotel would have featured a conference area, including meeting and banquet space, a restaurant and an indoor swimming pool.

Meanwhile, Insite Development of Harrisburg has received all its approvals from the city to begin construction of a 92-room Comfort Inn Suites Hotel at 1017-1033 Maclay St.

City spokesman Randy King said the company hopes to close on the property this month and begin demolition and site preparation work in September.

An office building housing Barbizon Modeling School on the site would be razed. The location is across from the southern end of the Farm Show grounds.

A third hotel has been proposed about a mile away, in Susquehanna Twp.

Mayor Stephen R. Reed said while he's disappointed to lose Crossgates, he expressed confidence that another development company will want to build a hotel on the Farm Show grounds.

"The market is extremely strong," Reed said. "We have had conversations with at least two or three additional development teams that have all said they are prepared to propose a project there."

But to build on the Farm Show grounds, a company would have to negotiate a land deal with the state Department of General Services to secure the site.

The Legislature must then pass a law approving the sale, a process that could take months.

Interest in the Farm Show site by hotel companies seems to have been spurred by a $86 million expansion that was completed in 2003.

That increased the size of the complex from 16 acres to 24 acres, making it one of the largest convention and exhibition facilities in the country.

Since expanding, the complex has been holding more than 125 events during 280 days each year, attracting more than 1 million visitors.

[wrightchr]

this basically sums up the development occuring in Silver Spring Twp. Silver Spring will eventually become like Hampden and Lower Allen within the next 10 years, with township population projections rising well over 20,000.

Bridge fee to increase new-house cost
Thursday, August 04, 2005
BY CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of The Patriot-News

Prospective homeowners can expect to pay more for homes along Sample Bridge Road in Silver Spring Twp.

Supervisors are requesting that builders pay the township $1,000 per home to help pay for construction of a bridge across Conodoguinet Creek.

The township would use the fee to amass a local matching fund, which is needed to get state aid for the $4.8 million project. The local match is typically 10 percent. That equates to $500,000 -- or 500 new housing units.

Chris Hoover, engineer for Milfording Highlands, one of the developments scheduled for construction, said builders would factor the fee into the price of their homes.

"It's not going to come out of the developer's profit," he said.

Plans on the development, which calls for 122 units on the south side of the stream, have been delayed to allow the builder to sign off on the fee. Hoover said the builder will likely agree to it.

The builders for Country Club Estates, slated for construction near the Pennsylvania American Water plant on the north side of the creek, have agreed to pay the fee. Country Club received conditional zoning use approval last week for 100 units.

Supervisor Jan LaBlanc said the township expects to receive other proposals.

"If the rumor mill is correct, we will be looking at five developments in that corridor," he said.

The one-lane bridge, a county-owned structure built in 1957, is "functionally obsolete," according to a report by township engineers. The county installed a guardrail and improved the deck last year. More guardrail improvements are scheduled for 2007.

The bridge, which is one of 23 owned by the county, is not on a replacement schedule.

"The bridge is sufficient for the load it carries now. It won't be sufficient, though, at some point in the future. It will have to be replaced," said Chris Latta, a township supervisor. "You don't want to get to when it has to be replaced and then be scrambling for the money to do it."

CHRIS A. COUROGEN: 975-9784 or ccourogen@patriot-news.com

[wrightchr]

according to CB Richard Ellis, the Harrisburg area maintains over 180 million sq. ft of industrial/warehouse space...an incredible number for a region this size. and more to come!

Board delays action on freight station
Friday, August 05, 2005
BY DAN MILLER
Of Our Carlisle Bureau

CARLISLE - North Middleton Twp. supervisors last night delayed until Aug. 18 acting on a proposed railroad freight transfer station south of Newville Road.

Supervisors, after hearing concerns from nearby residents about traffic, noise and other impacts, want to visit the site before deciding.

The Railroad Associates Corporation, or TRAC, of Derry Twp. wants to extend a single-track siding from the Norfolk Southern line. A Millersburg-based company would use the track to transfer plastic material from rail cars to tractor-trailers. The material would be used to make vinyl windows and doors.

The station would be restricted to five tractor-trailers per day and could only use the facility during daylight, TRAC President Michael Kennedy said.

Some residents and supervisors have expressed concern over TRAC plans to expand the station beyond the first phase. Kennedy said the company eventually wants to add up to six more track extensions. This could mean 30 to 50 tractor-trailers using the station each day.

Traffic is another concern for some.

Trucks would enter from the west and would be required to exit by turning left toward Allen Road, leading to Interstate 81, but some residents said allowing tractor-trailers to turn left across busy Newville Road would be unsafe unless a traffic light is installed.

"If you want to kill people, that's a good way to do it," said Rick Hoover, of the 1100 block of Newville Road.

The TRAC proposal is supported by DP Partners, developers of the nearby LogistiCenter warehouse complex.

The transfer station, by providing rail access, would "broaden the appeal" of LogistiCenter and "help accelerate the construction of future buildings" within the complex, to ultimately total four million square feet of warehouse space, DP Partners' Stephen Bailey wrote in a letter to township officials.

TRAC first requested approval for its entire plan but, after hearing opposition from residents, restricted its request to phase one. Kennedy said TRAC would seek approval of the expanded station after meeting with residents.

DAN MILLER: 249-2006 or danmiller@patriot-news.com

[EastSideHBG]

Can somebody please tell me what the f*ck is going on around here?!? Hopefully the retailers don't commit to this. Why do we need so much of the same shit so close to each other?!? There are now two Ruby Tuesdays within spitting distance for example. How about somebody open up something we don't already have around here!!! :brickwall: If you are going to open another Target, it should be where they don't have one already and where there is a high pop.: on the West Shore in the Camp Hill/Hampden Twp. area. Not one like this, a block from one that is already there...


2 retailers named for proposed shopping center

Saturday, August 06, 2005
BY TOM DOCHAT
Of The Patriot-News

Target and J.C. Penney have been named as tenants for the proposed High Pointe Commons shopping center to be constructed in Swatara Twp.

The two retailers would be the main anchors for the 300,000-square-foot shopping center off Lindle Road, just east of Route 283 and near the Wyndham Harrisburg-Hershey hotel.

CBL & Associates Properties Inc., a partner in the project, lists the two stores on its Web site in discussing features of High Point Commons.

Neither retailer would confirm yesterday that it is committed to the shopping center.

"We're interested in the Harrisburg area, but it is premature to discuss any potential sites," Target spokeswoman Aimee Sands said.

At J.C. Penney, spokesman Tim Lyons said, "We haven't announced anything for that location at this point."

A CBL spokeswoman said the company is "actively marketing" the property.

The company's Web site said the center will feature a 124,000-square-foot Target store and a nearly 100,000-square-foot Penney store. It also will have 65,000 square feet of space for smaller retailers.

High Real Estate Group of Lancaster is the other partner in the project. H. Stephen Evans, retail division managing director for High, said Swatara Twp. commissioners have approved development plans for the shopping center with some conditions.

"We anticipate starting construction within a very short period of time," Evans said.

CBL, a real estate investment trust based in Chattanooga, Tenn., hopes to open the shopping center by October 2006.

Penney had closed its 153,000-square-foot store at nearby Harrisburg Mall in April 2001, but still has a store at Capital City Mall.

Target has a store at Paxton Towne Centre along Route 22 in Lower Paxton Twp. A Target store is scheduled to open in March at the Carlisle Crossings shopping center in South Middleton Twp.

[wrightchr]

I'm surprised JC Penney is considering a stand alone store...not attatched to a mall. They have a store on the West Shore at the Capital City Mall, I'm not sure about anywhere else in the metro. Maybe they are just trying to buy into the East Shore market.

As for Target, I used to work for this company, so I know their tactics. They are trying to compete directly with Walmart, by far their biggest competitor. Soon enough there will be 2 Wally world's on the East Shore, so maybe they believe they can get a jump on them if they build first. As for the West Shore store, the company has long sought a prime spot in the Camp Hill/Carlisle Pike area. It's only a matter of time.

With sizeable populations on both shores, I think we'll start seeing at least TWO of everything...when it comes to retail/big box stores.

[EastSideHBG]

/\
I agree, Chris, considering the one at the Harrisburg Mall tanked a few years ago and now Boscovs takes up their old spot. :???:


HARRISBURG

Project to improve access to City Island gets under way

Tuesday, August 09, 2005
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

It will be easier to get on and off of City Island thanks to a $3.6 million improvement project under way.

Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed said the project will involve the replacement and widening of the outdated, 70-year-old Market Street Bridge underpass on City Island.

In addition, the north and south ramps connecting the bridge and the island will be widened and upgraded. The bridge's roadway across City Island also will be resurfaced and new pedestrian access areas created.

The result will be a transformation of the island's entrance ways that should ease traffic congestion, improve safety and convenience to pedestrians and motorists, and be more appealing to visitors, Reed said.

The project, which is being paid for by federal transportation money, is being overseen by the state Department of Transportation. Most of the work should be completed in time for the opening of the Harrisburg Senators' baseball season next April, Reed said.

"This will be significant improvement to Harrisburg City Island, which now attracts over 1 million visitors a year," Reed said.

New landscaping and the creation of a picnic area on the south side of City Island are also included in the project.

Construction will be staged to have little impact on what remains of the summer and the baseball season, Reed said.

The Market Street Bridge will remain open throughout the project, but there might be some minor traffic restrictions at certain times, he said.

[Spudmrg]

I'm surprised no one picked up on this.....

City school lobbyists lost bid for state funds
District spends $115,000 a year to solicit support
Monday, August 08, 2005
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News
The Harrisburg School District lost out on $12 million in highly anticipated state funding despite being one of the few districts in Pennsylvania to be represented by a lobbying firm.

The district pays $115,000 a year to the Harrisburg-based lobbying firm Triad Strategies to woo state and federal officials in hopes of securing more funding.

Superintendent Gerald Kohn said the district's relationship with Triad, which dates to 2001, has been fruitful, despite the recent setback in the 2005-06 state budget.

"We've had an excellent relationship with Triad," Kohn said. "We're lucky to have them."

As usual, this budget season saw an intense round of lobbying by Triad on the district's behalf.

Kohn and Triad President Roy Wells said they had felt good about increasing the level of state funding for two Harrisburg programs.

Among the numerous meetings that Kohn and Triad lobbyists held to shore up the funding was a February session with state House Speaker John M. Perzel.

According to accounts of the meeting by Perzel's staff, the speaker told Kohn he would help deliver the $12 million to Harrisburg, but stopped short of promising the funds.

Nevertheless, Kohn and the district's lobbyists indicated that they believed Harrisburg had an inside track on the money.

"We had every reason to believe that the money was going to be in the budget," Kohn said of the extra $12 million -- $6 million apiece for Harrisburg's alternative-education program and the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology High School.

Added Wells: "There was some considerable confidence that, at the end of the day, Harrisburg would get all the items on its wish list."

But the additional $12 million was never made part of the state's $24.3 billion budget. The city district is now slashing at least $9.2 million from its budget for the coming year because it lacks the extra money.

Kohn said he doesn't blame Triad for what proved to be overconfidence that led Harrisburg to include the extra money in its budget.

"You can't help but be disappointed," Wells said. "But we're not able to make 100 percent guarantees to a client."

Kohn ticked off instances in which Triad helped Harrisburg receive almost $40 million extra in state and federal money in the last four years.

The money included $8 million in state money for the district's alternative-education program in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 state budgets.

Kohn added that it was Triad that came up with a strategy to go after $12 million from the state's capital projects budget to help build SciTech High in the 200 block of Market Street.

Normally, school districts can't receive capital projects money, but Triad suggested going after the funds under the umbrella of Harrisburg University, which is a partner in SciTech High.

The net result is Harrisburg gets free use of a state-of-the-art building, Kohn said.

Kohn said the lobbying firm helped the district win a $9 million federal grant for safe schools and establish a state tax credit program that has netted $3 million.

There's no way to determine how much less we would have received," Kohn said of the funding successes. "But it's got to be at least $10 [million] to $20 million. They've been a huge part of our success."

It is rare for Pennsylvania school districts to hire lobbying firms.

Tim Allwein, assistant executive director of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, said that aside from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, he couldn't think of a school district with its own lobbyist.

It's much more common for school districts to band together, either as an association or in an intermediate unit, and hire a lobbyist as a group, he said.

The advantage is that a larger group of districts will bring support from more state lawmakers, Allwein said.

But Wells argued that Harrisburg is a special case that can make a strong argument on its own for additional funding.

"Harrisburg, along with Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, are distressed school districts," Wells said. "They fit into a special category. We believed we could help them because of that."

Kohn said he is looking ahead to next year, when Triad will again assist Harrisburg in making a case for more money.

"We're going to rely on their lobbying and strategy," he said.

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

[Spudmrg]

:nono:

Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2005

HARRISBURG - Attorney General Tom Corbett today announced that agents from the Attorney General's Environmental Crimes Section have charged a New Jersey based environmental corporation and two of its top executives with illegally operating a hazardous waste storage facility in Harrisburg, Dauphin County.

Corbett identified the defendants as Andrew V. Latham, Jr., 50, of 673 Linden Ave, Ridgefield, N.J. and Thomas A. Cattani, Esquire, 44, of 9 Courtland Dr, Warwick, N.J., along with Whitewing Environmental Corporation, of 535 Midland Ave, Garfield, N.J.

Corbett said the defendants are charged with collecting and storing thousands of gallons of used automotive anti-freeze, oil and solvent used to clean auto parts. The materials were stored at a warehouse located at 2700 Paxton St., Harrisburg as well as a storage area at 6740 Allentown Blvd, Harrisburg, between Dec. 2000 and Feb. 2004.

According to the criminal charges, the used anti-freeze and used oil filters was collected by Total Recycling Services, Inc. (TRS), 2700 Paxton St., Harrisburg. TRS became a wholly owned subsidiary of Whitewing Environmental Corporation in 2002.

TRS sold anti-freeze and oil absorbent pads to automotive repair facilities throughout the northeastern United States. In addition, the company also collected waste anti-freeze, oil filters and solvent from its customers, using the Harrisburg location as a distribution and collection point.

Corbett said that Lantham served as President of TRS and co-CEO of Whitewing Environmental Corporation during the time of the alleged criminal activity. Cattani served as Vice-President and General Counsel for TRS and Whitewing.

Corbett said the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) initially discovered that TRS was operating an unpermitted residual and hazardous waste transfer and storage facility in March 2002. At that time, company officials were notified that a permit was required for all waste collection, storage and transfer at the Harrisburg facility.

According to the criminal charges, the company continued to collect and store waste anti-freeze, oil and solvents at the Paxton St., Harrisburg facility despite repeated inspections, violation notices and orders from the DEP. In June 2003 the DEP ordered TRS to immediately halt operations at the Paxton St. facility.

Corbett said a licensed environmental disposal company removed a total of 5,389 gallons of hazardous waste and 22,289 gallons of non-hazardous waste from the Paxton St., Harrisburg facility, in October 2003, after TRS operations were halted at that location.

Corbett said that following the DEP order to halt operations, company officials allegedly made arrangements to store trucks filled with hazardous waste at a storage rental facility, located at 6740 Allentown Blvd, Harrisburg. From June 2003 to February 2004, employees from TRS allegedly parked up to five trucks per day at the Allentown Blvd., location, with each truck normally carrying several hundred gallons of used oil filters and anti-freeze.

Latham and Cattani are each charged with six counts of unlawful conduct under Pennsylvania's Solid Waste Management Act along with six counts of improper management of hazardous waste.

Whitewing Environmental Corporation is charged with identical counts.

The defendants surrendered today to agents of the Attorney General's Environmental Crimes Section and were preliminarily arraigned before Harrisburg Magisterial District Judge William C. Wenner.

The case will be prosecuted in Dauphin County by Chief Deputy Attorney General Glenn Parno, of the Attorney General's Environmental Crimes Section.

Corbett thanked the Department of Environmental Protection for its assistance in this investigation.

(A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty.)

Editors' Note: Photos of the defendant and copies of the criminal complaints are available by contacting the Attorney General's Press Office at 717-787-5211.

[Paul in S.A TX]

Any projects planned for harrisburg?

[wrightchr]

^ quite a few Paul. here's a few with website links to check out and thanks for your interest.

i've listed infrastructure projects only, because many of the residential/commercial projects are not listed online.

CorridorONE Regional Commuter Rail Project
http://www.corridorone.info/
http://www.mtptransit.org/

Southern Gateway Project
http://www.hbgsoutherngateway.com/

I-83 Beltway Corridor Improvements
http://www.i-83beltway.com/

I-81 Widening Study and Improvements
http://www.i-81study.com/

US 11/15 - PA 581 Beltway Interchange Improvements
http://www.us15atpa581.com/

I-76 - Susquehanna River Bridge Replacement Project
http://kci.com/projects/srb/

Northern Gateway Project/7th Street Widening
http://www.harrisburgpa.gov/government/engineerOffice/projects/seventhSt.html

Penndot District 8 - Metro Harrisburg Road Projects
http://www.penndot8.com/

[phillyskyline]

Harrisburg - its a town i want to root for but it just doesnt do it for me. I feel like its a city past its time & just rusting away. Hopefully they can make a comeback. Are there any major businesses located there?

[wrightchr]

i disagree philly...if you would have seen Harrisburg 5-10 years ago, compared to today...the city and region have come a long way. DT has most amenities that philly and other cities much larger than it's size have. things are only getting better. all of the metro counties are experiencing growth and in influx of residents. something most of PA can't say.

i will say that from the standpoint of the image of the city, things still need improving. the city district is very small...only 12 square miles (8 sq mi land) and a population of about 50,000. but with a DT of over 10 million sq ft of office space and over 20 highrise buildings, it seems much larger. some new highrise development DT with a few select 300-500 ft additions would definately improve the skyline.

as far as corporate businesses, here's a list of the region's top employers (2000 data).

Commonwealth of PA = State Government 31,200
U.S. Government = Government 11,600
Hershey Foods Corp. = Food, Food Processing 5,600
Highmark Blue Shield = Insurance 5,600
Tyco Electronics Corp. = Electronics 5,332
Penn State Hershey Medical Center = Health Care 4,251
PinnacleHealth System = Health Care 3,587
EDS Corp. = Electronics 2,708
Rite Aid Corp. = Drug Store Retail 2,375
County of Dauphin = County Government 2,175
Fry Communications = Publishing 1,688
Capital Blue Cross = Insurance 1,661
PA Steel Technologies = Steel Manufacturing 1,500
Roadway Express = Trucking 1,500
Bookspan Book Club = 1,200
Holy Spirit Health System = Health Care 1,194
County of Cumberland = County Government 1,093
Harrisburg School District = Public Education 1,100
West Shore School District = Public Education 1,015
ABF Freight Systems = Trucking 834

you can find a well rounded economic profile of the city/region here: http://www.harrisburgpa.gov/econProfile/

[EastSideHBG]

Thanks Paul in S.A. :)

Harrisburg - its a town i want to root for but it just doesnt do it for me. I feel like its a city past its time & just rusting away. Hopefully they can make a comeback. Are there any major businesses located there?
It's very odd that you would say that, seeing as HBG was the 2nd most distressed city in the entire U.S. in the 80s. Now the region has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state (and the U.S.), it is one of the only places in PA that is growing, DT HBG has a 97% occupancy rate right now, the city has some of the fastest appreciating residential property in the area, etc. But to each their own and you are entitled to your opinion of course. :)

[EastSideHBG]

LOWER PAXTON TWP.

Businesses protest plan for barrier on Route 22

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

BY BILL SULON
Of The Patriot-News

Businesses in western Lower Paxton Twp. are gathering support from customers opposed to the state's plan to extend an 8-inch-high barrier down the center of Route 22 in front of their stores.

"It would kill us here," said Robert Zinkan, who owns Mike's Music Shop in the Route 22 Plaza, a strip of businesses that would be most affected by the barrier.

The state Department of Transportation and Lower Paxton Twp. officials said the barrier is needed to make travel safer in the area. Some motorists try to make left turns out of the plaza and cross four lanes to head east on Route 22, also known as Jonestown Road and Allentown Boulevard.

Bob Fitting, who owns Bob's Tire & Auto Service in the plaza, said a median barrier will "take away half my potential customers" and result in increased traffic, including tractor-trailers, on back roads.

More than 250 people have signed petitions urging PennDOT to stop construction of the median barrier. The petition says the barrier would "effectively close off the intersection of Jonestown Road and Franklin Street."

The median structures, called mountable barriers, are designed to prevent motorists from making left turns and from crossing from one side of the road to the other across travel lanes. Rescue vehicles, most of which have high wheel bases, can cross the barriers in emergencies.

When PennDOT said it intended to install the barriers in another part of the township, Lower Paxton Twp. Manager George Wolfe said he made officials aware that the section in front of the Route 22 Plaza warranted attention.

"We said, 'Hey, guys, this is worse,'" Wolfe said. "It's a bad intersection."

In a July 20 letter to the business owners, Barry Hoffman, a PennDOT district executive, said his agency and the township "agreed that the median break at this intersection must be permanently closed, eliminating all left turns in both directions."

However, Michael Keiser, a PennDOT engineer, said in an interview yesterday that the agency was "open to a little bit of a revised approach."

The latest revision includes the possibility of adding a center turning lane along Route 22 to allow traffic to turn onto Franklin Street, rather than blocking the intersection with a median barrier, Keiser said. Motorists entering Route 22 from Franklin Street would be barred from making left turns.

Instead of turning lanes and barriers, PennDOT should consider installing a traffic signal at the intersection, some business owners said.

Susquehanna Twp. resident Melissa Kuskin, who owns Around the Clock Laundromat in the plaza, said she had a mixed opinion on a traffic signal but thought one might make the area safer.

But there is no evidence a signal is needed, Keiser said.

Unless the businesses paid for a signal, the township would have to foot the bill. "It's not our responsibility to put in a traffic signal to benefit private businesses," Wolfe said.

BILL SULON: 255-8144 or bsulon@patriot-news.com.

IF YOU GO

# WHAT: A public meeting about the Route 22 median.

# WHEN: 11 a.m. tomorrow.

# WHERE: Lower Paxton Twp. building, 425 Prince St.

# OF NOTE: PennDOT and township officials are scheduled to attend.

[EastSideHBG]

Shopping center deal made

Investment trust to buy The Point at Carlisle Plaza

Thursday, August 11, 2005
BY TOM DOCHAT
Of The Patriot-News

The owner of the Camp Hill Shopping Center is looking west, to Carlisle, for another potential revitalization project.

Cedar Shopping Centers Inc., a real estate investment trust based in Port Washington, N.Y., has agreed to acquire The Point at Carlisle Plaza, which is anchored by a Bon-Ton department store, Lowe's and Office Max. A Dunham's sporting goods store is scheduled to open in the center in the fall.

Cedar is expected to close on the $11 million deal in September. Information on the purchase is contained in a prospectus that Cedar filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as part of a 9 million-share stock offering.

Leo Ullman, CEO of Cedar Shopping, could not be reached for comment yesterday. In a conference call last week, he said the Carlisle property would be a potential "de-malling candidate."

That would fit the pattern of what Cedar did at two properties it owns in the Harrisburg area: the Camp Hill Shopping Center and The Point shopping center in Lower Paxton Twp.

At Camp Hill, Cedar converted the former mall into a strip center during the first phase of a redevelopment project, adding tenants such as Staples, Pier 1 Imports, a Hallmark card store and Five Below. Cedar is building a 91,000-square-foot Giant supermarket that will replace a smaller Giant store on the property.

At The Point in Lower Paxton Twp., Cedar converted the mall part of the property into a strip center and added tenants such as Giant, Staples and Fashion Bug.

The Carlisle property was purchased for $5.8 million in 2002 by Carlisle Realty Partners, a unit of Michael Joseph Development Corp. of Wexford. Since then, a Lowe's home improvement store and other retailers have been added. Lowe's paid $3 million to obtain the property for its store.

Guy J. DiRienzo, a partner with Michael Joseph, did not return calls for comment.

Bon-Ton spokeswoman Mary Kerr said the retailer exercised a renewal option on the lease that expired this year at its Carlisle store.

"We are staying there," she said. "Right now, everything is status quo for that store."

Cedar has taken an active interest in retail centers in the Harrisburg area over the past few years. It bought the Camp Hill property in the fall of 2002 and subsequently acquired shopping centers in Newport, Halifax and Fairview Twp. anchored by Giant supermarkets. It's building a shopping center anchored by Giant along Route 39 in South Hanover Twp.

The company also has signed a letter of intent to buy the Pennsboro Commons shopping center in Enola, according to its stock-offering prospectus. It would pay $17.8 million for the 110,000-square-foot shopping center, where Giant is the anchor store.

*********

TRADE TALK
Thursday, August 11, 2005

Lola's Day Spa, a 1,200-square-foot spa, has opened in the Shops on Third at Strawberry Square in the former Emporium Luggage space.

Two other Strawberry Square tenants, UPS and Tazberries, will be closing their stores on Aug. 31.

/\
LOL wow, they didn't last long. And for UPS I find that really surprising, as there was such a need for that store DT. Oh well *sigh*

[Spudmrg]

I hope this does'nt scare away people.....It should'nt..but people project fears onto cities....

'He gave me no choice'
Thursday, August 11, 2005
BY REGGIE SHEFFIELD
Of The Patriot-News
Howard E. LeNore doesn't want people to be afraid of downtown Harrisburg. He just wants you to keep an eye out for yourself.

Late last Thursday, the 31-year-old cook at Cragin's Brick Haus, a downtown restaurant, was walking with his girlfriend to their car on Pine Street, less than a block from busy Restaurant Row.

As he stopped for a moment to talk with a co-worker before heading home, his girlfriend, Tisa Loewen, continued up the street to the car. Moments later, LeNore was startled to hear his girlfriend yell out his name.

LeNore said he saw a man restraining Loewen in a headlock, telling her, "Don't yell; don't scream."

The man, whom police identified as James Totten, 49, of York, ran off with her purse, and LeNore went after him.

A foot chase went as far as the 200 block of State Street and ended with the two in a scuffle, police said. Totten had a knife, according to police. LeNore had a utility knife from work in his pocket, and slashed Totten's throat in the struggle, police said.

LeNore spent the next several hours in a lockup at the Harrisburg Bureau of Police, facing a charge of criminal attempted homicide. The charge against LeNore was dropped after Totten recovered from his wounds, authorities said.

Totten faces robbery and other charges and is in Dauphin County Prison.

"I didn't want that to happen, but he gave me no choice," LeNore said.

"He was trying to take my life over something that didn't belong to him," he said.

LeNore said he was hesitant to talk with The Patriot-News about the incident because he was worried about how it would be interpreted. He said repeatedly that he worried his actions might be viewed as those of a vigilante, which he denied.

"I tried to tell the man I didn't want this to happen, but he gave me no choice. All this over a purse?" he asked.

Last week's incident echoed an unrelated but similar recent incident in the city: A group of residents on Green Street corralled a would-be burglar after their neighbor ran him out of his house at gunpoint, police said.

Acknowledging the impulse to fight back as "probably a basic human survival instinct," city spokesman Randy King cautioned crime victims against escalating a bad situation.

Some criminal suspects have sued their would-be victims for injuries sustained in the course of a crime, he said.

"The bottom line is that property or valuables can usually be replaced. Is putting your life on the line to protect a material possession a wise course of action? Probably not in most people's minds," King said.

However, King added, "If persons committing crimes knew that their victims would likely defend themselves with force or were armed, the crime rate would drop very significantly."

Both LeNore and Loewen live in Harrisburg. They said they love the city. Loewen said that what she really feared was that the incident might hurt downtown business owners.

But neither said they were scared of working downtown, worried about commuting to work or ever wanted to leave.

"I would never give this place up for the world. I see it growing. I see it growing in a positive way," LeNore said.

Loewen, 25, said that she still feels safe.

"If you're going to live in the city, you have to be aware of your surroundings. You can't be ignorant. You have to protect yourself and you have to be responsible," she said.

REGGIE SHEFFIELD: 255-8170 or rsheffield@patriot-news.com

[Spudmrg]

I personally feel that 'da burg is on an upswing, but has'nt even touched it's full potential. We're sitting on a combination of location, talent, capital, and resources that few regions can match. Yes, I'm away right now, but I have every intention to return in the (reasonably) near future and put my money where my mouth is ;).

[wrightchr]

is this project underway? or is it still in the planning stages? why is there still a debate over the median. 45,000+ vehicles travel this road everyday. it's damn near impossible to cross the highway as it is. i don't see it having a great impact on businesses. people will just turn around or come from other directions to avoid the hassle. i would.

LOWER PAXTON TWP.
Barrier plan falls in favor of center turning lane
Friday, August 12, 2005
BY MARY KLAUS
Of The Patriot-News
State Department of Transportation officials, responding to concerns of Lower Paxton Twp. residents and business owners, yesterday announced they were dropping plans to erect a solid barrier down the middle of Route 22 at Franklin Street.

Instead, they said they will create a center turning lane at that intersection to allow traffic to turn onto Franklin Street but not left back onto Route 22.

The compromise received a mixed review from nearby residents and owners of Route 22 Plaza, a strip of businesses which will be most affected by the change.

Township and state officials have said improvements are needed to make the road safer, but businesses have been worried about access to their stores.

"This may not be a perfect scenario," Michael Keiser, a PennDOT district highway design engineer, told 35 people yesterday at a public meeting about the issue. "But it's an alternative to a dangerous intersection."

Next week, Keiser said, workers will begin creating a turning lane and installing about 500 feet of mountable barriers to prevent motorists from crossing the road over lanes that are not part of the turning lanes.

"We also want to put a left turning lane on Route 22 at 39th Street in Susquehanna Twp. to help eliminate accidents there," he said. "And we'll put a barrier down the middle of Route 22 near Sterling Alley, Susquehanna Twp."

Joe Sherrick of 3945 Lexington St. in Lower Paxton Twp. said his street will be "directly impacted" because motorists trying to get from the businesses to the opposite way on Route 22 will go through neighborhoods such as his. "It's a safety issue," he said.

"It will hurt our business," said Jessie Fitting, who with her husband, Bob Fitting, owns Bob's Tire & Auto Service in the plaza.

"And what about the safety of the kids on the back and side streets where the tractor-trailers and other trucks will go when they pull out of here?"

However, Susquehanna Twp. resident Melissa Kuskin, who owns Around the Clock Laundromat in the plaza, called the turning lanes "a compromise I can live with.

"A traffic light would be safest of all," she said. "But having people wait in a specific lane to turn is safer than we have now."

Lower Paxton Twp. Manager George Wolfe said that during the past six years there have been 45 accidents at that intersection, including 26 in which one or more vehicles had to be towed.

"Right now, the road near Dunkin' Donuts and the Route 22 Plaza is totally open," Keiser said.

He said some motorists leaving the Route 22 Plaza on Franklin Street make left turns and cross four lanes of traffic to head east on Route 22, which is also known as Jonestown Road and Allentown Boulevard.

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

[phillyskyline]

It's very odd that you would say that, seeing as HBG was the 2nd most distressed city in the entire U.S. in the 80s. Now the region has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state (and the U.S.), it is one of the only places in PA that is growing, DT HBG has a 97% occupancy rate right now, the city has some of the fastest appreciating residential property in the area, etc. But to each their own and you are entitled to your opinion of course. :) [/QUOTE]

You know what? I'm glad to hear things are improving in H-burg. I havent visited the area in 6-7 years, so I should make a visit soon. IMO, a better harrisburg, a better PA. I didnt realize there were as many corporations as there are in H-burg. Thank you for the rundown. :cool:

[EastSideHBG]

Yeah, phillyskyline, for sure. HBG is NOTHING like it was 6-7 years ago and I think you would be pleasantly surprised. If you ever do come through let me know and I will hook you up with a tour. :)

Chris, I totally agree re: the barrier and I am not sure what all of the fuss is about. :???:

This is interesting. I drive dowm Cameron everyday and I can tell you that there is a MAJOR revitilization going on and it's only going to get better...the ball is rolling for sure!!!

And since we are on the subject, I picture a Station Square-esque project being a perfect fit for the big empty lot on Cameron adjacent to DT (across from the CAT station, next cross street is Herr St.). I see shops, big chain restaurants, casinos (hey, why not cash in?), etc. If I had the money I would do it in a second. :yes:


HARRISBURG

Overshadowed Cameron Street hopes for a fresh look

Friday, August 12, 2005
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

Cameron Street is Harrisburg's busiest thoroughfare, but it's long taken a backseat when it comes to development.

That may be about to change, with an entertainment complex, a 24-hour diner and Harrisburg University of Science and Technology on the horizon.

While trendier spots such as Second Street have sizzled, Cameron Street has fizzled for the most part.

Restaurant Row developed in the heart of downtown and still spawns eateries and nightspots, with several more to open this year.

Meanwhile, Cameron's claim to fame remains the Appalachian Brewing Company, opened in 1997, along with a few fast-food places near the Farm Show Complex.

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

A decade ago, Mayor Stephen R. Reed envisioned the Cameron Street warehouse district north of Market Street as the city's next area of restaurant and retail growth.

The city hoped to renovate the area dubbed Paxton Commons, with buildings at 28-36, 38-40 and 42-44 N. Cameron St. housing eateries and specialty shops.

The Appalachian Brewery Company, the only piece of the project to get off the ground, was wooed there as the centerpiece of Paxton Commons.

Eventually, the project was to include the widening of Paxton Creek, a small park, additional shops and parking facilities in an eight-block area around Cameron and Market streets.

It sounded good, but it never happened.

"That lasted till the day we signed our lease and nothing has happened since," said Artie Tafoya, director of the brewery. "It's a little bit of a disappointment."

Instead, North Second Street became Harrisburg's hotbed of development in the late 1990s, generating a momentum that hasn't died.

Tafoya said he doesn't regret taking a chance on Cameron Street. He described the renovated abandoned warehouse that became the brewery's home as one of the best and most unique buildings in the city.

There's plenty of parking and, over time, occasional patrons became loyal customers.

"We became a destination," Tafoya said. "I don't know that I'd want to be on Second Street. I love it here. We couldn't have this kind of building on Second Street. It's a fabulous place, very comfortable."

After eight years of being alone on Cameron Street, the brewery might be getting some company.

Shelton Carr, who owns a local construction company, is spending $500,000 to renovate the 87-year-old Chelsea Auto Parts building at 22 N. Cameron St. into a combination soul food restaurant, dance club, arcade, pool hall and lounge.

Dubbed "Someplace Special," the 15,000-square-foot facility would feature family entertainment, but won't sell alcohol, he said.

"It's someplace the entire family can go and enjoy themselves," Carr said of the business, which he plans to open this fall. "I wanted to create a place where people could go and enjoy themselves without alcohol."

Carr saw Cameron Street as the perfect setting.

"It's accessible. You've got a lot of space and plenty of parking," he said. "I believe that Cameron Street is going to be one of the up-and-coming areas. I envision Cameron Street developing into an amusement strip. I just want to be a part of that."

Nearby, at Cameron and Market streets, workers are putting the finishing touches on the Cameron Street Cafe, billed as a 24-hour diner.

The development is not the belated realization of his Paxton Commons project, but Reed said he's encouraged by the investment.

Reed noted improvements up and down the street, including the Hess Express gas station, Dollar General, various office and manufacturing investment and plans for hotels near the Farm Show.

"Cameron Street is the busiest street in Harrisburg, and there not a whole lot of space left downtown," said Reed, citing factors driving the growth.

Even the Paxton Commons project could get a boost.

Reed said what could really push Cameron Street and Paxton Commons over the top are plans for Harrisburg University to locate its main campus in the U.S. post office facility in the 800 block of Market Street.

"It's still viable," Reed said of Paxton Commons. "That campus is going to be the thing that really drives this. That's when you'll see the investment and the business interest coming in."

Tafoya said he would welcome more businesses on Cameron Street. He said investment would lure more patrons to the long-forgotten street.

"Anything that comes into the area is going to benefit us," he said. "Some things are happening. We'd like to see a little bit more."

[Philly-Drew]

I want to visit HSB too sometime soon. How far away from York are you guys. I ask becasue I'm in York like once every 6 weeks or so. I'd really like to get down and visist the state capitol.

Wher e in HSB is a cool place for lunch?
Where in HSB is a cool place for dinner?

If you had an afternoon to spend in HSB, what should I see or do?

:D

[wrightchr]

philly drew...it's been awhile since i've been home, so i think Eastside can give you some better ideas. i think a walk downtown along 2nd street would turn up some cool places to eat. there's always a nice stroll through the state capitol grounds and gardens and then there's Strawberry Square and the Whitaker Center, if you have the time. there are many other museums and historic sites, but again it just depends on your interests and the length of your stay in Harrisburg. i'm a big fan of City Island...there's always stuff to do there. it's a short walk from DT.

in other news, an article i wrote to the Patriot-News about the corruption in the PA state gov't, was published in today's Sunday Patriot. here's the link:
http://www.pennlive.com/letters/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1123924887297760.xml&coll=1

[wrightchr]

Possible research center site rezoned
Hershey Trust Co. explores project
Sunday, August 14, 2005
BY MEGAN WALDE
Of The Patriot-News

The Hershey Trust Co. has jumped the first hurdle in creating a research park adjacent to the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Derry Twp.

The trust company won rezoning of its 125-acre site south of Route 322 and west of Bull Frog Valley Road last week. Supervisors agreed to change the township's zoning map to make the site more conducive to a future research park. Part of the site already was zoned for research park development.

Trust company representatives say there is no project on the books yet.

"We're going to work very closely with local government officials, the chamber and other economic development entities to explore the opportunity [this] presents," said Ken Gall, real estate manager for the trust company.

Proponents say a research park adjacent to the medical center -- which brings in about $100 million in research and is poised to begin a $500 million expansion -- could help this area become a hub where biomedical devices and drugs are created and companies spring up, or relocate, to market them.

"They mean the creation of new jobs, products and technologies that will spur economic growth and also hold great promise to improve health and enhance the quality of life for people throughout central Pennsylvania," said Jay Moskowitz, chief scientific officer for the medical center.

The site sits inside Hershey's part of the Harrisburg-area Keystone Innovation Zone. Innovation zones are part of a program of the state Department of Community and Economic Development. The program is designed to develop business opportunities from research being conducted at area colleges and universities, providing jobs that encourage college graduates to stay in Pennsylvania.

As the trust company moves forward on a plan for its site, it could look at the Science Center in Philadelphia as a model.

The 17-acre research park is nestled between the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. It's the nation's oldest such endeavor, said Shawn Marcell, senior vice president for commercialization with the Science Center.

In 41 years, the park has created more than 350 companies. Another 35 companies are taking advantage of the center's incubator, where they get help fast-tracking their idea from lab to the market.

The Science Center offers a large wet-lab building, where researchers have access to the staff, materials and high-end equipment they need to test a new technology.

"Companies don't have to go out and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on equipment and lab space when they can share it amongst themselves here in the incubator," Marcell said.

A Hershey biotech business incubator could, for example, provide facilities where scientists involved with private ventures could have access to lab animals, Moskowitz said.

The Science Center also brings high-paying jobs to the city, Marcell said. "We've created, over the years, thousands of high-paying technical jobs, jobs that are definitely a cut above service-sector jobs."

That's a promising note for a town such as Hershey, whose economy -- other than the medical center and The Hershey Co.'s chocolate plant -- is built largely on tourism-related jobs. Supervisors have said they believe a research park would help diversify the job base.

MEGAN WALDE: 255-8454 or mwalde@patriot-news.com

[wrightchr]

i'm surprised the Cumberland county commissioners didn't apt for a BRT line, instead of extending the rail trail (that's intended as a dig at them, because of their antics towards CorridorOne, which like the rail trail, is considered an alternative means of spending for transit related projects). anyway, when i was a student at Shippensurg Univ. i used the trail quite a bit to run and bike. i'm glad to see the it's finally getting extended.


Rail trail might be extended to Carlisle
Sunday, August 14, 2005
BY MATT MILLER
Of Our Carlisle Bureau

CARLISLE - Cumberland County commissioners have hired a Mechanicsburg consultant for $14,500 to determine if it is feasible to extend the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail.

The trail runs 11 miles along an abandoned bed of the Cumberland Valley Railroad from Newville to Shippensburg. A proposed Newville to Carlisle stretch would add nine miles.

ARRO Consulting Inc. will examine the route and talk with property owners abutting the rail bed to determine whether they would support the extension. It also will confer with PPL, which has utility transmission lines there.

The study is to be finished in 60 days.

Commissioner Rick Rovegno asked whether approving the ARRO study is premature since the county's open space plan, which recommends the trail extension, is not yet approved.

Stephanie Williams, open space coordinator, said the trail extension also is part of the county greenways plan, which commissioners have sanctioned.

Costs of the trail study will be paid from a $3 million bond issue commissioners borrowed to pursue open space and farm land preservation, Williams said.

MATT MILLER: 249-2006 or mmiller@patriot-news.com

[EastSideHBG]

Rocking on Restaurant Row

City, not state, will monitor noise downtown

Sunday, August 14, 2005
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

Harrisburg's Restaurant Row won't be toning down the fun anytime soon.

Owners of bars and restaurants along Second Street have received state permission to keep their outdoor music speakers plugged in for another two years.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board voted unanimously last week to continue allowing city police to handle noise enforcement of downtown bars.

City enforcement gives the bars broader latitude on outdoor music, which is barred under PLCB rules. That will keep the music playing for al fresco diners.

It's the third year in a row that the PLCB has allowed local noise enforcement.

This time around, no one from the public spoke against the arrangement.

The board decided to give Harrisburg two years of authority. City police also enforced a 60-day period in the summer of 2003 and a full year in 2004.

"The board feels that the Harrisburg police have done an excellent job of enforcing it," said PLCB spokeswoman Molly McGowan.

Harrisburg had requested anywhere from a two-year period of enforcement to an open-ended period.

McGowan said the two-year period approved is the longest term anywhere in the state.

While there were a smattering of noise complaints the first two years of local enforcement, city spokesman Randy King said there have been none this summer.

He said there were no citations issued this season and that bar owners have been quick to respond to any violations noted by police.

As for how loud is too loud, Harrisburg's noise standard is relatively simple: If music is plainly audible 50 feet from its source, it's a violation.

To extend the city's local enforcement, Harrisburg will have to apply for another exemption and the PLCB would hold a public hearing before voting on the request.

[wrightchr]

^ excellent news. you beat to this Dave.

Here's an update on the Bypass project, which like the US 22/Jonestown Rd-Allentown Blvd project, will hopefully reduce congestion and address safety concerns for the region's motorists.

Work on bypass lanes to alter traffic patterns
Sunday, August 14, 2005
BY FRANK COZZOLI
Of The Patriot-News
Commuters who use the intersection of 21st Street and the Camp Hill Bypass might want to find alternate routes.

Staring at 8 p.m. today, the eastbound lanes of the bypass will be cut to one lane between 21st Street and just west of the Erford Road exit for the next phase of a $2.2 million project.

Motorists will contend with a single-lane pattern for up to 45 days while crews realign and rebuild the lanes heading into and through the underpass that takes the bypass beneath U.S. Routes 11/15.

"There will be some residual backup, we just don't know how extensive it will be," said Greg Penny, spokesman for the District 8 office of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Delays in manufacturing and the arrival of overhead sign poles and concrete barrier scuttled PennDOT's plans to have this phase of the project completed earlier.

Once the work begins, the speed limit will be reduced to 35 mph from 21st Street to where traffic clears the single-lane pattern.

Crews will initially rebuild the left eastbound lane and pave the off-ramp that's been built to make left turns onto 21st Street from the westbound bypass.

Once that's done, work will shift to the right lane. During that phase, motorists will be traveling through a cattle chute that will be only 11 feet wide.

Chris Kohan, a PennDOT inspector, said the contractor could be finished early. "They're anticipating that if things go well, to be done in about 30 to 35 days," Kohan said.

Once the reconstruction of the eastbound lanes is completed, crews will begin repaving the intersection. That work will be carried out at night.

Kohan said the 21st and Bypass project might be finished by late October or early November.

FRANK COZZOLI: 975-9797 or fcozzoli@patriot-news.com

[EastSideHBG]

I want to visit HSB too sometime soon. How far away from York are you guys. I ask becasue I'm in York like once every 6 weeks or so. I'd really like to get down and visist the state capitol.

Wher e in HSB is a cool place for lunch?
Where in HSB is a cool place for dinner?

If you had an afternoon to spend in HSB, what should I see or do?

:D
Philly-Drew, York is about 30 miles from DT HBG and a quick ride up I-83.

Just about anywhere in DT is a good place to go for lunch. The Spot, the Sandwich Man...you name it. Just hit 2nd st. and go from there.

Dinner, same thing: 2nd St. It's nicknamed "Restauarant Row" if that gives you any indication. ;)

If I had an afternoon I would see the Capitol, the State Museum, Strawberry Square, which is a DT mall that has the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts attached to it. I would walk around DT and just take it all in. I would also recommend City Island, which is a short walk over the river via a pedestrian bridge downtown. When you get across you have a beuatiful view of the entire skyline.

I hope this helps, and if you need anything else please feel free to ask. :)

Some websites that may be helpful:

http://www.harrisburgpa.gov/

http://www.harrisburghello.com/

http://www.whitakercenter.org/home/

[Philly-Drew]

Thanks for the update EastSide. I will definately check it out!

[Jasonhouse]

Soeone should really update one of the first posts of this thread, so that it includes a developments list.

The links currently there do not work, as it appears the threads were pruned.

[EastSideHBG]

Soeone should really update one of the first posts of this thread, so that it includes a developments list.

The links currently there do not work, as it appears the threads were pruned.
wrightchr had a pretty decent list a few posts back. but yeah, someday when I have time to kill (i.e. never LOL) I would like to put an updated HBG project list together.

[EastSideHBG]

HIA noise in Highspire puts homes in buy zone

Tuesday, August 16, 2005
BY MARY KLAUS
Of The Patriot-News

Almost half of Highspire's homeowners might be able to sell their houses to Harrisburg International Airport if the borough wants to sign off on an offer that HIA must make.

The question is: How many would sell if given the chance?

About 500 homeowners could sell to the airport because a study shows that they are within a federally established "noise annoyance" zone. The borough has about 1,200 homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highspire Borough Council must agree to participate in the program, and the prospect of homeowners fleeing Highspire worries officials in the borough, with a population of about 2,700. HIA would pay residents for their homes mostly with federal money.

Residents of Eshelman Street -- a broad, tree-lined thoroughfare where children ride bicycles, people walk dogs and American flags flutter from many front porches -- seem divided about whether to stay or sell to HIA, given the chance.

Some longtime residents, such as Gilbert Gerhards and Robert Chubb, have no plans to move.

Chubb, of 641 Eshelman St., said the planes can be noisy.

"A lot of flights take off at night," he said. "You never get completely used to it. But it's not so bad in the winter when your windows are closed. I've lived here since 1948. I'm going to stay right where I'm at."

But Christina Meals, who has lived in the borough less than two years, and Ashley Coates, a lifelong resident, are ready to start packing.

"I like Highspire because it's a friendly town," said Meals, who lives at 502 Eshelman St. with her husband, Dustin Meals. "We've lived in this house since November and were on Second Street before that. But there's too much airport noise."

When her windows are open, "We sometimes can't hear each other talk," Christina Meals said. "The jets take off several times a day."

Dustin Meals said he's grown accustomed to the planes. "I don't hear anything," he said. "We knew there was an airport when we moved here."

Their four-bedroom, two-story house, built in the 1940s, was appraised at $95,000 when they bought it as a starter home, they said.

"We planned to stay here a few years, turn it into rental property and move somewhere else," Dustin Meals said. "But if we can sell it now, we'll move up our timetable. Maybe we'll move to the Lower Dauphin or Middletown school districts."

Coates, of 504 Eshelman St., said that the largest planes "rattle our windows and make the house shake a bit."

"You do get used to it after a while," Coates said.

For Coates and others, Steelton-Highspire School District, which has fared poorly in state reading and math tests, is another deterrent to staying.

"Highspire is a good town, but the school district isn't very good," Coates said. "It's sad to leave Highspire, but it's important for kids to get a good education. I send my daughter to a private school."

"When we have kids, we don't want them to go to the Steelton-Highspire School District," Christina Meals said.

Coates is willing to sell her home, for which she paid $60,000 five years ago. "Our houses are old, and the airport noise lowers the value of them," she said.

Mayor Wayne Shank, who has lived in Highspire 72 years, said the airport noise never bothered him.

Gerhards, of 28 Willow St., who has lived in Highspire for decades, agreed.

"I don't know why people complain," he said. "They knew about it when they moved here. You don't hear it inside, just when you're out. I'm not leaving Highspire."

Fred Testa, HIA director of aviation, said HIA's choices on the noise were limited.

"We can't close the airport," Testa said. "We can't change our flight patterns very much. We thought of having smaller planes climb higher until they turn, but the [Federal Aviation Administration] said no. We couldn't ask the military not to fly close or low. That left doing something with the houses."

He said HIA's choices were to offer federally funded home improvements or to buy the houses. With Highspire house prices averaging $80,000, and the cost of soundproofing, insulation and extra walls running $30,000 to $40,000, the cost of improvements is prohibitive, he said.

"The government won't do that," Testa said. "That leaves a voluntary buyout program."

John McHale, Highspire borough manager, said some borough residents "think there's a windfall involved."

"There's not. Highspire property values are less than other areas due to the age of homes," he said.

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

TO LEARN MORE

Highspire residents can learn about the possibility of selling their homes to Harrisburg International Airport at a meeting at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Highspire Fire Company.

[wrightchr]

i know borough residents don't like this at all...but at least the buyout option is available. it never was before. the possibility of expanding adjacent property at HIA would also exist...even though SARAA said it would not pursue that as a priority in the buyout. the airport needs more land.

[wrightchr]

i lived about a block away from this area when i lived in wormleysburg. this project has been planned for over a decade...hopefully funding will provide a means to an end here. the congestion at this rail crossing is definately a saftey hazard.

Underpass plan gets economist's backing
Stella Street would pass below tracks
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
BY JERRY L. GLEASON
Of The Patriot-News

The economic benefit of routing Stella Street traffic under the Norfolk Southern railroad in Wormleysburg would exceed the cost of building the underpass, according to a Dickinson College economics professor.

William K. Bellinger, who conducted an economic impact study for the borough, estimated the net benefit of the project at $7.6 million.

The project has an estimated cost of $7.4 million.

Bellinger, one of the speakers last night at an informational meeting on the project at the Greek Orthodox Church in Wormleysburg, said, "This project makes economic sense. It should be funded."

Bellinger based his estimates on wage losses caused by traffic delays, increased property values in the area and income for local construction companies and their employees.

The estimated 200 people who attended last night's meeting expressed strong support for the project that borough council President Thomas G. Kanganis called "our No. 1 priority." The existing grade-level Stella Street crossing offers the only route across the railroad tracks that bisect the borough. On average, 6,689 vehicles use it every day.

Trains now block the crossing several times a day, Kanganis said, and a new connector planned by Norfolk Southern will route even more trains over the line.

Wormleysburg officials want to divert Stella Street, which becomes Poplar Church Road west of the crossing, under the railroad track via a two-lane underpass.

A temporary railroad line would be built west of the current tracks to maintain railroad traffic while the underpass is being built.

Harsco Corp., which is based on Stella Street, has agreed to donate land for the underpass and realignment of the street.

Harsco spokesman Kenneth D. Julian said the project has the support of major businesses in the area, including Holy Spirit Hospital, Highmark Inc., EDS, RiteAid, Gannet Flemming and Commerce Bank.

The next step is to seek state and federal funding for the project.

"It's time for our legislators, the professional planners at PennDOT and our regional planning commissions to take the necessary action to fast-track the project," Kanganis said.

JERRY L. GLEASON: 975-9782 or jgleason@patriot-news.co

[EastSideHBG]

An interesting project for sure, Chris. I wonder if it will ever get done, though...

Some random thoughts:

My girlfriend and I were coming home late last night (Thursday) and saw one hell of an accident on the Market St. Bridge. I wonder what people are doing these days...do they even think?!? :nuts:

Also, 2nd St. was PACKED and you would've sworn it was a Friday or a Saturday night. :tup:

They are putting a Sheetz in near the HBG Mall in TecPort. Oh hell yeah, nice and close to my crib!!! No more running out to Linglestown Rd. or 114 whenever I need my Sheetz fix, I have it right down the road now. :rock:

TecPort is going to be really nice for the area but REALLY busy. I can see that whole area becoming one big mess in the very near future. I'm not complaining in any way, though, and I am happy to see all of the much needed infill. Swatara Twp. sure has a lot of growth on its plate!!!

[wrightchr]

^ i think Swatara is growing like crazy. that sheetz will do quite well. the township is adding more police officers as well...including one at Steelton-Highspire HS. they also just approved merging two fire stations and building a new consolidated complex for them. improvements and widening of I-283, PA 283, Airport Exwy, Lindle Road, and US 322 will also help to accomodate current and future growth in the area.

other interesting facts: the township has a population of 22,611 (2000 census) and most of the municipality lies in the Harrisburg zip codes. it's one of nealry 10 municipalities in the Harrisburg area with a population over 20,000.

[wrightchr]

Noteworthy: The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission will dedicate an official state historical marker for the Harrisburg Giants baseball team of the Negro Leagues at 5 p.m. today at Commerce Bank Park on City Island. The African American Museum of Harrisburg Inc. will co-sponsor the event that will be attended by several players from the 1954 Giants team.

pretty cool huh!

[EastSideHBG]

they also just approved merging two fire stations and building a new consolidated complex for them.
Well that was the case. But when construction was almost complete some petty squabbling started and both fire departments backed out, leaving the twp. holding the bag on the new station. I haven't heard much since then so I don't if it has been resolved yet or not. Hopefully it has been.

Yeah, pretty cool about the HBG Giants. :tup:

[wrightchr]

^ that's so retarded

[Spudmrg]

Last time I checked, dedicated funding for mass transit programs was not included in the 12-year plans, only "capital" (vehicles, track, buildings, etc.) projects. According to my copy of the 12-year plans, CorridorOne is already in for the construction phase, but when dealing with that timeframe, only the first 4 years are fixed to any degree. Good luck CorridorOne.


Give bridges priority in 12-year plan, panel urged
Saturday, August 20, 2005
BY FRANK COZZOLI
Of The Patriot-News

A day after a Perry County bridge collapsed, sending a Carlisle truck driver to hospital with minor injuries, a Perry County lawmaker yesterday told the State Transportation Commission that replacing Pennsylvania's aging bridges has to be a priority.

"Bridges are critical links to our transportation network and they are in deteriorating condition and need to be addressed before it becomes a crisis," said State Rep. Mark Keller, R-New Bloomfield.

On Thursday, part of a 78-year-old steel-truss bridge carrying Dellville Road over Shermans Creek collapsed as a dump truck crossed it. The bridge was scheduled to be replaced next year at a cost of $2.3 million.

Leon G. Kelley's truck, loaded with slate, apparently far exceeded the 15-ton weight limit, police said. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said it is working to expedite the replacement project.

Commission members happened to be in Lancaster yesterday for the third of seven regional hearings as the panel starts the process to update the state's 12-Year Transportation Plan, which serves as the blueprint for highway and bridge work statewide.

It is unclear how much money will be available to add projects to existing plans. The Harrisburg area's current four-year "transportation improvement program' totals nearly $342 million.

"It might be October until we know what our resources will be," said Terry Adams, planning and programming engineer for PennDOT's District 8 office.

Under the new federal transportation bill, PennDOT expects to get about $1.6 billion over five years, spokesman Rich Kirkpatrick said.

That works out to about $243 million more each year than the state gets now. But it could be two months before PennDOT and its county and regional planning partners reach a consensus on how to distribute the money.

State officials are considering a $350 million "set aside" fund to use solely for interstate restoration projects.

Yesterday, however, was the day to pitch pet projects.

Keller, chairman of the Harrisburg Area Transportation Study, alluded to the funding crisis facing the region. Studies have identified more than $2 billion in projects to widen portions of interstates 81 and 83.

The state would require funding from outside sources for all the needed work, Keller said. He urged the commission to make bridge repairs a priority, as well as transit funding to get Harrisburg's regional rail system moving.

"Our future depends on a balanced transportation network," Keller said. "A predictable revenue stream for mass transit is a must."

Derry Twp. officials touted five projects, topped by widening Route 322 to five lanes between Bullfrog Valley and Homestead roads.

Wormleysburg Council President Thomas Kanganis lobbied for the proposed $7.4 million project to build a Stella Street underpass at the Norfolk Southern Corp. tracks.

Carol Witzeman, co-chair of the Peoples' Bridge Coalition, asked to keep the project to restore the western spans of the Walnut Street Bridge in the 12-year plan.

Witzeman said the group is confident it will secure $15 million in nontransportation funds to repair the historic bridge, which was damaged in the January 1996 flood.

FRANK COZZOLI: 975-9797 or fcozzoli@patriot-news.com

[frank_pentangeli]

Sheehs, mass transit gets such a hard time all around the state. It's too bad so many people don't understand why it's needed. At least Hburg has some people in the know.

[wrightchr]

^ yeah we have quite a few supportive factions involved in CorridorOne; however, there are still some retarded commissioners from Cumberland County that are trying to derail the project. i think their haters! they don't like it because they didn't think of it first.

[wrightchr]

WORK ON NEW CITY ISLAND ENTRANCE AREAS NOW UNDERWAY; NEW MARKET STREET BRIDGE UNDERPASS TO RESULT
from http://www.harrisburgpa.gov/

The entrance areas to Harrisburg City Island from the Market Street Bridge will be undergoing a dramatic transformation that will ease traffic congestion, provide greater safety and convenience to pedestrians and motorists, and be more appealing to visitors, Mayor Stephen R. Reed announced today. Work is now underway for the new Market Street/City Island Underpass Reconstruction Project.

Mayor Reed said the project will involve the complete replacement and widening of the circa-1934 Market Street Bridge Underpass on City Island and the widening and upgrade of both the north and south ramps off of the Bridge onto the Island. The Bridge’s roadway across City Island will be resurfaced, and new pedestrian access areas will be created. New landscaping and the creation of a new picnic area on the south side of City Island are included in the project’s scope of work.

“This will be significant improvement to Harrisburg City Island, which now attracts over one million visitors a year,” said Mayor Reed. “The project benefits both pedestrian and vehicular access and use of the Island. When completed it will be safer, faster and easier to get onto and off the Island, with the added benefit of a much more attractive and appealing entrance.”

Reed said highlights of the work will include:

o Demolition of the existing underpass and replacement with a wider, higher structure that allows for multiple traffic lanes and pedestrian sidewalks.

o Expansion of the north ramp to allow for wider traffic lanes, and the installation of new sidewalks, curbing, steps, guardrails and other amenities.

o Widening and relocation of the south ramp, which will allow for easier bus access and movement, as well as the installation of new sidewalks and curbing, wider traffic lanes and a new public picnic area.

o Resurfacing of the roadway on Market Street Bridge where it crosses over City Island, and the installation of new sidewalks, lighting and other features.

Reed said work will be conducted in stages so as to have the least impact on the Island during the normally busy summer season. Some minor traffic restric- tions will be necessary at various times during the project, but access to the Island and use of the Market Street Bridge will be continuous throughout the project. Pedestrians can also use the nearby Walnut Street Bridge, which will be unaffected by the planned stages.

“When completed,” Reed said, “this will have multiple benefits for those visiting City Island, as well as for users of the Market Street Bridge. Longer turning lanes and wider ramps will speed access onto and off the Island during peak periods, thus easing the congestion that can sometimes form on the ramps and the Bridge. New sidewalks, steps and other pedestrian friendly features will provide greater safety and convenience to Island-goers.”

The Mayor said the $3,632,005 project cost is being entirely covered by federal transportation funds, including the preliminary engineering and design work done through the Harrisburg Parking Authority. Initial design work was provided by Urban Engineers, Inc., and project management is being performed by District 8-0 of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

[EastSideHBG]

Traffic sucks so bad around here and it's amazing to me how the Commisioners in Cumberland Co. can still be against such a thing. I guess they don't drive on roads like Wertzville Road, Carlisle Pike, etc., in their own county to see this crap, huh? :rolleyes:

Here's some great news!!! I am REALLY proud of the Mayor and HBG for pulling this one off. A high school AND a University downtown, w/ the curriculum being the only kind in the state?!? It's going to put HBG on the map for sure. :tup:


FRESHMAN YEAR

New school braces for a 'bumpy' ride

Sunday, August 21, 2005
BY JAN MURPHY
Of The Patriot-News

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology founders see a lot of Lewis and Clark in themselves.

Like the famed explorers traveling west across the unknown Louisiana Territory in 1804, the university's leaders know generally what direction they are going in but are uncertain of the obstacles they will encounter.

Harrisburg University will begin its journey Aug. 29, when it will welcome 175 students in what the university calls its pioneer class.

University officials know what courses will be taught in the first year. They have faculty with extensive credentials and experience. They know they will be housed in the Harrisburg School District's SciTech High School for at least two years. And they have enough money in the bank to keep the doors open for a couple of years.

But the years that follow are not as clear-cut. They have to acquire accreditation, construct buildings, raise money, attract students and create an identity.

It's a journey that university officials say is exciting, but other college officials warn that it requires courage, patience and adaptability.

"It's going to be bumpy," said Karen Oates, Harrisburg University's vice president for academic and student affairs. "We're going to be surprised by things we can't even imagine right now."

Building a future:

The new university expects to occupy space in SciTech High through 2006-07.

In the meantime, it is planning a $30 million high-rise that will sit at the corner of Fourth and Market streets in Harrisburg, just down the street from SciTech High. The university has received a $15 million commitment from the state toward its construction.

University officials continue to talk with the U.S. Postal Service about buying the post office property on Market Street to provide space for housing and more buildings.

"That is our long-term site, and I believe this year we will see that come to fruition," said Mel Schiavelli, Harrisburg University's president.

So far, most of the college's money has come from government, said David Schankweiler, the chairman of the university's board of trustees.

"Now we've got to hit the road with the road show," he said. "It is time to start raising serious money."

Money matters most:

Fundraising by far tops the list of the university's challenges, national higher education experts say.

The $14,000 tuition alone won't keep the doors open, let alone expand the university's degree program offerings, they say. And the university has no alumni base to tap, said Rae Goldsmith, a spokeswoman for the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, a Washington, D.C.-based organization for college fundraisers.

A 2004 CASE report shows alumni provide 27.5 percent of gifts. The Harrisburg University must seek corporations, organizations and foundations to fill this void, she said.

It has. So far, Schiavelli said, the university has attracted about $2 million in private commitments, including donations from the Harrisburg Young Professionals and the Harrisburg-based Reynolds Construction Management.

"The key is clearly defining the institutional niche and then connecting that niche to the people most likely to care about it," Goldsmith said.

Tom Ritchey, Harrisburg University's vice president for university development, said the school is trying to engage groups and corporations in the university's life. "Fundraising will be the end result of developing those mutually beneficial relationships," he said.

Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering didn't have the same financial concerns that Harrisburg University faces when it opened in Needham, Mass., three years ago, said Duncan Murdoch, the school's vice president for external relations and enrollment.

Olin College was a vision of the Franklin W. Olin Foundation, which provided $450 million to open the school and start an endowment, Murdoch said.

Without an endowment, college experts said, the ability to attract top-notch faculty and research money becomes a huge hurdle. That is especially true for a university focused on science and technology, where the faculty command greater salaries and equipment costs are expensive, they said.

"The bar is extremely high for a startup campus because competition for faculty is incredibly fierce right now," said Travis Reindl of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C.

This is another reason why identifying a niche and cherry-picking faculty is so critical, he said.

"If you have a bunch of good programs but no great program, it's hard to establish the toehold you need," Reindl said. "Money follows opportunity."

Harrisburg University officials heeded this advice. When they hired Oates, she brought along her involvement in a National Science Foundation-funded project to integrate science into the community.

Accreditation is crucial:

A milestone that Schiavelli awaits is winning candidate status for accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

"It is critical to us," he said.

Until the university receives recognition that it is working toward accreditation, its students are ineligible for federal and state student aid. That's a problem because the school's target audience is students who are "relatively needy," he said.

The earliest that Schiavelli anticipates the school could achieve candidate status is June 2006. Full accreditation takes two to five years, said commission spokeswoman Margaret Robbins.

Students attending unaccredited schools can have difficulty having credits transferred, Robbins said. And officials from Olin College, which is working to earn its accreditation, said it also can be an obstacle in placing students in internships.

The lack of accreditation "may affect their ability to go on to graduate school," said Claire Van Ummerson, a vice president at the American Council on Education in Washington, D.C.

Fulfilling a promise:

Once Olin opened, the challenge its administrators faced was making sure they delivered an education to students that they promised.

"If we fall short of that, they go back to tell their parents and friends, and word spreads quickly that Olin College came up short," Murdoch said. "So far, that's not happened."

The next test comes this spring when Olin graduates its first class. Murdoch said their success in finding graduate schools and jobs "will cast the die for the future incoming classes."

Oates agrees that ensuring Harrisburg University students have a great experience is its best marketing tool.

Although academics take priority, she said the first-year students will play a critical role in developing the university's student life and traditions. They'll get to pick a mascot, perhaps pen an alma mater, create a student government and start clubs.

The type of students a new university attracts are those who want to leave a mark, Oates said. "They are not ones to sit back in a class and not participate," she said.

They are unafraid of the unknown, Ritchey said. They are pioneers, like Lewis and Clark, he said, with one exception: Lewis and Clark's journey ended after about 28 months.

"The dream here is that it will never end," Ritchey said.

[EastSideHBG]

'We heard people say it wasn't going to happen'

Sunday, August 21, 2005

BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

For years, it has been one of Mayor Stephen R. Reed's favorite pipe dreams.

It was endorsed by newspaper editorials and a collection of broad-minded local business leaders. Still, many people thought it would never happen.

On Aug. 29, the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology hopes to make believers out of any remaining naysayers.

That's when the school will open, and the city will join a rarefied list of places where a university is being brought into existence from scratch.

There's a reason few universities are born these days. It's hard work, and it takes lots of money.

Most new schools can't hope to get off the ground without the backing of generous endowments, corporate gifts or affiliations with religious institutions.

Harrisburg University had none of these things.

Harrisburg University President Melvyn D. Schiavelli likes to point out that no one has tried to start a science- and technology-focused university in Pennsylvania since Carnegie Mellon opened in Pittsburgh in 1900.

"People were saying, 'Why do you want a new university?'" recalled Schiavelli, a former provost and chemistry/biochemistry professor at the University of Delaware. "We heard a lot of people say it wasn't going to happen, that this can't succeed."

So how did they do it?

It's a story that stretches back decades.

A long time coming:

Reed had been floating the idea of a downtown university since the late 1980s but admitted his words usually fell on deaf ears.

The first public record of a call for a Harrisburg University was in a 1990 Patriot-News editorial. James H. McCormick, then the chancellor of the State System of Higher Education, expressed interest in establishing a Harrisburg unit of the State System. He met with the newspaper's editorial board to promote the idea.

McCormick even commissioned a Gallup Poll to gauge interest. But the poll backfired, and the idea never gained traction.

It wasn't until the late 1990s that several forces combined to get the idea rolling.

In 1998, Envision Capital Region, a group of movers and shakers from business and government, began imagining the region's future.

One of the goals to come out of the brainstorming session was forming a four-year university for Harrisburg that would reverse the region's "brain drain" and provide a technology-savvy work force.

"The Envision team put that in the document," said David Schankweiler, the chairman of the university's board of trustees and a key participant in Envision.

From there, Schankweiler, Reed and Charles Clevenger, a former Shippensburg dean and an ex-official with the State System of Higher Education, held a series of meetings.

"The idea was born in that office," Schankweiler said of the sessions with Reed.

They decided the new university should be geared toward science and technology.

"We married education with economic development," Schankweiler said. "With this university, we would be creating a work force that will attract business."

Clevenger, who was named the organization's first president in 2001, said, "The employers, from the beginning, were an integral part of the planning of the institution."

By tailoring the university to the needs of businesses, officials were ensuring the employability of its graduates.

"We're not only saying you will get a college degree," said Schiavelli. "We're saying that you're going to be able to find a career in an industry that needs you right now."

Seeking students:

But where would the new school get its students?

Clevenger came up with the idea of affiliating the new college with a high school prep program as sort of a student feeder system. So years before the university would open, the city launched the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology High School, better known as SciTech High.

A joint venture between the university and the city schools, SciTech High produced its first class of graduates in June. Of the 23 grads, several have chosen to go on to Harrisburg University.

The final concept envisioned in the early meetings was a business incubator to grow and attract more technology firms to the region. These new businesses would employ future university grads.

Around this same time, the state Legislature handed Reed control of the troubled Harrisburg School District in 2000. Suddenly, Reed had sway over a school district budget that topped $100 million.

Among his first moves was to earmark $3.35 million for what would become SciTech High. The idea of launching a Harrisburg University finally had seed money.

"I have to give the mayor total credit," Schankweiler said. "He put up the money."

In 2003, the state committed $12 million to convert the former YWCA building on Market Street into SciTech High. The technology-rich digs at 215 Market St. opened last August.

"When the high school became a reality, I knew the university was going to work," Schankweiler said. "We sent a signal to the community that we were definitely going to do the university."

And it became much easier to attract support.

"We weren't whistling in the wind anymore, like we were two or three years ago," said Schiavelli, who replaced Clevenger as the chief executive in late 2002. "Now we were getting the question, 'What can we do to help you?' The skepticism was gone."

The university received $15 million in state aid in May, this time for a $30 million downtown center planned at Fourth and Market streets.

Yet all of the work wouldn't matter if it weren't for students like Kelsey Collins of Dallastown and Whitney Huston of Steelton.

Of the 175 students enrolled this fall, about 100 will be full-time, four-year undergraduates. They hail from Cumberland, Dauphin, York and Lancaster counties. Several come from Berks and Bucks counties and a few from as far away as Baltimore.

Attracted by small class sizes, the business links, the career focus and one-on-one attention, all of them are staking their futures on Harrisburg University.

"When I heard about it, I said that's my school," said Collins, 18. "The labs were amazing, and all the teachers were so friendly and willing to answer any question I had."

Huston added: "It's kind of neat that it's a school that no one went to before. It's like being a pioneer."

University officials know that they now have students' futures in their hands.

"What drives us is the students that have bet their lives on us," Schankweiler said. "We're doing it for them now. We're giving them a real chance, and they are giving us a chance."

[wrightchr]

^ that's a great story. when i was in high school, i was one of a few studetns from the region to participate in a group forum on higher education in the Harrisburg region. it involved the business community, local leaders, teachers, etc. i recieved an award from the Technology Council of Central PA. one of my top recomendations to that group was that they should sponsor the creation of a 4 year institution of higher learning that focused on technology. that was in 1999...i was 17 at the time. it's great to hear that people actually care about making the university a success. it's already paying dividends!

[EastSideHBG]

Fun complex would make major splash

Developers plan water park, hotel, restaurant a mile from
Hersheypark

Tuesday, August 23, 2005
BY JOHN LUCIEW AND MEGAN WALDE
Of The Patriot-News

A $20 million complex that would include an indoor water park as well as a hotel, a restaurant and indoor games and amusement rides is planned for a site in South Hanover Twp., less than a mile from Hersheypark.

Dubbed Jungle Joey's, its first phase would be a $4 million restaurant and indoor entertainment center featuring bumper cars, laser tag, rock-climbing walls, games and rides.

A five-story hotel is planned for the second phase, and a 25,000-square-foot indoor water park would be built last. There is no timetable for the plans.

The complex is proposed for a 6.7-acre tract along Route 39 on a portion of Pumpkin World, at 154 Hershey Road.

The developers are two local families -- Don and Kim Walker of Harrisburg and Nick and Jodi Pendolino of South Hanover Twp. -- who hatched the idea at Thanksgiving dinner two years ago out of a frustration over the lack of places to take children to eat and unwind.

Jungle Joey's would give children plenty of room to roam, with various play areas and lots of games and rides, the developers said.

"They don't like waiting for the food," said Kim Walker, mother of two children under age 3. "They want to run around. And by the end of dinner, they're having a meltdown."

The Pendolinos, who are related to the Walkers, have three children.

"We decided that we can't be the only families in this situation," said Nick Pendolino, who operates the Early Explorers Child Development Centers with his wife.

The developer-couples -- operating as Pendo & Walker, LLC, are targeting children under 14 for the project. They hope to break ground on the restaurant and entertainment center next year, with an opening in fall 2006.

While the indoor complex would be about a mile from Hersheypark, Don Walker, who is former director of Harrisburg's Downtown Improvement District, said the two would not be in competition.

"We feel we would be adding to the Hershey market," he said. "We want to enhance, not compete."

Garrett Gallia, a spokesman for Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Co., said yesterday the company was unfamiliar with the project and could not comment.

The developers outlined the project at last night's South Hanover Twp. Zoning Hearing Board meeting. They seek height variances for the five-story hotel and a larger percentage of impervious ground coverage for more parking.

Hearing board members voiced concerns over stormwater runoff and safety of hotel guests in a 55-foot-high building with limited access for fire equipment. The township's fire department does not own a ladder truck.

The board granted the developers a continuance to amend their plans.

In neighboring Derry Twp., officials have expressed concerns about the increasing traffic on Route 39.

Many Hershey visitors from points north take Route 39 into the township. The road is becoming a magnet for commercial and residential development, Derry officials said.

Supervisor Tom Brogan testified Friday before the state Transportation Committee regarding five Derry Twp. traffic projects on the state's priority list. One of those is a feasibility study for solving traffic problems on routes 39 and 743.

"We understand our success as a township rests at least partly on our ability to get people into and out to [Route] 22 and [Interstate] 81," Brogan said. "It's a quickly growing problem."

The complex developers have submitted a request for a traffic study.

The developers have a contract for the land with Pumpkin World owner Earl Rutherford. Engineering plans should be submitted for township approval in the fall, they said.

"We're not big developers. We're two families trying to build something for other families," Don Walker said.

[wrightchr]

^ i read about this in the Patriot online. it sounds really cool.

[EastSideHBG]

Doctors seek limits to Miracle Mile trucking growth

Wednesday, August 24, 2005
BY DAN MILLER
Of Our Carlisle Bureau

CARLISLE - Citing dangerous air quality along the so-called Miracle Mile in Middlesex Twp., more than a hundred Carlisle-area doctors are urging a halt to the growth of the trucking industry in Cumberland County.

The Miracle Mile, the nickname for a stretch of the Harrisburg Pike, is home to a concentration of truck stops.

In a paid advertisement published yesterday in The Patriot-News, a letter was written by Dr. Philip Carey, a respiratory specialist.

The letter, endorsed by 102 other physicians from the Carlisle Regional Medical Center, cited American Lung Association findings that the air in the midstate -- especially Cumberland County -- has more pollution generated from diesel exhaust than the New York/Newark area.

The pollution can cause cancer and other diseases, the doctors say.

Carey also referred to a state and federal study that projects 36,000 tractor-trailers traveling through Carlisle daily on Interstate 81 by 2030. That figure in 2002 was 17,000.

Carey said that he has seen an increase in the severity of asthma cases among his patients over the last 10 years.

He said that according to the most recent figures from the Environmental Protection Agency, particulate matter in the air in Cumberland County over a 24-hour period is double the acceptable level.

Dr. David Masland, an internist and one of those who signed the letter, said that truckers exacerbate the level of diesel emissions when they allow their trucks to idle overnight.

Middlesex Twp. recently passed a measure to address overnight truck idling.

It will allow Knoxville, Tenn-based IdleAire Technologies Corp., to install a system that provides drivers with electricity to heat or cool their trucks without running the engine.

The company will install 73 units at the Petro Stopping Center.

Pennsylvania has given the company $900,000 in grants to help it install the units.

"We waived practically all land development requirements so that they could get this installed as soon as possible," Middlesex Supervisor Victor Stabile said.

Jim Cahoon, a truck driver who yesterday took a break at Petro, said he has used IdleAire, but says that for every unit installed, truck stops lose substantial parking space.

That means drivers must find other and less safe places to park, he said.

Given the cost of diesel fuel, truckers are idling less these days. Cahoon said he spends about $1,500 a week on diesel.

Dr. Rebecca Bascom, an occupational and environmental medicine specialist at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, said that scientists have only recently begun to understand the health consequences of diesel emissions.

Bascom said diesel emissions, when combined with common allergens such as pollen, can create an allergic reaction.

The resulting allergy creates increased susceptibility to asthma, she said.

Bascom said central Pennsylvania, in spite of all its farmland and undeveloped areas, is affected by pollution generated from traffic extending from West Virginia to Maine, and from coal-fired power plants in the Ohio River Valley.

Jim Runk, president of the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association, said truck emissions have been cut by about 90 percent from 1990 levels, when EPA began regulating amounts.

The federal government has mandated a 90 percent reduction in sulfur emissions by 2006. This is expected to increase the cost of diesel fuel by another five cents per gallon, Runk said.

By 2007, about 90 percent of current emissions are to be eliminated through the use of new engines in the big rigs, Runk said.

"The public needs to know that we are as concerned as they are" about air quality, Runk said.

However, reduced emissions come at "a pretty high cost which will be passed on to the consumer."

At least once a day, Cody Wert, manager of Back to Basics Western Wear, one of several small businesses along the Miracle Mile, removes black film that settles on his door and porch.

He has to dust off the hats that hang on his wall for sale.

Wert said some of the material is rubber dust that comes off the truck and car tires. He's not sure what else the dust contains, but whatever it is, "you definitely breathe it in."

[wrightchr]

The letter, endorsed by 102 other physicians from the Carlisle Regional Medical Center, cited American Lung Association findings that the air in the midstate -- especially Cumberland County -- has more pollution generated from diesel exhaust than the New York/Newark area.

Bascom said central Pennsylvania, in spite of all its farmland and undeveloped areas, is affected by pollution generated from traffic extending from West Virginia to Maine, and from coal-fired power plants in the Ohio River Valley.


this is a strong statement. pollution should be definately one of, if not the biggest concern for Pennsylvanians. not only do we retain what we make ourselves, but we recieve everyone elses polluted air, water, and refuse.

[EastSideHBG]

/\
EXACTLY!!!

SHOP & SAVOR

Thursday, August 25, 2005

BY REGGIE SHEFFIELD
Of The Patriot-News

For the first time, shoppers at Fox's Market in Derry Twp. could buy something different to go with their groceries: a bottle of wine.

The supermarket is the home of central Pennsylvania's first One Stop Shop, a wine and spirits shop that opened yesterday in the grocery store.

The shop could be a sign of things to come.

The Derry Twp. store is the eleventh One Stop Shop opened by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, and seven more leases have been approved, agency spokeswoman Molly McGowan said in a press release.

The board launched its One Stop Shop initiative last year as part of Gov. Ed Rendell's effort to make the state-run liquor franchise more customer-friendly and to boost sales.

Two years ago, the agency allowed some wine and liquor stores to open on Sundays. In July, Rendell signed a bill allowing beer distributors to open on Sundays beginning Sept. 4.

Featuring specialty wines and liquors, the shop -- which is formally known as the Cherry Drive Wine & Spirits Shoppe at Fox's Market -- was an instant hit with Rita Connor of Middletown, who has shopped at the grocery store for 38 years.

"I like wine coolers, so when I do my other shopping, I can come and shop here," Connor said.

"And now, with the price of gas up around $2.55, I don't have to make another stop," she said.

Connor's companion, Coy Autrey, grew up in California's Napa Valley and applauded the board's decision to choose Fox's Market for the midstate's first One Stop Shop.

"This is more convenient," said Autrey, a former welder at Three Mile Island.

Bill Fox, president of Fox's Markets, which is based in Middletown, welcomed the liquor shop, which arrived during a general renovation of the Cherry Drive store, including the addition of an entire store aisle of gluten-free products.

"We're thrilled to be the first supermarket in central Pennsylvania with a wine and spirit shop in it. We've had very positive comments from people who are able to shop for their wine and foods in the same place," Fox said.

The liquor shop is not affiliated with Fox's Markets and is staffed with liquor control board employees, just like other state liquor stores, Fox said.

"I wish we owned it, but unfortunately we don't. We wish we'd get a cut of their sales," Fox said, laughing.

Located inside the store with no direct access from the market's parking lot, the 4,000-square-foot liquor shop is identical to any other state liquor store, said manager Leanna Paulus.

"People are thrilled," Paulus said.

Paulus joked that curious customers couldn't help but peek through the glass plate before the store was open.

"I had to clean a lot of nose prints off the window," she said.

Paulus said the biggest question about the shop so far is whether it is open on Sundays. About 25 percent of the state's wine and spirits shops can operate on Sundays, including the shop at Fox's Market.

[EastSideHBG]

LOWER SWATARA TWP.

2nd dorm project begins at Penn State Harrisburg

Thursday, August 25, 2005
BY JAN MURPHY
Of The Patriot-News

More student housing and an outdoor commons are the latest changes to the evolving face of Penn State Harrisburg's campus.

Work has begun on a $1.9 million housing project on the Ziegler Commons, which was dedicated yesterday. The commons is outside the Olmsted Building's food court.

The two-story student residence will house 32 freshmen in four units with double-occupancy bedrooms, a full-size kitchen and dining area, a living room and bathrooms.

The exterior will look similar to the $16 million apartment-style residences built in 2002 that house nearly 300 students.

Work on the new units is expected to be finished in the spring so they would be ready for occupancy next summer, said Steve Hevner, a campus spokesman.

The outdoor commons will be finished within two weeks, said Richard Ziegler of Ziegler Remodeling and Construction Co. of Lebanon, who donated the time, labor and materials for the 8,500-square-foot plaza.

Although he is not a Penn State graduate, Ziegler said he is indebted to the university for the care given to his late wife, Yvonne Hoffman Ziegler, while she was a patient at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. He has endowed a scholarship in her name at the medical school. He also has endowed a field hockey scholarship in her name at Penn State's main campus.

Ziegler decided to donate time and materials to build the commons after touring the campus in Lower Swatara Twp.

"Seeing everything else going on and all the changes they are making there, I wanted to be a part of it," Ziegler said. "It looks pretty neat. I'm proud of it."

Campus officials announced in June an undisclosed donation to build a tennis complex. The campus also has seen the addition of an aquatic center in 2004, a food court in 2003, a three-story library in 2000, and an addition to the science and technology building in 1998.

**********

SILVER SPRING TWP.

Questions delay developers' plans

Thursday, August 25, 2005
BY CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of The Patriot-News

Plans for a 500,000-square- foot shopping center in Silver Spring Twp. that would include a Target department store and the area's first Wegmans grocery have been put on hold temporarily.

A partnership headed by Jacksonville, Fla.-based development firm Regency Centers had hoped to gain final approval from the supervisors last night for its plans for the 64-acre site now occupied by the Silver Spring Speedway, a flea market and a mobile home park.

With many questions regarding traffic and roads surrounding the proposed center still not finalized by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Ron Lucas, the attorney representing the developers, agreed for the board to delay its decision until an Oct. 26 meeting.

Most of the questions did not concern the plan for the shopping center, but rather a federally funded project to improve nearby intersections on the Carlisle Pike.

Supervisor Jan LeBlanc said that under the state's Municipal Planning Code, a plan cannot be rejected because of traffic congestion. Nonetheless, Lucas agreed to the delay after supervisors and members of the public repeatedly asked how the plan could be approved with so many unanswered questions.

In a related matter, two appeals of the project's conditional use approvals, granted last month by the supervisors, were filed yesterday in Cumberland County Court.

Nathan Wolf, an attorney representing a group called Smart Growth for Silver Spring, filed one appeal, based on an objection to the supervisors' refusal to allow further testimony after a public hearing on the plan was closed.

Wolf said a request for an immediate injunction against the project was denied by Judge Edgar B. Bayley.

Attorneys for Sofa Selections, which is across the Carlisle Pike from the project site, also filed an appeal yesterday. The basis of its appeal was not known. Don Spitler, Sofa Selections' owner, has been talking with the shopping center developers about concerns that turning lanes for the shopping center could impair access to his store.

[Spudmrg]

Some (very quick) thoughts after being DT for about 2 weeks.....

1. The food DT is great......but you run out of places after being down there for a week on a budget. Perhaps a market exists for a decent inexpensive location that's not a sports bar/club.

2. Unless you're into clubbing, it's a bit hard to find anything to do in the city after dinner.

3. Shipoke is a lot larger then it looks from front street.

4. The views of the city are priceless.

5. I miss 'da burg already :(.

Comments anyone? Please forgive me if I sound negative, those are just the points I have right now.

[EastSideHBG]

1. Yes, DT is definitely "Yuppiefied" now and rather expensive in most places. There are a few places, though, it's just that they are off the beaten path and you need to know about them (and most are outside of DT and in Midtown, etc.).

2. I agree. If you aren't into bars/clubs, DT after dark is not the place to be. I'm mixed on this to be honest and I will say that I would like to see more retail. Still, it's hard for me to complain b/c I remember HBG BEFORE all of this...to me it is like paradise now compared to what it was!!!

*And I do think once HBG U opens up, it will bring a lot...

3. Yes, my 'hood is much bigger than it appears from the street and there is a lot packed in here. So many neat things to see and even though I have been here for 4 months, I am always finding new things. :)

4. :yes: Especially from City Island and Negley Park in Lemoyne!!

5. :)

Maybe next time you are in town we can meet up, Mike. My schedule was just too hectic this time around...

And did anyone see that they are clearing the site for the new judicial cneter already? HELL YEAH!!! :rock:


Repaving to restrict Route 22 traffic at night

Lane closures also expected for I-83 bridge work

Saturday, August 27, 2005
From staff reports

Motorists who use Route 22 on the East Shore can expect nightly delays starting tomorrow after work begins on a $973,000 resurfacing project in the Colonial Park area.

In an unrelated West Shore project, nighttime traffic on the South Bridge will be restricted tomorrow through Thursday near the Lemoyne exit of Interstate 83.

The East Shore work zone stretches from 36th Street in Susquehanna Twp. to Colonial Road in Lower Paxton Twp. and includes the portion of Colonial Road between Route 22 and Devonshire Road.

Work will begin in the westbound lanes, said Mike Crochunis, a spokesman for the District 8 office of the state Department of Transportation.

Crochunis said most of the work will be done between 7:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays. No restrictions are anticipated during weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

That portion of Route 22 carries nearly 31,000 vehicles per day, while Colonial Road handles an average of 15,200.

Crochunis said the project, which is being done by Blooming Glen Contractors Inc. of Hummelstown, is to be wrapped up by the end of November.

Once the project is done, motorists no longer will be able to turn left from Franklin Street onto Route 22. The project will add left-turn lanes on Route 22 at the traffic light at 39th Street and at the intersection with Franklin Street.

The West Shore restrictions will be in place from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. while PennDOT maintenance crews rehabilitate sections of the bridge expansion joints.

From tomorrow evening to Monday morning, traffic will be restricted to the left and center lanes during work on the southbound lanes of I-83 about 500 feet south of the Lemoyne exit, Exit 42.

During evening operations Monday through Thursday, traffic will be restricted to the right lane and right shoulder while crews work on the bridge expansion joints that cross the center and left lanes.

[EastSideHBG]

STATE FINANCING

TecPort gets expansion aid

Friday, August 26, 2005

The TecPort Business Center got a $2.04 million boost from the Rendell administration yesterday as it kicked off its third phase of development.

Half the money from the Commonwealth Financing Authority is in the form of a loan, and the other half is a grant. It will be used for construction of a new municipally owned road, site-preparation activities and extension of public utilities, including the telecommunications network.

Expansion of the business center in Swatara Twp., being developed by Crossgates Inc. and Computer Aid Inc., is projected to bring an additional 2,500 jobs to the area. The third and final phase of development will include Class A office space on the 35-acre tract.

TecPort is in an enterprise zone on the former AMP Inc. campus. More than 5,000 jobs will have been created there once development is completed next year, eclipsing the number of jobs AMP had provided, according to Crossgates.

******

HARRISBURG

Knackstedt gets City Council's ear

Friday, August 26, 2005
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

Interior designer-turned developer Mary Knackstedt has been getting an earful from residents angry over her plans to demolish three houses on North Front Street to build a five-story luxury condominium building.

Last night, Knackstedt found a much more sympathetic ear in the Harrisburg City Council, which will have final say over whether the $32-million project moves forward.

Council Vice President Linda Thompson lit into the city's handling of the project, saying the record is filled with mistake after mistake that has cost Knackstedt time and money.

Thompson said Mayor Stephen R. Reed's initial embrace of a smaller-scale version of Knackstedt's condo plans for the 2900 block of North Front Street encouraged the project.

And Thompson criticized apparent mixed signals from the city planning department over whether the project would qualify as a planned residential development.

Knackstedt's engineers said city officials initially instructed them to submit the project as a planned residential development, which allows for multiple unit structures. They said the city then reversed itself and ruled the project didn't fit even the basic requirements of the specialized planning category.

"We followed instructions," Knackstedt said, adding she wouldn't have sunk $1 million into real estate and another $400,000 into developing the project if city officials hadn't been receptive.

Thompson, along with several other council members, appeared to sympathize with Knackstedt and questioned whether she had been treated fairly.

"This is the worst deal I ever presided over," said Thompson, who chaired last night's public hearing as head of the council's economic development committee. "I've never seen any developer go through this. She has not been given due process."

Thompson said the city has a long record of accommodating developers to spur development, but didn't extend the same courtesy to Knackstedt.

"I have seen us bend over backwards to make exceptions for developers," Thompson said. "I don't think we did everything to assist this developer."

Council member Gloria Martin-Roberts said it's a matter of fairness. And Councilwoman Susan Brown Wilson questioned whether Knackstedt's gender had something to do with the apparent roadblocks.

"I want to make sure we are consistent in the way we treat people in this city," Martin-Roberts said.

The hearing attracted about 60 people, many of them nearby residents who oppose the project.

About a dozen people spoke against the plans, saying Harrisburg would lose three 1920s-era buildings and residents would lose their river views while having to contend with more traffic.

The 32-unit condo building would be 57 feet high on a 23,445-square-foot footprint, with underground parking for 146 cars.

David A. Zwifka, executive director of Historic Harrisburg Association, called the plan for $1 million condos an attempt to "exploit views of the Susquehanna River for those who can afford to live there." If built, the project would inspire copycats and threaten more old buildings along the river, he said.

Despite the controversy, Thompson signaled her wish that the city work with Knackstedt to find some way to develop her site.

"I want to see what the city can do to make it a possibility," Thompson said of the project.

Wilson added, "Why would we not want to make this workable?"

Thompson said she favors giving Knackstedt a 30-day extension that would force a final decision by council no later than Oct. 6. Thompson promised to hold at least one more public hearing on the matter.

THE STORY SO FAR Mary Knackstedt bought the house at 2901 N. Front St. in 1978 and bought 2909 and 2917 N. Front in Harrisburg in November. In February, she said she would raze them to build 32 condominiums. The Historic Harrisburg Association and others protested. In April, the Harrisburg Planning Commission, an advisory body, voted against the plan. The city withdrew a demolition permit it had issued. Four residents filed suit, claiming a deed restriction bars Knackstedt's plan. She is seeking a new demolition permit.

[EastSideHBG]

Oh and this was pretty weird, a driverless SUV came barreling down Beryhill St. yesterday and ran into someone on Cameron. Very :nuts:

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/east/index.ssf?/base/news/1125134456280030.xml&coll=1

[harrisburger]

glad to hear the burg is still booming, it's all of these little projects that will make it better...but on the sad side, i'm heading off to college monday morning, so i won't see the progress. hopefully, after a few months, i'll come back and be amazed from all of the changes

[EastSideHBG]

Good luck, have fun and don't party too hard, harrisburger. ;)

[wrightchr]

Good luck, have fun and don't party too hard, harrisburger. ;)

BE COOL...STAY IN SCHOOL :D

[EastSideHBG]

GREAT news!!! :carrot:

A home for Harrisburg U.

University has deal to acquire Market Street post office site

Tuesday, August 30, 2005
BY JAN MURPHY
Of The Patriot-News

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology held its first classes yesterday, and moved closer to landing the site it has long coveted.

The university has a signed letter of intent to acquire the 15-acre post office property on Market Street from the U.S. Postal Service, Mayor Stephen R. Reed said yesterday.

Reed didn't disclose the purchase price, but he said it entails building a mail-sorting facility for the postal service at the rear of the property. Additionally, a post office retail center will be on the campus, he said.

Efforts to reach the postal service for comment were unsuccessful.

The university's 175 students are attending classes in Harrisburg School District's SciTech High School, which will be the university's home through 2006-07. By then, work is expected to be finished on a $30 million high-rise being built at Fourth and Market streets.

Still, university officials said the post office property is needed to expand the university's offerings and provide student housing.

Reed preferred the post office site because it is a tax-exempt property, is downtown, and is a short walk to the Harrisburg Transportation Center for bus and train service. He said preliminary designs for developing the site are complete.

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

HARRISBURG

A GRAND OPENING

Astronaut helps university set sail

Tuesday, August 30, 2005
BY JAN MURPHY
Of The Patriot-News

Jarrett Drayton had no problem waking up for his first class at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. "I jumped right out of bed," he said.

Another student, Vian Raoof, said she was so excited she could barely sleep the night before. And an astronaut came to urge the pioneer class of Harrisburg University to strive for its dreams.

Yesterday marked the opening day for the university. Its roots go back more than a decade to a newspaper editorial's clarion call for a university and to Mayor Stephen R. Reed, who was intent on making that dream happen.

Walking into the classroom in SciTech High, the university's home until it gets a building of its own, the excitement was palpable.

"Everybody tried to add to the conversation at the same time," said Drayton, an 18-year-old Harrisburg High graduate. "Everybody had something to say. They were all excited about being part of history."

Realizing dreams was the common thread woven into speeches made at the inaugural opening convocation at the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts' Sunoco Performance Theater.

Dr. Bernard Harris Jr., the first black astronaut to walk in space, told the crowd of his boyhood dream of becoming an astronaut. He recalled, as a 9-year-old reared in a broken home by his mother on a Navajo Indian Reservation, looking at the stars over Arizona and New Mexico, wondering what it would be like to travel to those lights.

"If the story stopped there, there wouldn't be any reason for you to believe me that a little boy just dreaming of being an astronaut could ever be an astronaut," he said. "If I can come from that background and accomplish the things that I have done thus far, so can you."

Harris said he likes the university's focus on women and minorities and its emphasis on science and technology. He likes that it is brand new.

"What you guys are doing here in Harrisburg ... is a model for the rest of the country," he said.

David Schankweiler, chairman of the university's board of trustees, said it was "a day many of us have waited for, planned for and worked hard to achieve. It is truly a day of celebration.

"We celebrate a new and much-needed opportunity for our region that marries education and economic development for the benefit of the young people we are proudly welcoming as our students," he said.

Reed was named by university President Mel Schiavelli as its first honorary alumnus. Schiavelli teased he wouldn't make Reed sing the alma mater, but warned him to be prepared to do so when the university moves into the first building of its own when it is completed in two years at Fourth and Market streets.

"What is beginning this day in Harrisburg is no less than a long-term strategy that positions Harrisburg and Pennsylvania to have the best and the brightest of students and leaders and innovators," Reed said. "These are exciting times in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania."

So exciting that Vian Raoof, 21, a Kurd from Iraq who emigrated to Harrisburg eight years ago, could hardly sleep the night before her first class at 9 a.m. -- cell biology.

"I couldn't get to sleep until 3," said the biotechnology major. "I'm ready for the journey, wondering what it will be like and looking forward to it."

Faculty member Christina Dryden, wearing a gold stole with the words "Harrisburg University" down one side and "Charter faculty" down the other, compared her experience to that of Harris when he first went into space.

"It's somewhere between excitement and nerves," she said.

[EastSideHBG]

What do you guys think, would $1 million condos have a market here? If the sizes of the new developments in Hamden Twp., Hershey, etc., are any indication, I'd sure say so. :no:


HARRISBURG

Council extends deadline for decision on condos

Wednesday, August 31, 2005
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

The Harrisburg City Council has given itself more time to consider whether luxury condos are right for North Front Street.

Voting unanimously, council last night approved a 30-day extension for a land development plan submitted by interior designer-turned-developer Mary Knackstedt.

Knackstedt wants to demolish three 1920s-era buildings on the 2900 block of North Front Street in order to build a 32-unit condo building that would feature $1 million residences.

The council now has until Oct. 6 to make a final decision on the plan. It has promised to hold at least one more public hearing on the matter.

Some local residents and groups such as Historic Harrisburg Association oppose the project, saying the city would lose Front Street mansions, and that residents' views of the Susquehanna River would be blocked by the five-story condo building.

[Spudmrg]

I want them to hold off until I can afford one ;)

[EastSideHBG]

LOL I know that I will be waiting a long, long time. ;)


LOWER PAXTON TWP.

Wal-Mart proposal remains in limbo

Thursday, September 01, 2005
BY BILL SULON
Of The Patriot-News

Wal-Mart's plan for a supercenter in Lower Paxton Twp., already in legal limbo for a year, will remain on hold for at least another couple of weeks.

Dauphin County Judge Lawrence F. Clark Jr. said he hopes to hold a conference, in mid-September at the earliest, with representatives of the world's largest retailer, the township and a citizens group opposed to efforts to build the 223,806-square foot store at Route 22 and Blue Ribbon Avenue.

Clark had planned to hold the conference last month but was unable to get all the parties together because of vacation schedule conflicts.

In August 2004, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. received conditional approval to build a store at a site occupied by Holy Name of Jesus Roman Catholic Church.

Wal-Mart would pay Holy Name $12 million for the 26 acres, and the church would put the money toward building a church, school and athletic fields on 110 acres it owns in neighboring West Hanover Twp.

Wal-Mart filed suit after Lower Paxton Twp. withdrew its conditional approval and rejected the plan after arguing the retailer failed to respond to the nine conditions within 15 days.

Wal-Mart said it disagreed with some of the conditions and that the township sent the conditional approval notice to the wrong representative.

Lower Paxton Residents for Responsible Growth, which initially opposed the supervisors' conditional approval, filed suit on behalf of the township after the approval lapsed.

Clark said he wants the parties to get together so he can determine if there is room for a settlement.

"I want to understand where they're coming from on this issue and that issue," Clark said.

Any delay is a good one, said Steven R. Snyder, the lawyer representing the citizens group. "Frankly, the longer this takes, the longer we don't have a Wal-Mart," he said.

HRG Inc. in Harrisburg, the engineering firm that represented Wal-Mart throughout the application process, did not return calls seeking comment.

Holy Name, which has met with opposition from a separate citizens group in West Hanover Twp., still plans to build facilities there, according to Monsignor E. Lawrence. "We're just waiting to see how this plays out," he said of the litigation.

He said the church has no intention of withdrawing its plans for building in West Hanover, but that it probably will have to scale back the size of the project because of the delays.

Bob Leonard, zoning officer in West Hanover Twp., said church officials recently informed him "they are in a re-analysis to reduce the cost of the project."

The Concerned Citizens of West Hanover Twp. filed an appeal of West Hanover's conditional approval of the church's plan.

That appeal also is before Judge Clark. Even if he sides with Lower Paxton Twp. and he rejects Wal-Mart's plan, the retailer can still build on the property, though the building, parking lot or both would have to be smaller, said township supervisor Bill Hornung.

In the time since Wal-Mart's plan was submitted to the township, the municipality adopted a more restrictive commercial zoning ordinance that reduces the amount of space allotted for a building and parking lot to 65 percent of the total property, from 75 percent.

And, for now, opponents can't argue that the plan should be rejected if it results in increased traffic.

Snyder's citizens group has argued that the plan should have been rejected from the start because the store would increase traffic along Route 22 and nearby side roads.

"Traffic is a moot issue at this point," Hornung said. "There's nothing we can do but wait this out."

[EastSideHBG]

And don't forget that Kipona is this weekend!!! One of my all time favorite HBG events for sure!! :carrot:

http://www.harrisburgpa.gov/parksRec/specialEvents/kipona/index.html

http://www.harrisburgpa.gov/pressReleases/prArchives/2005/09/kipona%202005.htm

[Spudmrg]

Hmmmmmm, I'll be in Happy Valley this weekend, but I'll try to take time to vist 'da burg. Thanks for the reminder EastSide.

[EastSideHBG]

I didn't know the Fire Museum was doing this good...honestly, I really don't think it is...

HARRISBURG

Man seeks to save city-owned church

Friday, September 02, 2005
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

Harrisburg has quietly purchased a vacant church in the 300 block of Kelker Street, which could set the stage for an expansion of the city's National Fire Museum.

A spokesman for Mayor Stephen R. Reed said only that the city has acquired the church at 332 Kelker St. and plans to use it for fire training.

But Edward Zook, pastor of Herr Street Mennonite Church, is crusading to keep the building as a church and could be interested in moving his congregation there.

"We would be interested," said Zook, who lives near the vacant church and had been making inquiries about it for years.

Zook said he didn't receive a response from the church's former owner. When he learned the city had bought it, he approached Harrisburg officials but found their plans for the building were firm.

More recently, Zook has appealed to City Council to halt the church's demolition.

The church shares a parking lot with the National Fire Museum on North Fourth Street. The church parcel would provide a large tract for potential expansion of the $3.2 million museum.

City spokesman Randy King provided no specifics on how the land would be used or details of what he called a "potential" museum expansion.

However, ideas being floated are said to include an administrative office building, a parking garage or a retirement home for former firefighters.

Zook, who circulated a petition among neighbors, says it should remain a church that would serve the growing residential area around the Capitol Heights development.

Zook said the planned fire training would all but ruin any potential the building has to remain a church. The training usually involves smoke drills that would sully the interior, he said.

Already, the city has removed the building's electrical system and pews and plans to strip the plumbing, heating and stained glass windows before beginning the fire drills.

"Once they do the smoke drills, it's too far gone," Zook said. "The building's gone."

[EastSideHBG]

It's nice to see that people are finally paying attention to this neglected area. It's prime real estate and too close to it all to be wasting away!!!


REVIVAL

Prices could draw 1st-time buyers to Summit Terrace

Sunday, September 04, 2005
BY ELLEN LYON
Of The Patriot-News

The empty lot at the end of Bailey Street, perched high above Cameron Street, offers a majestic view of the Capitol and downtown Harrisburg.

But turn around and look at the Summit Terrace neighborhood behind it, and the view isn't nearly so pretty.

While some of the older houses have been restored and others have been replaced, plenty of properties need work. They are victims of the blight that followed the middle-class exodus from Harrisburg in the 1960s and 1970s.

Nevertheless, some real estate agents, investors and community activists believe this section of Allison Hill is poised for revival.

As house prices in midtown and uptown continue to rise, real estate agent Greg Rothman thinks Summit Terrace might be the next magnet for young, first-time buyers who want to live in the city.

"An area like Summit Terrace, that's the opportunity for some to still own real estate," he said.

The neighborhood is close to downtown jobs and has "one of the nicer views in the whole city," noted Rothman, president and CEO of RSR Realtors.

David Wise, president and CEO of the Summit Terrace Neighborhood Association, believes the community already meets one of the fundamental requirements for real estate -- location.

"I'm trying to sell this neighborhood, and I think I have something going in terms of location," he said.

Melvin Johnson, chairman of the board of the Fair Housing Council of the Capital Region, also predicts a "renaissance" in Summit Terrace similar to what has occurred in the Shipoke and midtown sections of the city.

Yet Summit Terrace is "distinctly different from midtown" in that it's quieter, its residents tend to be older and it's not in the floodplain, Johnson said.

With its higher number of owner-occupied houses and its stable population of longtime residents, Summit Terrace also is different from the rest of Allison Hill.

"They have no problem picking up the phone and reporting [to police] things they have seen," Johnson said.

Johnson knows the neighborhood because he bought two apartment buildings on Bailey Street for $37,000 each in 1996. If he put them on the market now, he said, "It wouldn't be [for] less than $60,000."

And that's not just because of his investment in new roofs, carpeting and paint. The construction in Summit Terrace is driving up the price of the older houses there, even though they might not be comparable, he said.

Wise remembers a time when $20,000 was the top price a Summit Terrace house could command. Now, a renovated house down the street from his house is for sale for $69,900.

After town houses were built in the neighborhood, Wise said, he saw other residents improving their properties. "I knew right then and there we'd turned a corner," he said.

Investor Geoffrey Hebert has bought and renovated about a dozen houses in the Harrisburg area in the last 31/2 years, including two on North 12th Street in Summit Terrace. He said he re-sold one of the Summit Terrace houses almost immediately for a small profit.

The other house Hebert bought 18 months ago for about $13,000. Since then, he estimates, he has spent thousands of dollars on the 90-year-old, 1,500-square-foot house, installing new wiring, heating, air conditioning and windows and rebuilding the porch. Now, he said, he has a tenant living there in a "rent-to-own" arrangement.

Some of the "For Rent" signs in the neighborhood have been replaced by "For Sale" signs posted by well-known real estate companies such as RE/MAX and Jack Gaughen.

"That's one of the signs that a neighborhood has become marketable," when real estate agents take listings there, Wise said.

But Bill Fink, an agent with RE/MAX Realty Associates, still finds it a "tough" neighborhood for sales.

"I see signs of progress," Fink said. "The property values are going up everywhere. They're not going up as high there, but they're still going up."

In the second quarter of this year, the average home price in the Harrisburg area was a record $172,456, and the average number of days on the market for a property listed with a real estate agent was 48.

Fink has a listing in Summit Terrace -- a three-bedroom house with an asking price of $55,000. It has been on the market about three months, he said.

Last year, Fink had another listing in the neighborhood for a house that had been completely renovated inside. After a year, there were no takers, he said.

Hebert said he would recommend Summit Terrace to other investors.

"The bad elements have been pretty well routed out of there. It's a safe, quiet neighborhood," he said. "Tons of people can walk to work" from there.

Houses at Summit Terrace offer a lot of square footage for the price, Hebert said.

"I've always been a person who enjoyed the view," said Hebert, noting that he used to live in scenic San Francisco. "I think [Summit Terrace is] an up-and-coming neighborhood, particularly all along the road there with all the views. ... This place has the most beautiful sunsets."

[EastSideHBG]

Home-occupancy data

Sunday, September 04, 2005

HOME-OCCUPANCY STATISTICS within four "block groups" on Allison Hill are compared. A block group is a small statistical subdivision whose residents generally share population characteristics, economic status and living conditions. Summit Terrace accounts for about half of its block group. The other block groups listed below are near Summit Terrace. This data is from the 2000 census.

TRACT 212-2 (includes Summit Terrace)

Total housing units: 632

Owner occupied: 216, or 34 percent

Renter occupied: 229, or 36 percent

Vacant: 187, or 30 percent


TRACT 212-1

Total housing units: 518

Owner occupied: 165, or 32 percent

Renter occupied: 175, or 34 percent

Renter occupied: 175, or 34 percent

Vacant: 178, or 34 percent


TRACT 216-2

Total housing units: 306

Owner occupied: 87, or 28 percent

Renter occupied: 187, or 61 percent

Vacant: 32, or 10 percent


TRACT 216-3

Total housing units: 601

Owner occupied: 231, or 38 percent

Renter occupied: 285, or 47 percent

Vacant: 85, or 14 percent

[EastSideHBG]

I hate to bombard you with these articles, but I think they are great!!! I love reading stories like these:

REALESTATE

Investing in the NEIGHBORHOOD

Sunday, September 04, 2005
BY ELLEN LYON
Of The Patriot-News

Margaret Edwards sees drug activity, junked cars, trash piles and disrespectful youths on the streets of her Summit Terrace neighborhood on Harrisburg's Allison Hill.

Vandals steal the knobs off the white vinyl fence she installed around her 4-year-old house at Balm and Walnut streets. "It cost me money to put that fence up," Edwards, 80, said.

While Edwards' experience defines the blight evident in many inner cities, three couples living just a few blocks away defy it.

David and Lelia Wise, Jim and Lois Corbin and Ernest and Arneata Roberts have kept their Walnut Street houses immaculately maintained while racking up 167 years of marriage among them, before Jim Corbin died in January.

They have been stalwarts for a half-century in a once stable, working-class enclave that declined. Now David Wise, 82, is trying to lead a community renaissance as president and CEO of the Summit Terrace Neighborhood Association.

Summit Terrace, a patchwork of about a dozen streets and alleys perched above Cameron Street, is a bundle of tense contradictions. Proud homeowners zealous about upkeep of their properties contend with absentee landlords whose properties languish.

The neighborhood has a lower crime rate and higher homeownership rate than some other sections of Allison Hill.

Yet alternating among blocks of neat new town houses are ramshackle row houses that look like bomb sites in an urban war. Sometimes the dichotomy is door-to-door, with quaint older houses with flower-filled window boxes beside boarded-up ruins.

Longtime residents say it wasn't always like this.

Working class enclave:

Mary Travick, 72, grew up in Summit Terrace. "It was nice. You didn't have to lock your doors. It was a multi-racial community. The kids played together," she said.

Travick moved back in the 1980s and, in recent years, has noticed a big change that she attributes to "a lot of new people moving in and not caring about the neighborhood."

Now, she said, there are "new homes in the middle of mess. ... There's trash on the street."

Arneata Roberts moved into the neighborhood as a child in 1950. "We had really nice neighbors," she recalled. Roberts married 43 years ago and raised her three children in the same house. But as the older residents left, properties deteriorated, she said.

Now Roberts, 64, and her husband, Ernest, 66, are retired -- she from 30 years with the state and he from 28 years with the U.S. Postal Service. Ernest Roberts tends the roses and geraniums in their front yard.

They are pleased to see the vacant house next door finally being renovated and put on the market.

Arneata Roberts doesn't think the neighborhood will ever return to the way it once was, "but it has improved," she said.

The Corbins moved into Summit Terrace in 1953 from a small rental house in Steelton with no indoor plumbing. "I was looking for something better for my children," Lois Corbin said.

She and her husband of 69 years built a good life, raising their six children in relative peace. She worked for the federal government, ran a beauty salon in her basement and earned her high school diploma at age 65. He worked for the old Penn Harris Hotel for 55 years.

Wise, who lives across the street from Corbin and the Roberts, has succeeded as president of the neighborhood association in getting some houses renovated and others demolished and replaced.

Before the city and neighborhood association contemplate any more construction "they need to fix some of the existing homes or tear them down," Travick said. "What's the use of building a new house next to a shack?"

The challenge facing those who would rebuild Summit Terrace isn't unique.

The downtown revitalization that occurred in many cities in recent years hasn't spread equally to other neighborhoods, according to Eric Menzer, chairman of the board of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania.

The nonprofit 10,000 Friends advocates for redevelopment of older towns and cities to reduce sprawl.

"The efforts in downtowns have clearly been more successful than in the lower-income residential neighborhoods that surround those downtowns," said Menzer, who also is vice president of Wagman Construction in York.

Where they fall short is in attracting private developers to follow the government and nonprofit initiatives in those neighborhoods, he said.

Wise's vision:

Wise, who reads urban planning books for fun, has formed a vision for Summit Terrace's future that relies on making that transition to private development. He believes he's got just the location to make it work.

It's not your typical "gentrification" plan that displaces existing homeowners with people with higher incomes. "That's not what I'm envisioning. You can have both," Wise said. "In order for you to have a revitalized neighborhood, you have to have a mixed-income neighborhood."

He pictures a community where 90 percent of the houses are owner-occupied, and the middle-income residents serve as role models for how to keep up the properties.

The foundation of Wise's ambitious renewal plan rests on a grassy plot at the end of Bailey Street, a few blocks from a community garden and the neighborhood association's office. The site offers a sweeping vista of the Capitol and downtown Harrisburg. "This is really prime property here," he said. "This is going to be an anchor."

Wise wants to see a private developer build market-rate duplexes at what would become a cul-de-sac.

As part of the deal, he'd like the entire Bailey Street corridor to get a face-lift, from building facades to curbing and sidewalks, with preservation of some green space. Then he'd like the neighborhood's 12th Street and Walnut Street corridors to have similar face-lifts.

The association has rejected one developer's plan that would have packed 50 condominiums on the approximately one-acre site. The developer wanted to build an entrance road to Cameron Street that would have isolated the condos from the rest of Summit Terrace, Wise said.

"It would create animosity between people living in the condos and the neighborhood, so we turned it down," he explained.

Not everyone is swayed by Wise's concept. "That space could be a nice park for the kids and senior citizens," Travick said.

One of the assets Summit Terrace has to draw developers is an active association, Wise said.

It was, after all, the association's founder, Ruth Curtis, who coined the neighborhood's name after she persuaded the city to upgrade a playground at the end of Summit Street, Wise said.

The association has gotten more than $500,000 in federal, state and local redevelopment grants for construction of 23 homes, he noted.

The city has been involved in the building of those houses and the rebuilding of an additional 10 houses that have sold over the last eight years, according to Randy King, spokesman for Mayor Stephen R. Reed.

And in 1998, the Greater Williamsport Development Corp. fixed up a brick duplex with big bay windows and front and back porches on North 12th Street. The project won an architectural preservation award.

Although there are no developers working in the neighborhood, there might be enough vacant properties by the end of the year, after some demolitions, to interest one, King said.

Wise said the community welcomes investors as long as they are not speculators or slumlords intending to make a quick buck. "We want developers that want to add to and improve the neighborhood," he said.

Wise's vision has made him picky about any construction planned for the neighborhood.

He asked Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area, which has built 12 houses in Summit Terrace and the surrounding area over the last 20 years, not to start any new construction.

"We want more market-rate housing. They're building houses for people who can't afford market-rate housing," explained Wise, a member of Habitat's board.

Habitat has agreed to instead concentrate on renovating existing houses. The organization has fixed up seven houses and is working on two others, according to Christine Guss, director of development for Habitat.

Habitat also is renovating the old Central Publishing House at 13th and Walnut streets, just outside Summit Terrace's borders, for its headquarters and warehouse. It's a $780,000 investment in a building that had been vacant for 32 years, Guss said.

Habitat plans to operate a store there where neighborhood people can get donated building supplies to fix up their houses, she said.

Signs of hope:

Summit Terrace is a model of "citizen engagement," according to King. Residents don't hesitate to call the city or the police, he said.

"When I see something wrong, I report it," Corbin said.

Right now she'd like to see the alley behind the row of houses where she lives cleared of the overgrown trees, brush and junk that blocks it. "They should pay more attention to what's happening in the back of buildings," she said.

Arneata Roberts is circulating a petition for a speed bump to slow the traffic.

Several residents suggested reinstating a curfew for the younger children. "We need to kind of get together and do something about a curfew because there's a million kids running around from God knows where," Travick said.

There has been the occasional serious crime, including a non-fatal shooting on Bailey Street at the end of June. And in 2003, the owner of a corner store was robbed and shot. Although he survived and reopened his store for a while, it has since closed.

Gloria Hamm, owner of a town house on Linden Street, said police attended a recent neighborhood meeting "to assure us that if we call they'll come out."

They can expect another call from Edwards. "I'm mad as hell at Steve Reed," she said. "I just want some action done."

Along Walnut and Linden, "it's nothing but a drug place. I have called city hall about them making noise out here [at] 2 or 3 in the morning," Edwards said. "It's like I'm living in the slums."

Some of Summit Terrace's newer residents are showing the pride of ownership that was once characteristic of the neighborhood.

Hamm, 67, said the houses in her 10-year-old development have stayed nice. She just wishes a rental property across the street would be renovated like the house next to it was. "They are trying to fix up the houses in this neighborhood," she said.

Mia Perkins, 37, will move into the Habitat house next door to Corbin. It will be the first house she has owned, and she has already promised Corbin that she will be a good neighbor.

"I want it to look just as nice as the others," Perkins said of her new house. "When I get in there, I'm not leaving. ... I'm going to appreciate it a lot more. I'm going to have to pay a mortgage, too."

Corbin makes a point of meeting her neighbors.

"If someone moves in this neighborhood, someone should know them. What if they have a death in the family," she said. "That's one issue I'm big on, knowing your neighbors."

Corbin said she tells them it's a nice neighborhood, and "I'd like to see it stay like this."

[EastSideHBG]

Resident works hard to revive neighborhood

Sunday, September 04, 2005
BY ELLEN LYON
Of The Patriot-News

When David Wise returned from World War II and started his family, it wasn't easy for a black man in Harrisburg to buy a house.

Wise, a South Carolina native who moved to Steelton when he was 2, didn't particularly want to live in Summit Terrace. But the mostly white, working-class neighborhood on Allison Hill was one of the few areas in the city open to black home buyers, he said.

So after finally finding a bank to give him a mortgage -- he had to make a 50 percent down payment -- he bought a three-story house at Walnut and North 12th streets for $10,000 in 1952.

Wise paid off the 10-year mortgage in half that time. He and his wife, Lelia, raised five children as Wise worked as a bricklayer at Bethlehem Steel for 43 years and held a second job at Harrisburg Hospital for 23 years.

Over the years, they watched the neighborhood change, as first the white folks and then many of the middle-class black folks moved to the suburbs.

"Ironically, in the '60s, when the civil rights movement happened and blacks had more opportunities ... that kind of opening created a great gap between the so-called middle income and the poor," Wise said. "What was left were people lacking in the ability to take control of their leadership."

Public services, such as police protection and trash pickup, declined along with home values, while the number of absentee landlords, low-income renters and poorly maintained properties rose, he said.

Wise considered moving to the suburbs. "I chose to stay because it's still my philosophy that if you want to change something you're going to have to do something about it," he explained.

So Wise became president and CEO of the Summit Terrace Neighborhood Association, formed in 1983 by a group of longtime residents concerned about the deterioration of their community.

In the volunteer job, Wise has lobbied for police bicycle patrols, city demolition of dilapidated houses and government grants for redevelopment.

His voice rises to a preacher's pitch as he speaks of not just the physical rehabilitation of properties but "the human rehabilitation, which is more important."

After eight rundown houses were demolished on Bailey Street, across from the association's office, he turned the vacant lots into a community garden.

A sprightly 82, Wise keeps a close eye on properties as he walks the neighborhood wearing a tan cap.

When he spotted a sloppy paint job and no doorbell or porch light on a renovated house for sale, he called the city to say it wasn't ready for an occupancy permit.

When the grass on a vacant lot wasn't being regularly mowed, he called the owner, who no longer lives in the neighborhood, and proposed that she deed the lot to the neighborhood association.

Wise maintains his approximately 100-year-old corner row house as an example. The red brick has been re-pointed. The white trim looks freshly painted. The hedge and shrubs are trimmed, and electric candles burn in the windows. "I try to practice what I preach," he said.

Wise's leadership is not without controversy. One resident hinted at disagreements with the association but declined to talk about them. Other residents expressed frustration with the slow pace of change.

But Greg Rothman, a real estate agent who sells many properties in the city, calls himself "a big fan" of Wise.

"In order to get done what he's had to get done, you have to be controversial," said Rothman, president and CEO of RSR Realtors. "He believes in what he's doing, that things should be done right."

Wise's longtime neighbor Lois Corbin moved to Summit Terrace a year after he did. "I know Brother Wise does as much as he can," she said.

Wise acknowledges that Summit Terrace's renewal has taken longer than he expected.

"I can envision it will come back to the way it was," Wise said. "Progress is two steps forward and one step back."

[EastSideHBG]

Delay in stadium revamp has fans squirming in seats

Sunday, September 04, 2005

BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

There's no clock in baseball. Time doesn't seem to matter much around the diamond, making for a leisurely pace that purists love.

But Harrisburg Senators fans might be getting a little impatient.

They don't want to speed up the game, just progress on a $30 million project to revamp Commerce Bank Park on City Island, the home of their team.

Last month, Mayor Stephen R. Reed officially declared the project dead for this year. Reed said he was forced to put stadium renovations on hold because Gov. Ed Rendell has yet to deliver a state commitment to pick up $16.9 million of the cost. The city is paying the rest.

That means, instead of opening next April, the revamped stadium won't be ready until spring of 2007, at the earliest.

As the Senators played out their final homestand, news of the delay left fans disappointed, but not surprised.

For three years there's been talk of putting Harrisburg's stadium on par with the rest of the teams in the Eastern League. But the rows and rows of bleacher seats with no backrests remain as uncomfortable as ever.

"I'm disappointed," said season-ticket holder Shawn Magill of Lower Allen Twp. "They really built it up this time. There were some large expectations."

Magill was referring to displays featuring an architect's drawings of the remodeled stadium. The renderings were posted along the ballpark's main concourse, together with the promise, "Coming in 2006!"

As the season wound down, however, the drawings were nowhere to be found. On the field, the Senators were playing out the string of what will go down as the third disappointing year in a row.

For baseball fans, there's always next year. But in Harrisburg, they won't have skyboxes, more seats, a party deck, a new restaurant and a grand entryway to look forward to.

"Some of the seats are kind of stiff for a long game," Magill said.

'Time for a change':

Since Harrisburg's stadium opened in 1987, other cities have built baseball churches, where fans go to revel in the surroundings as much as watch the game.

For example, Lancaster's Clipper Magazine Stadium has drawn crowds for the city's independent league team. And in most rival Eastern League stadiums, the seats are wider, the sightlines better and the food choices more plentiful.

There are cupholders at every seat, not just in a limited number of infield boxes.

Well-traveled fans can't help but have stadium envy.

"You look at any other team, and they are upgrading," said Denny Christensen, a season-ticket holder from Springettsberry Twp., York County. "Harrisburg's stadium is just old, outdated. It's time for a change."

Ticket-taker Cheryl Starner said she can't wait for the new entrance that would allow all fans to enter in one place.

"I'm happy when my customers are happy," she said.

Near season's end, material and equipment for the upgrade were supposed to be on site and ready to roll. But on a recent weekend, the John Deere lawn tractors grooming the infield dirt were the only equipment.

'Don't put up the prices':

That's not a bad thing for some fans. Not all are in a rush for the promised improvements.

Some said the upgrades will almost certainly bring with them increased prices. Others fear the stadium will sacrifice its intimacy to become state of the art.

"It doesn't make any difference to me," said Robert McCarrison of Harrisburg. "I'm here every game. Just so long as they don't put up the prices too much. People won't be able to afford it."

Fans want AAA to stay:

Fans are vehement that it would be a major league mistake to use stadium improvements as bait for a AAA team, as Reed has suggested.

Minor league aficionados said AAA players, who have reached the top rung in the minors, tend to be older, more aloof and on their way down. It's on AA teams, such as the Senators, where up-and-coming talent is a hallmark.

Players are friendlier and more than accommodating when it comes to signing autographs night after night, fans said.

Senators supporter Louise Finneran of New Cumberland, who attended her 50th game of the season Aug. 26, keeps coming back.

"I like the guys," she said. "I don't try to hug them, like some of the old women. I just like to watch."

Finneran and friend Fern Tobias of Lemoyne have a perch atop the bleachers on the third-base side. They can see the whole field and catch a breeze.

"The grandstand's too noisy," Finneran said. "It's nice up here."

Joe Doll of Seven Valleys, York County, prefers the close-up view. His seats are first base field boxes, where he can snap photos of the action.

"It's homey here," he said. "It's a small park, the smallest one around. And we're so close to the field. It feels like you're right there in the action."

Changing the stadium could change all that, he said.

But it could also attract more fans.

A good value:

Burton Smith of Lower Paxton Twp. said Senators games are one of the best entertainment values around. He pays $370 a year for his season tickets.

"Where else are you going to get 71 evenings out with your wife for that kind of money?" he asked.

Sprucing up the stadium will lure more people, if only to check out the new digs, Smith said. But he's betting that many will keep coming back, especially if the Senators wake up and start winning again.

"It's nice now, but it will be even nicer," he said.

Only in Harrisburg are fans already looking ahead to opening day 2007 -- the new date for the new stadium.

[wrightchr]

i'm looking forward to the new stadium as well. it will be the envy of everyone, once it's upgraded :)

[Spudmrg]

As house prices in midtown and uptown continue to rise, real estate agent Greg Rothman thinks Summit Terrace might be the next magnet for young, first-time buyers who want to live in the city.

"An area like Summit Terrace, that's the opportunity for some to still own real estate," he said.
......

Yet Summit Terrace is "distinctly different from midtown" in that it's quieter, its residents tend to be older and it's not in the floodplain, Johnson said.

With its higher number of owner-occupied houses and its stable population of longtime residents, Summit Terrace also is different from the rest of Allison Hill.
.......

Wise remembers a time when $20,000 was the top price a Summit Terrace house could command. Now, a renovated house down the street from his house is for sale for $69,900.Fink has a listing in Summit Terrace -- a three-bedroom house with an asking price of $55,000. It has been on the market about three months, he said.

Last year, Fink had another listing in the neighborhood for a house that had been completely renovated inside. After a year, there were no takers, he said.


Okay...you have my attention. EastSide, you're around that area, what's it like? It is so bad to deserve those sorts of prices, or is it just the negative sterotypes of the area that are keeping the price low? I'd go check it out myself, but I don't get over to 'da burg that often anymore.

Kipona was interesting, but I really did'nt have time to see much more than the artsfest side before leaving. Keep on rocking HBG!

[EastSideHBG]

Unfortunately it deserves to have these low prices...the area is B A D!!! It does look like it is on the rebound, though, and I hope it continues. The City PD has been doing a fantastic job with the recent drug sweeps and with residents like you read about in these articles, it's bound to get even better as time goes on.

And like the article stated, this really is prime real estate. Once the Univ. moves in, I'd LOVE to see it push this direction and bring the neighborhood back. It's within walking distance to the Univ. site and it has "college 'hood" written all over it. :yes:

[wrightchr]

^ i agree Dave. it's prime "college hood" :D

[wrightchr]

Dickinson land rezoned to build science center
Saturday, September 03, 2005
BY DAN MILLER
Of Our Carlisle Bureau
CARLISLE - Carlisle Borough Council has approved a rezoning sought by Dickinson College as part of ambitious plans for a new science center on campus.

The 150,000-square-foot complex is to be built in phases on the west side of the second block of North College Street, which council rezoned from town center residential to institutional.

The first phase was completed in 2000 with construction of the $14 million Tome Scientific Building housing physics, astronomy, math and computer science departments, said Dickinson College Provost Neil Weissman.

The next phase, costing $50 million, will include a building on the rezoned land combined with renovations to Althouse Hall on the east side in the first block of North College Street.

The final phase involves construction of a second building on the rezoned land. The college has not placed a price tag on the last phase, Weissman said.

The first building will be constructed on the site of James Building, which will be demolished.

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. The psychology department will stay in Reeves-Hoffman until Dickinson finishes the last building of the complex.

"It's by far the most expensive building [project] the college has ever undertaken," said Nick Stamos, Dickinson's vice president of campus operations, in presenting the concept to borough council.

Weissman said the new science center will enable Dickinson to expand its offerings and enhance research capabilities in such fields as neuroscience, biochemistry, nanoscience and bioinformatics -- the marrying of biology with computer science.

"We're interested in a building that can accommodate new cutting-edge fields," Weissman said. "Most of the scientific problems the world faces today require insights from many different disciplines. The new science building will bring together scientists from different fields in constant interaction.

"Most scientific buildings are divided by departments. Our new science building will be structured so that the various departments are intermixed."

The college wants to break ground on the first science building next spring, with completion by spring 2008. The Althouse renovations also are to be finished in 2008.

The college has not established a timetable for the second new building.

"We are very actively involved in fund-raising for this project," Weissman said, adding the college expects "the lion's share" of money for the complex to come from gifts, grants and other external sources. "We will not rely on student tuition."

DAN MILLER: 249-2006 or danmiller@patriot-news.com

[wrightchr]

Here's a newcomer's view on Harrisburg's attraction
Thursday, September 08, 2005

Back in January, I came up to Pennsylvania from North Carolina to see some friends and family for a couple of weeks. My brief visit, however, kept on getting extended, and, well, long story short, I am still here. And guess what? I plan to stay.

But, in the several months that I have been in the area, I have had more than a handful of people ask me, usually in an incredulous tone, why I chose to move to Harrisburg.

My answer: "Why not?"

Which brings me to my own baffled retort to all of you who asked me that question in the first place: what else are you looking for in a city? While the responses I receive vary, I find it amazing that so many young Harrisburg residents seem to suffer from a general ennui and distaste for the area.

So what do I see in Harrisburg that someone who has been here a while might be too oblivious or jaded to see? Well, let me give you some reasons without sounding too much like a tour guide:

First off, how about location? Harrisburg is within hours of some of the biggest cities in the country. So when I feel like getting out of the 'Burg for a while, Baltimore, Philly, Pittsburgh, New York and Washington are all within a reasonable traveling distance.

Second, I love the fact that Harrisburg has such a small town feel about it, even with a 51/2-acre granite Capitol dominating the skyline. Everyone seems to know everyone, and you can't help but think you are on the set of "Cheers" when you are in a pub downtown.

The community is very accessible and it is easy to get involved in Harrisburg. In fact, when I moved here, I joined Harrisburg Young Professionals, which helped me network and, consequently, land the job that I just accepted. Now I am looking for more activities and groups in which to get involved with.

What else? How about the beauty and character of the city? Have you walked around downtown lately and along the riverfront and down quiet side streets? One of my favorite walks is from City Island over the Walnut Street Bridge and seeing the reflection in the river of all the other bridges. In addition, it is great to see that a lot of the history of this area has been preserved in the architecture. You can tell that people take pride in maintaining the beauty of their communities.

From what I have heard from people that I have met here, Harrisburg is undergoing a renaissance. Many long-time residents of the city have remarked to me that just five years ago there was hardly anything to do downtown outside of work. Now there seems to be a new restaurant or bar opening up all the time.

In addition, Whitaker Center is a great place to get your cultural fix. If you're into sports, you can watch the Senators play baseball on City Island or, in the winter, take a quick trip to Hershey to catch the Bears play some great hockey. And the list continues! SO, WHY NOT Harrisburg? Before you snub the area, take a fresh look at the city. Do something that you've never done in the town before: go check out the beautiful rotunda at the Capitol, investigate culinary talent in a new restaurant, go to one of the festivals downtown, or hike on the Greenbelt around Harrisburg.

This area is thriving and new opportunities are popping up everywhere! I, for one, am looking forward to being in the area for a while and watching this city as it continues to grow.
amen :D

ELIZABETH GRAY of Mechanicsburg is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and works as a communications associate at Triad Strategies, Harrisburg.

[EastSideHBG]

/\
Good to hear some positive things for once, and from a person who is from a sunbelt city no less, where most of our young people end up....

GREAT news about Dickinson!!! I can't help but think HBG is going to be a leading science and tech hot spot soon with TecPort, Sci-Tech High, Harrisburg U, this science center, Hershey Med's expansions....

:tup:

On another note, I am VERY happy to report that a new Subway shop has opened up in Executive House on 2nd St. It's open 7 days a week from 8a - 9p and it's a very short walk from my place. I am a HUGE fan of Subway and very happy about this as you can tell! :carrot: But it also goes to show just how far our DT is coming along, seeing as a lot of chains are popping up all over DT now. IN NO WAY am I saying chain restauranbts alone are what's good for DT, but we really do have a very nice mix of local and chain flavor, and it gets better everyday!!!

And to think, how many chains laughed at us a mere 5 years ago. Who's laughing now, though, eh? :)

[EastSideHBG]

Has anybody been following this circus? Wow!!! I really wish Penbrook would merge w/ someone esle. The City wanted to annex them years ago but Penbrook wouldn't go for it. Penbrook wanted to go w/ Susq. Twp. but Susq. wouldn't go for it because they (Penn.) were bankrupt. :nuts:


5 members of council resign in Penbrook

Thursday, September 08, 2005

BY MARY KLAUS
Of The Patriot-News

Five of the eight Penbrook Borough Council members resigned last night, with most citing irreconcilable differences with the longtime mayor.

Council members Frederick J. Pace and Jeffrey Shaffer resigned and walked out during a stormy 90-minute meeting, and council President Scott A. Rhoads, Vice President Joseph Martellaro and Councilman Rashaud Macon resigned at the end of the meeting.

The council took no formal action on the resignations.

The resignations leave only members Michael D. Goodman Sr., Sandra L. Matio and Frank Wedig to conduct business in the borough of nearly 2,800 residents.

"I listen to the people," said Mayor Richard L. Stottlemyer. "I do stir things up, but it's for the betterment of this community. Council doesn't like that. Things didn't go their way, and they quit. A lot of things don't go my way either."

In his resignation statement, Rhoads called Stottlemyer "relentless at beating people down personally and dragging them through the mud if he thinks they are a threat to him."

"I lost the mayor election to him and I didn't run for council for the next term. I'm not a threat to him," Rhoads added in his statement.

The council is "a close-knit group of people that could have been successful," said Rhoads, who served on the council for four years. "We have full-time jobs, families and extra activities but find the necessary time to serve our community as public officials, all for $50 a month, $43 after taxes."

Martellaro said the council wastes time on "truly childish and vindictive nonsense."

"I can't take it anymore. Therefore, after a great deal of soul-searching, I am announcing my resignation," Martellaro said.

"For the last six months, if not longer, there has been nothing positive accomplished," Shaffer said. "But much has been done to create discord and anarchy among this council and the mayor."

Macon said he resigned because his wife is pregnant and he has other priorities.

The remaining council members vowed to keep working.

Matio, who has lived in Penbrook more than 40 years, said, "I have an obligation to the borough to do my job, not for pay but for the public."

Goodman called himself "a fighter" who plans to stay.

Wedig said he was disappointed in the resignations. "I encourage them to reconsider since their resignations were not officially accepted. Being on council is not the easiest job, but it's necessary."

In a 3-2 vote of the members remaining after Pace and Shaffer walked out, the council appointed resident James M. Armbruster as borough manager for an annual salary of $38,000. Armbruster, the planning commission chairman, replaces Charlene Feeser, who resigned April 8.

Wedig accused the personnel committee of violating the state Sunshine Act by reviewing Armbruster's job application before a published Aug. 31 deadline for accepting applications.

Martellaro, who led the personnel committee, said no other applications were received by Aug. 31.

Stottlemyer said Rhoads should abstain from voting on Armbruster, who contributed to and managed Rhoads' unsuccessful May primary campaign for mayor. Stottlemyer beat Rhoads by 51 votes on the Republican ballot and by one write-in vote on the Democratic side.

Goodman, Martellaro and Macon voted to hire Armbruster; Wedig and Matio voted against him, and Rhoads abstained.

Borough resident Peggy Miller told the council she was "tired of seeing council people act like idiots."

"Whether you like one another or not, I hope all of you fight for the borough and not against the mayor, the council president or other council members," Miller said.

Penbrook government has had a revolving door the past four years, with two borough managers, two codes directors and 15 people serving in the eight council seats.

********

PENBROOK

Council told it lacks quorum

5 members needed for official business

Friday, September 09, 2005
BY MARY KLAUS
Of The Patriot-News

Penbrook Borough, which gained a manager but lost five of its eight council members during a stormy meeting Wednesday night, remained open for business yesterday, even though its council no longer has enough members to make decisions.

"Penbrook will survive this," said Mayor Richard L. Stottlemyer, whom several council members cited as the reason for their resignations. "This is just a setback. If things work out, we may be in better shape than we were before."

Council President Scott A. Rhoads, Vice President Joseph Martellaro and Councilmen Frederick J. Pace, Jeffrey Shaffer and Rashaud Macon resigned, leaving only Council Members Michael D. Goodman Sr., Sandra L. Matio and Frank Wedig to conduct business in the borough.

Before the resignations, council voted 3-2 to appoint James M. Armbruster of Penbrook as borough manager, replacing Charlene Feeser, who resigned in April. Armbruster said he was eager to work.

It appears, however, that council can't conduct business with just three members.

A council must have a quorum to vote on ordinances, pay bills and conduct other business, said Courtney Accurti, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs. She defined a quorum as "a majority of the members, usually half plus one," so the quorum for an eight-member council is five.

Steve Stine, Penbrook Borough solicitor, said that the three remaining council members "can meet to talk, but can't take any official action."

For the five council vacancies to be filled, 15 registered voters from Penbrook would have to petition the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas asking the court to fill the vacancies.

"The court then would ask those petitioners for a list of applicants and appoint from there," Stine said. "New council members would only be appointed through Dec. 31. If they want to stay on council, they would have to conduct a write-in vote."

Steven G. Chiavetta, director of the county's Bureau of Registration and Election, said all the council members who resigned, except Rhoads, are running for re-election.

Chiavetta said if Martellaro, Pace, Shaffer and Macon win in November then resign again, council can appoint replacements for only two years until an election.

[EastSideHBG]

Antitrust suit counters HIA effort to seize parking lot

Attorney general says it would kill competition

Friday, September 09, 2005
BY CHARLES THOMPSON
Of The Patriot-News

If Harrisburg International Airport's operators persist with plans to seize land belonging to a neighboring parking lot operator, they will have to go through Attorney General Tom Corbett.

Corbett's office yesterday filed a federal antitrust lawsuit seeking to stop the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority, the airport's owner, from acquiring 17 adjacent acres owned by Cramer Airport Parking by eminent domain.

In the complaint, Corbett alleges HIA's action would squash the airport's only parking competitor and said he is intervening to "preserve competitive pricing and services for parking at central Pennsylvania's largest airport.

"If the authority is successful in its attempt to take over the Cramer property, it will illegally create a parking monopoly over airport parking services and consumers will lose. It's that simple," Corbett said in a statement accompanying the suit.

Cramer's parking rates are comparable to those in HIA's economy parking lot, which the suit contends operates well below capacity.

SARAA launched condemnation action for the Cramer property in Dauphin County court in March. The case is pending.

HIA's director of aviation, Fred Testa, said yesterday the court action was taken after negotiations between the authority and the Cramers for the tract along Route 230 in Lower Swatara Twp. broke down.

The airport needs the land, which it has appraised at $1.57 million, for development of new freight and corporate aviation facilities, Testa said.

Stanford Cramer has argued the land is worth far more than HIA contends, and claims HIA's motive is to eliminate its chief parking competitor.

"The airport has not filed applications for building permits or other land use, and is separated [from the tract] by railroad tracks, making it less desirable to develop for aviation-related purposes," Corbett stated in his suit.

"It feels very good that someone else agrees with the way we're seeing it," Cramer said last night.

Testa challenged Corbett's allegations, arguing the authority can't file development plans until it has clear title to the property.

He said the record will show that SARAA offered during negotiations to lease the Cramers land to relocate their parking business.

The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in Harrisburg.

[EastSideHBG]

:carrot:

Mall area provides commerce revival

Construction boom fuels tax revenue

Sunday, September 11, 2005
BY MARY KLAUS
Of The Patriot-News

When Larry Feldman bought the Harrisburg East Mall in 2002, he saw an underperformer but envisioned a winner.

At that time, mall traffic was down. Anchor stores such as John Wanamaker, Lord & Taylor and JCPenney had left. Challenges ranged from obtaining tenants to renewing leases.

TecPort was bringing the neighboring former AMP campus to life, but the rest of that section of Paxton Street looked like a ghost town.

Two years later, the east end of Paxton Street, from the mall to Eisenhower Boulevard, suddenly has become one of the midstate's hottest addresses.

"All of this was just waiting to happen," said Feldman, CEO of Feldman Mall Properties. "The location brought us in. The building boom started and now there's a renaissance."

Paul Cornell, Swatara Twp. administrator, said that the boom has brought money into the township.

"The income from construction permits has doubled each of the last three years," he said. "We've never had a growth spurt like this, particularly on the commercial side. We also have more tax revenue coming in, which helps us to avoid tax increases. We haven't raised our general fund taxes in 13 years."

The construction boom began with the transformation of the former AMP Inc. headquarters in the 3700 block of Paxton Street into TecPort Business Center, a 102-acre business park with renovated offices and light manufacturing space.

Tenants now include Computer Aid Inc., Crossgates, Health America, Capital Blue Cross, K&W Engineering, Trane Corp., U-Gro day care and Faulkner Nissan. A Commerce Bank headquarters and call center is under construction.

Then Feldman came in and looked at the Harrisburg East Mall, the area's first enclosed mall when built in 1969. He liked its location "at the crossroads," just off Interstate 83 and close to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, interstates 81 and 283, and state routes 322 and 441.

"Our business turns around under-performing malls in major markets or strong secondary markets like Harrisburg," he said.

He bought the mall for $17 million, then dropped "East" from its name because he sees the mall as regional. He and his crew spent the next couple of years planning the mall's rebirth.

Officials spent nearly $50 million remodeling the mall's exterior, entrances and food court. They put in more than 40 acres of new parking, a modern air conditioning system, a full-color LED marquee and pylon signs.

"Bass Pro Shops' coming to the mall was a cornerstone to buying the mall deal," Feldman said. The outdoor outfitter opened its store last November.

"We're seeing a building momentum of sales through the mall as a result of Bass Pro," Feldman said.

Meanwhile, Ruby Tuesday built a restaurant at 40th and Paxton streets. Applebee's built a restaurant in front of the mall. Isaac's Restaurant and Deli and Fuddruckers opened between the mall and TecPort. Sheetz Inc. built a convenience store.

"We're excited about the tremendous growth," said Collin D. Spencer, Fuddruckers' proprietor. "We all feed off each other."

John Booth, vice president of Keystone Apple, which owns Applebee's, said that for the past few years, "the mall was dead, with low occupancy. Now, with Bass Pro and other wonderful stores, occupancy is close to 100 percent and the mall is a destination. Our business is growing, especially our lunch business and curbside to go."

This month, Sheetz will open a convenience store with 14 gas pumps, a restaurant, a coffee bar and a store.

Homewood Suites opened nearly two years ago. A Hilton Gardens Inn is planned.

Mark Noble, Harrisburg Mall general manager, said that the next phase of mall development is a $20 million project that will add a restaurant and trendy, upscale stores in front of the mall and a movie theater with 12 or more screens.

"We're still in the planning stage for all of this," he said. "We want to add another dimension to the mall, make it a destination for more than shopping."

Nearby, TecPort is planning to add 250,000 square feet of office and commercial space. Developers hope to bring 2,500 more jobs to the center.

***********

Paxton Street's east end to become 2-way again

Sunday, September 11, 2005
BY MARY KLAUS
Of The Patriot-News

In the 1960s, Paxton Street was a two-way thoroughfare, the main highway linking Harrisburg and Hershey.

Now, the east end of Paxton Street is about to become two-way again.

"Our goal is to have Paxton Street between the Harrisburg Mall and Eisenhower Boulevard open to two-way traffic by Thanksgiving," said Greg Penny, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. "That's a goal, not a guarantee."

Penny said that three-quarters of a mile of Paxton Street is being widened.

The $4.1 million project also includes installation of traffic signals at Paxton and 40th streets, and at both ends of Friendship Road, said John Bachman, PennDOT senior project manager. He said turn lanes will be added at Paxton Street and Eisenhower Boulevard.

"The lower part of Paxton Street will have two, three and four lanes in areas," Bachman said. He added there will be turn lanes for those wishing to go to the mall, TecPort and businesses.

The Paxton Street project was slowed by all the business construction next to it, Penny said. Workers had to "stop until the utilities caught up with us. We've now resumed work. Paxton Street should be two-way before the end of the year."

He said the chain link fence that for years separated lower Paxton Street from Interstate 83 has been replaced with a 48-inch concrete barrier.

J.D. Eckman of Atglen is contractor for the $4.1 million project. Mike Yohe, Dauphin County budget director, said the county Economic Development office made contributions for engineering costs.

"We paid $150,000 to Swatara Township from December 2003 to May 2004," he said. "We also paid the township $150,000 in March for the project."

Larry Feldman, CEO of Feldman Mall Properties, which owns the mall, called the two-way conversion of Paxton Street "a big plus for the mall. Eisenhower Boulevard is an important access road. It provides a link to people coming from I-81 South to I-83 North or from 283 East or from 322."

Mark Noble, Harrisburg Mall general manager, said the two-way access "also will make it easy for local people to get to the mall without going on a major highway."

Swatara Twp. Commissioner Anthony Spagnolo remembers Paxton Street when it was the main highway connecting Harrisburg and Hershey.

"I remember the old roller skating rink, Sam's Ice Cream, the Chatterbox, the Blue Pig and the Keystone Drive-In," he recalled. "The area where the mall is was farmland. The county had employees who farmed it. Now, all those places are gone."