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  #2681  
Old Posted Feb 1, 2010, 3:12 PM
wrightchr wrightchr is offline
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$6 million in casino revenue to pay for Dauphin County projects
By EMILY OPILO, The Patriot-News
January 27, 2010, 5:55PM

Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in East Hanover Township, Dauphin County.Dauphin County commissioners approved the distribution of more than $6 million in gaming funds Wednesday to be used for public works projects.

The county receives 2 percent of the gross revenue of Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in East Hanover Township as required by the state’s Gaming Act. Six local municipalities split another 2 percent in revenue.

More than 87 percent of the funding will be spent on infrastructure improvements and emergency medical services and health and public safety projects, said George Groves, chairman of the Dauphin County Gaming Advisory Board. The board met for several months to prioritize applications for the funding.

WHAT’S NEXT: Appropriations included more than $3 million for road and bridge projects in East Hanover Township, $300,000 for engineering and architecture work on a fire station in West Hanover Township, $435,000 for a pumper truck to be purchased by South Hanover Township and $618,900 for the replacement of the Route 743 bridge in Derry Township.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...evenue_to.html


what happened to reducing property taxes?
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  #2682  
Old Posted Feb 6, 2010, 8:12 PM
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Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson wants to end infighting, council leader says
By LARA BRENCKLE, The Patriot-News
February 06, 2010, 12:00AM

Harrisburg mayor-elect Linda Thompson holds Public Transition team meetings.JOE HERMITT, The Patriot-News, file It seems Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson and City Council members would like to hash out their differences.Mayor Linda Thompson doesn’t intend to stifle public budget hearings, two Harrisburg City Council members said Friday.

What the mayor wants to end is unproductive political infighting that she believes has taken place over the last five weeks, when she urged moving some discussions “behind closed doors,” the council members said.


Thompson’s 15-minute address to the council during its Thursday hearing over the $65 million proposed budget took former Mayor Stephen R. Reed to task for leaving the city’s finances in shambles and chastised media and local bloggers for trying to “assassinate” her young administration.

The city faces an immediate $3.8 million shortfall and a projected $164 million gap over the next five years, the city’s consulting firm, Management Partners, has said.

The city, which guaranteed $288 million of the debt for the Harrisburg Authority’s incinerator, owes a $68.7 million debt service payment this year.

“I don’t believe [closing public hearings] is what she said,” council president Gloria Martin-Roberts said. “What she wanted to do is sit down with council members and talk about any concerns they had. As president of council, I wouldn’t permit [closing the hearings] to take place.”

Martin-Roberts also said Thompson was “absolutely accurate” in her comments about Reed’s administration. Things were so deeply concealed, Martin-Roberts said, they are just being revealed now — despite the fact Thompson served on council since 2001.

“Some people expect instant gratification,” Martin-Roberts said. “This is 28 years of mess, and it can’t be solved in 32 days.”

What the media should do, Martin-Roberts said, is encourage residents to come forward with ideas to move the community forward, instead of fixating on who is responsible for the problems.

“We need to get over the blame and move forward,” Martin-Roberts said. “Behave like a healthy city.”

Thompson, it seemed, was also urging civility, stating she had yet to “take up a microphone against my colleagues on City Council.”

“We have to show we know how to get along,” Thompson said. “We know how to handle complex crises.”

The Patriot-News e-mailed or phoned all members of the City Council, as well as Thompson’s spokeswoman, Joyce Davis, to ask if either planned to close budget hearings — something that would be in violation of the state’s Sunshine Law resulting in possible civil or criminal penalties.

Davis, when reached by phone, said the Mayor had “no response” to five questions sent by The Patriot-News.

Councilwoman Patty Kim responded via e-mail saying she “was going to pass today.”

Councilman Brad Koplinski said he, too, believed Thompson had asked council to take personal disagreements out of the public realm.

“I’d be happy to talk to the mayor any time,” Koplinski said. “But major decisions about the future of the city should be made in public.”

Kim de Bourbon, executive director of the Pennsylvania Freedom of Information Coalition, said directives to close down communications typically backfire on public officials.

“It’s the true sign of an unsophisticated leader who lacks confidence in the democratic process,” de Bourbon said in an e-mail. “Ironically, it is usually these types of efforts to seize control that cause control to be lost, because Americans just don’t like people telling them who they can and can’t talk to.”

Mayor Thompson’s proposed budget revisions:

* Increase property taxes by 20 percent to generate an extra $2.9 million in revenues.
* Raise water rates by 40 percent.
* Cut overtime for police and fire.
* Increase fees for those who use special services.
* Reduce code-enforcement costs by $150,000
* Cut garbage-collection costs by $100,000
* Have Dauphin County handle the city’s 911 calls instead of the city’s communications center.


http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...thompso_5.html

unbelievable...that's about all i say here. i'm tired of hearing blame, especially on Reed. everything about her administration has been centered on herself, her friends, and not on Harrisburg and it's citizens. it was wrong for people to believe she was capable of this office. i hope everyone who voted for her expecting responsible change, will eat your words! this is going to kill residents, businesses, and the flow suburbanites into the city...especially Midtown.
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  #2683  
Old Posted Feb 6, 2010, 8:15 PM
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Broad Street Market forced to close
Friday, February 05, 2010
BY SUE GLEITER sgleiter@patriot-news.com

The mood at the Broad Street Market in midtown Harrisburg on Thursday was tense as vendors mopped and scrubbed stands after the historic venue was suddenly closed for health violations.

A health inspection earlier in the day found violations that included evidence of rodents as well as a lack of hot water, specifically in the rest rooms, according to a statement from Mayor Linda Thompson's office.

The decision to close the market was made in cooperation with the state Department of Agriculture, according to the statement.
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"We were really blindsided by this," said Gregg Fetterman, chairman of the market's board.

He said he expects the market to reopen as early as Wednesday. In the meantime, vendors have been told to move everything out of the market so the facility can be exterminated today, Fetterman said.

"They came in and said we had to start cleaning up. They gave no explanation," said Mervin Stoltzfus of Beiler's Poultry as he mopped the floor.

This marks the second time in two months a business in the city has been shut down because of rodents. The Capitol Cafe in the state Capitol was closed twice -- the first time in December and the second time last week -- after inspectors found several health violations, including evidence of mice.

In the cafeteria situation, it came out that the eatery hadn't been inspected in five years. On Thursday, it was not clear from city or state officials how often the market has been inspected.

Fetterman said a health inspector visited the market about two weeks ago and gave the facility a positive report with the exception of three minor concerns related to specific vendors that were addressed.

The market has a contract with a company for routine pest control and in fact changed companies about one month ago because the previous company wasn't doing an adequate job, he said.

Thousands of dollars have been spent to prevent mice from entering the building, including the installation of metal plates on doors to help seal them, he said.

"By the very nature of the building, it's in a city, there are dilapidated buildings, and we're a block away from the river. We're going to have rodent issues," Fetterman said.

The Broad Street Market dates to 1860 and is known as the oldest continuously operated market house in the United States. The vendor names illustrate the market's diversity, including Ly Ly Asian Foods, Carib Soul, Curry in a Hurry and Lebanon Valley Meats.

The market is owned by the city and managed by Historic Harrisburg Association.

For several years, the market has suffered from an identity crisis of sorts. Last month, a report by a financial consulting firm recommended, among other actions, that the city sell the market to generate revenue to help stave off bankruptcy.

Eric Papenfuse, owner of the Midtown Scholar Bookstore, said he hopes the market's closing prompts someone to examine the market's future as a centerpiece for revitalization in midtown.

"It's kind of signal there's a need for a complete overhaul and a new strategy," he said.

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriot...140.xml&coll=1
first the Capitol...now this. lol
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  #2684  
Old Posted Feb 6, 2010, 8:24 PM
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Route 15 traffic targeted in northern York County
Friday, February 05, 2010
Paul Reichart,

The amendment is being designed to address traffic problems expected along the Route 15 corridor in coming years.

According to a December report, traffic is expected to rise more than 40 percent in the next 10 years and more than 80 percent by 2034.

Beth Nidam of the York County Planning Commission has described the Northern York section of Route 15 as a "hot spot" for development.

BACKGROUND:Unlike the limited-access highway drivers find in Cumberland County to the north and Adams County to the south, the York County portion of Route 15 has 16 crossroads and many other access points that have raised safety concerns.

The crash rate already exceeds the state average, and the highway was the scene of 10 fatalities between 2004 and 2008.

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriot...380.xml&coll=1

i believed there were plans at one time to extend the limited access south into York County. i really think that's the smart thing to do here. York County and parts of northern Frederick County, MD are the only sections between Harrisburg and Washington DC (Route 15's connection with I-270) to NOT be constructed as limited access highway. i'd like to see an extension of I-270 north of Frederick into PA in the future. i traveled that route quite a bit when I worked at Ft. Belvoir, VA.
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  #2685  
Old Posted Feb 6, 2010, 9:10 PM
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Originally Posted by wrightchr View Post
I haven't posted on here in a while. I've been busy traveling with the military. I visited HBG a couple weeks ago and I'm amazed at how things keep changing. I think improvements like this high speed rail linking HBG and Philly are definitely a good investment.

Dave...how the heck are you?
Hey, Chris, how's it going?!? Lots of craziness on my end over the years!!! And sad but true, but I don't miss the 'burg at all.

I have nothing to say about Thompson really, and it seems as if she may be taking a lot of steps backwards. You pretty much summed up my opinions about her, and I have seen her in action for many years:
Quote:
unbelievable...that's about all i say here. i'm tired of hearing blame, especially on Reed. everything about her administration has been centered on herself, her friends, and not on Harrisburg and it's citizens. it was wrong for people to believe she was capable of this office.
Harrisburg is a joke, it really is...it's soooo sad how things are done there. The city should just fold and let the state or county take over or something LOL
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  #2686  
Old Posted Feb 7, 2010, 12:20 AM
wrightchr wrightchr is offline
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Originally Posted by EastSideHBG View Post
Hey, Chris, how's it going?!? Lots of craziness on my end over the years!!! And sad but true, but I don't miss the 'burg at all.

I have nothing to say about Thompson really, and it seems as if she may be taking a lot of steps backwards. You pretty much summed up my opinions about her, and I have seen her in action for many years:

Harrisburg is a joke, it really is...it's soooo sad how things are done there. The city should just fold and let the state or county take over or something LOL
i would happen to agree with you Dave. it's sad how we seem to be taking a few steps back here. i really hope Thompson doesn't hurt this city any further, but time will tell. i also agree that the city should seriously consider merging with the county. i think in the end you could still maintain appropriate representation and save tax dollars by cutting redundant administrative costs...like the mayors office haha.
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  #2687  
Old Posted Feb 20, 2010, 12:56 PM
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Millennium Music Conference gives young bands a chance to be heard
By DAVID N. DUNKLE, The Patriot-News
February 18, 2010, 3:00PM

Shaman's Harvest, a rock band out of Missouri, will perform Saturday night at the Radisson Penn Harris Convention Center in Camp Hill as part of the 14th annual Millennium Music Conference.Indie pop band Farewell Flight is based in Harrisburg, but rarely plays here. There just aren’t many venues in the city anymore for bands that perform original music. “We are not a weekend warrior band,” said drummer Marc Prokopchak, who handles booking arrangements for the band, which plays about 150 dates a year, mostly in other states. “We are 100 percent commited to being a full-time band.”

Farewell Flight does have a Harrisburg gig Friday night. The four-man group, led by singer/songwriter Luke Foley, will do a 40-minute set at the Radisson Penn Harris Convention Center in Camp Hill as part of the 14th annual Millennium Music Conference. They will be among some 270 bands from all over the country who will perform, one after another, at 26 venues in the Harrisburg area tonight and Saturday. The musicians, from the worlds of rock, acoustic, blues, jazz and hip-hop, come to be heard, sell a few CDs and T-shirts, and network with music industry professionals who might be able to help them get noticed.

Even bands on the rise like Shaman’s Harvest still need gigs like this. That’s why the members of the hard rock band, whose “Dragonfly” single is climbing the rock charts, will drive here from their home base in Jefferson City, Mo. They hope to follow a path laid down by bands like Godsmack, which attended Millennium a few years ago and has since gone on to rock stardrom.

“Kids know about us from seeing us on Youtube or Facebook, but we have not done a lot of playing in the East,” said Phil Dunscombe, who manages Shaman's Harvest. “We definitely have a story going on here. We just want to get out there and play the market.”

John Harris, director of the Millennium Conference, said it’s harder than ever to make it in the music business. A yearlong national recession also hasn’t helped, but Harris said talent and tenacity are still the keys. “Yes the economy is bad, but if a band is good, the economy is not a problem,” he said. “There are more bands than you can shake a stick at, but the ones that are motivated and able to play half decent are the ones that are going to get booked and make a living.”

Ron Kamionka, who owns several nightclubs and restaurants in downtown Harrisburg, including the Hardware Bar, Sambuca’s and the Tom Sawyer diner, generally doesn’t book original acts, preferring to draw from a short list of cover bands and DJ’s for the places where he provides live music. Gigs may pay less than $100 a night. “People’s loyalty to live music is just not there,” Kamionka said. “People are more averse to paying a cover charge. I think it has to do with the trend toward bar touring. They’d rather go to five or six bars a night and have more to spend on drinking.”

That’s why bands like Farewell Flight go to Texas for gigs, and bands like Shaman’s Harvest drive cross-country for a chance to play. “We always laugh about the recession,” said Prokopchak, who works part-time as a paralegal when not touring. “If you are super poor to begin with, it hasn’t really affected you a lot.”

Why keep going?

“I don’t know what else we would do,” he said. “At the end of the day, doing what you want six months of the year and coming back for a job the other six months is better than working at a job you don’t like 12 months of the year.”

http://blog.pennlive.com/go/2010/02/..._gives_yo.html

i think this is pretty cool...270 bands in the area at the same time, very nice!
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  #2688  
Old Posted Feb 24, 2010, 3:33 PM
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Harrisburg's Cosmopolitan Hotel project falls victim to economy
By DAN MILLER, The Patriot-News
February 24, 2010, 12:05AM

Developer Jules Patt has apparently scrapped plans for a hotel at the Barto Building at North Third and State streets in Harrisburg.

The building, owned by the AFL-CIO, is for sale for $2.3 million.

Listing broker Daniel Alderman of NAI/CIR said Patt no longer has a sales agreement to buy the building. Alderman said the building is under contract, but the potential owner would develop the property as mixed retail/office use.

Patt, of Hollidaysburg, declined comment Tuesday.

The proposal to build the 88-room hotel, called the Cosmopolitan, was one of three plans for hotels in downtown Harrisburg in recent years.

Harristown Development Corp. has approval for a 42-bed hotel in the 300 block of Chestnut Street. But the poor economy has Harristown taking another look at project cost and financing and demand in the local hotel market, Harristown Vice President Brad Jones said. He said Harristown hopes to break ground in 2011 and finish in 2012.

Officials with WCI Partners and Hersha Development Corp. could not provide comment Tuesday on the status of the proposed 13-story 138-room Aloft hotel at Second and State streets.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...tan_hotel.html
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  #2689  
Old Posted Feb 26, 2010, 8:21 PM
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just a curious inquiry...what is the status of 210 North Second Sreet???
http://www.210nsecond.com/
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  #2690  
Old Posted Feb 27, 2010, 5:11 AM
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Harrisburg area mass-transit plan is far from dead
By Patriot-News Op-Ed
GERALD K. MORRISON is an attorney at McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC and chairman of the nonprofit Modern Transit Partnership.
February 21, 2010, 11:51AM
http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/i...transit_p.html

Much has been written during the last few months about the potential demise of the Capital Red Rose Corridor project.

To give a little refresher, Corridor One, the first leg of a central Pennsylvania mass transportation system, has been renamed the Capital Red Rose Corridor to describe its connection of Lancaster to Harrisburg.

Skeptics have questioned its viability, critics have questioned its expense, and a few naysayers have weighed in at every opportunity to predict that its time has passed.

The reality is, this project enjoys broad, enthusiastic support from capital region commuters, employers, universities and elected officials.

The Modern Transit Partnership, a nonprofit organization made up of representatives of public and private sectors, was founded in 1997 to support a multi-modal mass transportation system for the capital region. It has been a long, hard struggle to accomplish what we have.

Fortunately, today the CRRC is on the virtual goal line of getting the necessary funding to commence service between Harrisburg and Lancaster. It also is likely, almost at the same time, that new bus service will be initiated between Harrisburg, Hershey and Lebanon that will tie into the rail service at the Harrisburg Transportation Center.

The confluence of rail and bus service will carry workers, students, tourists and commuters back and forth to the Hershey Transportation Center, as well as connect commuters from central Lebanon and central Lancaster to major employers in Hershey and suburban areas, as well as to the state Capitol.

How close are we to commencing service?

During 2009, we secured the support of Gov. Ed Rendell, who issued a letter to the Federal Transit Administration urging its prompt approval of our application to begin service.

We have consistently enjoyed the support of the mayors of Harrisburg and Lancaster and the commissioners of Dauphin and Lancaster counties. Additionally, we enjoy strong support from legislators throughout the capital region who will have a great deal to say about funding assistance for a true mass transit system.

In addition, rail stations are being renovated in Elizabethtown and Lancaster, and plans are under way for new stations in Mount Joy and Middletown/HIA.

As Amtrak and the commonwealth move toward higher-speed trains, our regional investment in the CRRC will assure continuity of service to the smaller towns along the line.

Discussions are under way with SEPTA to extend the CRRC to the southeast, to connect with SEPTA at Thorndale. This could provide 30-minute-interval rail service from every town along the CRRC to center city Philadelphia and on to the sports stadium complex.

With the connection to bus service at Harrisburg, commuters and tourists will be able to travel to Hershey for everything it has to offer.

In 2007, a regional coalition of federal senators and representatives provided a $10.9 million capital appropriation for the CRRC to initiate rail service.

The next requirement to assure the service is budgetary support from the commonwealth for operating assistance.

This has been a stumbling block for us, not so much because our project has not been appreciated and supported, but because of the political environment that we have faced on Capitol Hill in the last two years.

The enactment of Act 44 and the attempt to toll Interstate 80 or lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike are propositions that were broadly opposed by our regional state legislators.

Without their support of Act 44, it was impossible to gain approval of the CRRC into the commonwealth’s mass transit funding formula.

We came back again in 2009 to seek state funding. The memories of last year’s budget impasse are still fresh for everyone.

Our timing could not have been worse, and it was just impossible to seek funding of a new project in the 2009/10 budget.

We have been patient and persistent, and we now believe it will be possible to gain the needed operating assistance for the CRRC in the 2010-11 state budget.

With the inclusion of the CRRC as part of a revamped transportation funding formula, it will be possible to immediately begin the final engineering and construction phase for the CRRC in 2010 and to commence service between Harrisburg and Lancaster by 2012.

At the same time, Capital Area Transit and County of Lebanon Transit will be planning for Corridor Two, premium bus service between Harrisburg, Hershey and Lebanon, to provide two legs of the capital region mass transportation system.

We urge readers to strongly support this project to their elected officials. The economic stimulative benefits to the capital region will be quick and long lasting.

All of this will be accomplished in a planned way that will include reducing pollution and urban sprawl and providing opportunities for downtown revitalization and economic development for all residents.
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  #2691  
Old Posted Feb 27, 2010, 5:14 AM
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Reconnecting Walnut Street Bridge would be too expensive, study says
By KARI ANDREN, The Patriot-News
February 25, 2010, 10:16AM
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...study_doe.html

The western span of the Walnut Street Bridge on Thursday, February 25, 2010. ANN FOSTER, The Patriot-News

Reconnecting the western span of the Walnut Street Bridge could be too expensive and is not recommended, according to a study released today by Delta Development Group Inc. for the Redevelopment Authority of Cumberland County.
Read the report from Delta Development.

There's a 525-foot gap in the walking bridge that used to connect Harrisburg and Wormleysburg because three spans were washed out by ice and flooding in January 1996.

The study evaluated using a span of the Pond Eddy Bridge in Pike County or building new spans to fill the gap. Both options would cost more than $13 million.

Instead, the study recommends two things: 1. Dismantling and storing the piece of the Pond Eddy Bridge so that it could be used in the future. 2. Restoring the spans and pier of the bridge that remain along the West Shore to create a fishing pier or observation deck.

The estimated cost for the combination of those two recommendations is slightly more than $2.3 million, with some funding coming from the Federal Highway Administration and PennDOT. An additional $729,200 would still be needed.
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  #2692  
Old Posted Feb 27, 2010, 3:46 PM
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just a curious inquiry...what is the status of 210 North Second Sreet???
http://www.210nsecond.com/
I had heard through the grapevine that it's deader than a doornail unfortunately.

RE: CorridorONE, er excuse me, Capital Red Rose Corridor, I am glad to see that this is not dead and still moving. It's a real shame it was not built years ago, though, but better late than never!

RE: the Walnut St. Bridge, good Lord, what an eyesore for all of these years now! I say at this point you might as well dismantle the damn thing OR just fill in the gap w/ a regular bridge and nothing too fancy. Yes, it's not the ideal solution but at least it will be usable! I've walked to the west shore via the other bridges and it's not a good feeling at all, as cars whiz past you at 40+ mph and barely any barrier to protect you if one goes awry.
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  #2693  
Old Posted Mar 1, 2010, 3:54 PM
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too bad about 210 N. 2nd street...another viable building project scrapped due to the economy.

i'm also glad to see the CRRC push forward and finally get operational. corridor two between HBG and Hershey/Lebanon is also making headlines...i wouldn't be surprised if corridor two comes online first.
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  #2694  
Old Posted Mar 1, 2010, 3:55 PM
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People's Bridge repair will benefit West Shore business, proponents say
By Jim T. Ryan
Central PA Business Journal
2/26/2010 11:25 AM
http://www.centralpennbusiness.com/a....asp?aID=74584

Proposals to repair and reopen the western span of the People's Bridge from City Island to Wormleysburg could have a significant economic impact on borough business, said West Shore proponents of the plans.

A repaired bridge would bring more foot traffic to the West Shore to frequent shops and restaurants, giving life to Wormleysburg's revitalization, said David Morrison, a member of the People's Bridge Coalition, which has been advocating for the repair and reuse of the bridge.

The borough, with Camp Hill and Lemoyne, will begin streetscape improvements this year to make the West Shore communities more attractive.

Before any work on the bridge begins, Wormleysburg will have to address the parking problems on Front Street at the foot of the bridge, said Chris Gulotta, executive director of the Cumberland County Housing and Redevelopment Authorities. The area includes popular restaurants and businesses, such Dukes Riverside Bar & Grill and Dockside Willies.

Once those issues are resolved, even a partial opening of the bridge as a fishing pier could add to Wormleysburg's economy, he said.

"We should see additional business development," Gulotta said.

The coalition, county, state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Hampden Township-based Delta Development Group Inc. and the Wormleysburg Revitalization Committee yesterday released a report outlining the options and costs for repairing the bridge.

Three spans of the bridge were damaged in the 1996 floods, two fell immediately and a third span fell down later.

Replacement of the bridge with spans from a similar bridge or new construction would each cost more than $13 million, which Delta Development said in its report could be too expensive to happen before 2013.

Delta proposed intermediate steps, including buying, dismantling and storing the replacement bridge spans to come from the Pond Eddy bridge in Pike County. That would cost $810,000, for which the county has more than half of the money secured, Gulotta said. The Pond Eddy bridge is scheduled to be replaced by 2013.

Delta also suggested rehabilitating the remaining bridge sections and reopening them to the public as observation and fishing piers. That would cost more than $1.5 million, and the county has nearly $1.2 million in secured funding, Gulotta said.

"I think there's opportunity to bring some private sector fundraising into this," he said.

The repair and replacement plans could create 250 construction jobs, he said.

The redevelopment authority is planning a meeting in April to gather input from the public about how best to proceed, Gulotta said.[...]
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  #2695  
Old Posted Mar 5, 2010, 6:36 PM
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Hello all,

It has been many months since I have posted here. I have not disappeared. I've been very busy with the continual remodel of my house. It is great to see that people are keeping the forum active. I can tell you that Harrisburg has weathered this recession better than many other towns around.

I would love to have the Walnut Street Bridge repaired, but I just don't see $13M being a good deal for a walking bridge. I guess it is my engineer at heart saying that. I know that Wormleysburg could really use a boost, but how much would a bridge really do? Maybe the July 4th Music Festival could happen on both shores? That would be fun.

When will we know the results of the 2010 census? I'm excited to see what has happened to the population of the city.

In other news
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  #2696  
Old Posted Mar 11, 2010, 8:54 PM
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Thought I would join in the discussion since everybody seems to be popping up again.

I would like to see the Walnut Street bridge reconstructed but honestly even if all of the west shore supported it I don't see it happening. The money just isn't there for a pedestrian transportation project of that caliber. It would have to be done with private donations.

Linda Thompson: she really sucks. However, let's face it...Midtown has REALLY progressed in the past two years -- it is pretty much stronger then it has been in the past couple decades according to many residents who have lived here for a long time. We have the Midtown Arts Center, all the new restaurants, the new HACC building, Campus Square... things are really coming along and it's impossible not to be hopeful for the future of the neighborhood.
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  #2697  
Old Posted Mar 11, 2010, 8:58 PM
danwxman danwxman is offline
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BTW, I'm surprised nobody brought up this article: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...2/post_62.html

Furlow building FINALLY looks like it's going to be developed. The folks at GreenWorks are pretty much the most serious developed of Midtown. But, I guess I'll believe it when I see it.
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  #2698  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2010, 11:13 PM
danwxman danwxman is offline
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Paxton Street from Harrisburg to Swatara has grown into an ethnic eating destination
By SUE GLEITER, The Patriot-News
March 14, 2010, 11:47AM
DAN GLEITER, The Patriot-News
Ethnic restaurants and markets abound on Paxton Street. At Pho Miss Saigon, Le Kiem Fitzgerald, visiting from Virginia, eats pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) with her daughter-in-law and grandchildren. The restaurant is in the Asia Mall in the 1000 block of South 13th Street in Harrisburg, off of Paxton.

Picture Paxton Street. Along the road is a jumble of businesses, traffic signals, concrete and telephone poles. Crossing two municipalities, the street is anchored on the eastern end by the Harrisburg Mall in Swatara Twp. and at the opposite end it merges with Second Street in Harrisburg.

At least a dozen Chinese buffets, sushi restaurants, Asian markets and pho soup spots have created a new eating destination. Shoppers come here for the cultural experience, a chance to shop for rice noodles, bok choy and fresh fish or simply to satisfy their craving for pho or sushi.

The opening of Asia Mall just off Paxton Street last year further defined the area as an Asian shopping district. A grocery store, nail salon, travel agent, video store, bakery and two restaurants fill the indoor complex.
With new restaurants appearing along its length, the street — nicknamed by some as “Chinatown” — continues to enjoy a restaurant rebirth. Chinese and Vietnamese merchants consider the street’s traffic flow and accessibility to Route 83 appealing.
“It has built a dynamic,” says Bill Hubler, CEO of the Chinese Cultural and Arts Institute in Harrisburg.

Combine those factors with good rent prices and a growing Asian population in the midstate and the perfect equation emerges, he says.
Look no further than the recent weekend of Lunar New Year to see why.

Continued at... http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...urant_row.html
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  #2699  
Old Posted Mar 17, 2010, 4:25 AM
wrightchr wrightchr is offline
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^ great article. i tired to make it on here to post it, but you beat me to it.
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  #2700  
Old Posted Apr 5, 2010, 4:16 PM
danwxman danwxman is offline
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Midtown hub: Third Street, Harrisburg's very own bohemia
By Patriot-News Editorial Board
April 05, 2010, 7:26AM
Ann Foster, The Patriot-News

Forget the notion that nothing is happening in Harrisburg outside “Restaurant Row.” Midtown is a great success story of local, state and private funding coming together to spark something new in the city.
HACC Midtown. Midtown Arts Center. Midtown Scholar Bookstore.
All three have opened or expanded in the past year making the Midtown area one of the hottest parts of Harrisburg’s revitalization.
And all of this growth despite the global recession.

The corridor along Third Street from Herr to Reily has become an “Arts & Learning Square,” Harrisburg’s very own bohemia or Village equivalent.
What’s particularly exciting is how the new hubs, which have largely kept the early 20th century architectural style, compliment the existing Midtown framework.
Midtown Cinema set the early tone for the area when it opened in 2001 showing independent films and holding poetry readings in its cafe space.
The Broad Street Market has been the other long-time Midtown stalwart. With no traditional grocery store nearby, it offers access to fresh and prepared foods, and helped foster a friendly, walkable neighborhood.

The crowning jewel of the Midtown renaissance is “Campus Square,” the new home of several of HACC’s tech and trades programs and even some of its administrative offices, including that of President Edna Baehre.
Much of the credit goes to Harrisburg-based developer Doug Neidich of GreenWorks.
“The initial draw was the location five blocks from the capital,” said Neidich. “We saw tremendous potential. Many buildings had been taken down in the ’70s and ’80s leaving this really interesting urban canvas to work with.”

He took advantage of the Keystone Opportunity Zone designation to transform that canvas.
Around the corner, Midtown Arts Center and the Midtown Scholar bookstore offer new venues to relax and gather with friends over a drink. They also double as performance spaces. Both venues hosted mayoral candidate debates last year.
Continued at: http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/i...eet_harri.html
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