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

[EastSideHBG]

This is EXACTLY the kind of crap I am talking about. Why would you need a 4th store in the area, especially in this location where the one in Colonial Commons is so close?!?!?!?!?!?

RETAILING

OfficeMax to open store

Wednesday, June 28, 200

OfficeMax will open a new store at 3823 Union Deposit Road on July 9.

It will be the fourth OfficeMax store in the Harrisburg area, but among the first nationwide to replace the chain's standard warehouse look with a new design, officials with the Illinois-based retailer said.

The new store will feature OfficeMax Cafe, a community area with wireless Internet access and televisions broadcasting cable TV news.

The 18,000-square-foot store will employ about 25 full- and part-time workers. It is one of 50 stores with the new design that OfficeMax plans to open this year.

[EastSideHBG]

VERY interesting, and the Mayor sounds pretty ticked (rightly so!):

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 June 2006

FLOOD LEVEL PREDICTION DOWNSIZED
To: Residents and Businesses

Yesterday, on Tuesday, June 27 at 4:00 p.m., the federal River Forecasting Center predicted the Susquehanna River would go to 25.1 feet by Thursday night and into early Friday morning, which would be a major flood.

Today, they have revised their predictions twice. They now forecast the river to reach 20.5 feet tomorrow, Thursday, June 29 around 1:00 p.m., with a slow drop in river levels after that.

To give citizens an idea of the range of predictions received in the past three days, this is the information received by the City:

- On Monday, at 7:00 a.m., the river crest (maximum level) was projected to be 6 feet; at 9:00 a.m., it was revised to 15.3 feet.

- On Tuesday morning, this was revised to 13.2 feet; at 11:30 a.m., it was changed to 18 feet; at 4:00 p.m., the ominous message that it would be 25.1 feet was received, which triggered a far greater preparatory response; as officials responsible for emergency management, we have the absolute duty to initiate major steps as and when a major flood warning is received.

- Today, at 6:30 a.m. and again at 9:00 a.m., the prediction was again revised and affirmed to say 19.7 feet and at 11:10 a.m., it was changed yet another time to predict a level of 20.5 feet. (The National Weather Channel briefly posted an announcement of a river crest for 15.3 feet but National Weather Service representatives advised this was not accurate.)

In 25 years, this is the most significant series of varied river level forecasts ever seen and, as a direct result of yesterday’s 25.1 foot prediction, extensive activity --- and their costs --- were undertaken. Many residents and businesses also endured expense and effort to prepare for what was expected to be major flooding and, in some areas, evacuation.

The current prediction of 20.5 feet is subject to further change.

No one should assume we are “out of the woods”. There will still be flooding. Based on a 20.5 foot prediction, it is not likely there will be any evacuations but some streets will have street water and many basements will have back-up water. This will be especially true in the Shipoke Neighborhood. A large part of City Island, including the surface parking lots, will be covered by river water. The Paxton Creek and Spring Creek have a high potential of backing-up and creating localized flooding in their basin areas, which will also cause some street closures.

The flood warning bulletin issued Tuesday night, June 27, is therefore modified as a result of this new and revised forecast.

The City is asking the appropriate agencies to conduct a review of how the river level forecasts could vary so widely in such a short period of time to see if more concise and accurate predictions can be achieved in the future --- not only to prevent what turns out to be unnecessary cost and effort by local government and citizens but to avoid the inevitable doubt and skepticism that would arise if predictions lack public confidence.

Mayor Stephen R. Reed .

[EastSideHBG]

HARRISBURG

City Council's override vote snuffs out veto of smoking ban

Thursday, June 29, 2006
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

The City Council this week breathed new life into a smoking ban for Harrisburg.

Voting 6-1 Tuesday night, council overrode a veto by Mayor Stephen R. Reed that would have snuffed out the anti-smoking ordinance.

The smoking ban takes effect after a 90-day phase-in period. It applies to city-owned or city-run buildings, playgrounds and vehicles. Violators will face a summary citation and a minimum $50 fine.

The ban will force Reed to end his practice of lighting up and puffing away at his desk and in his city-furnished car.

The privilege also is enjoyed by many members of Reed's staff, as well as by other city employees whose workspace is separate from public areas.

"They've overridden the veto, which is their right," Reed said of the council. "It's not going to affect me all that much. It does affect a lot of employees, especially in wintertime."

The ban's passage caps a series of council meetings and public hearings devoted to the issue of public smoking. But the measure didn't pass without some last-minute maneuvering.

Originally, the resolution to override the veto was not on Tuesday's agenda.

Council member Gloria Martin-Roberts, the author of the smoking bill, said council President Vera Jean White refused to add the resolution to the agenda, so Martin-Roberts resorted to an unusual tactic that didn't follow the council's normal rules.

In the middle of the meeting, Martin-Roberts motioned to pull the resolution from the table and add it to the agenda for immediate action, effectively bypassing White.

Backed by Councilwoman Linda Thompson, Martin-Roberts was successful.

All members except White voted to override the veto.

"I want to thank those six members," Martin-Roberts said. "They stuck to their guns. It truly shows this is not a political issue."

However, Reed warned that there could still be fallout from the smoking ban.

He said one or more of the city's three labor unions could choose to challenge the ban as a unilateral change in working conditions.

Reed said such an action could delay or thwart the ban, while piling up legal expenses.

But Martin-Roberts countered that the 90-day phase-in period was built into the ordinance in order to notify employees and union officials, and negotiate if need be.

"This was never intended to target anyone," Martin-Roberts said. "This is a public health issue. Secondhand smoke is dangerous."

Asked what he plans to do if the ban takes place as scheduled in three months, Reed seemed resigned to join his fellow smokers outside.

"I guess we'll all be going outside on a regular basis," said Reed, who joked that critics would no longer be able to accuse him of being holed up in his office.

[EastSideHBG]

YIKES!

Furloughs sent to 190 teachers as precaution

Saturday, July 01, 2006
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

The Harrisburg School District yesterday sent furlough notices to nearly 190 teachers, but school officials said they hope the correspondence will end up being as unnecessary as junk mail.

Superintendent Gerald Kohn said it depends on how Harrisburg fares in the state budget.

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriot...650.xml&coll=1

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

Real estate investors make deal

Saturday, July 01, 2006
BY DAN MILLER
Of The Patriot-News

A Media-based real estate company is moving into the Harrisburg commercial market with an investment tool more common in big cities.

DeSanto Realty Group has purchased the Crums Mill office complex in Lower Paxton Twp. for $20 million. It bought the property from A/A Realty LP, a unit of Kusic Capital Group LLC.

It was DeSanto's second acquisition of a midstate commercial office property using the tenant-in-common strategy. In 2005, the group bought Yellow Breeches Office Center in Fairview Twp. for $13.5 million.

Under tenant-in-common, up to 35 investors share property ownership, have separate deeds and get a percentage of rental income, said Gary DeSanto, CEO of DeSanto Realty Group.

The arrangement also allows investors to share tax benefits, such as deferring payment of taxes on capital gains realized from other real estate transactions.

Tenant-in-common investors in this area are typically older folks looking for stable retirement income, DeSanto said.

DeSanto Realty sponsors tenant-in-common transactions. A sponsor acquires the property and attracts investors. DeSanto said Crums Mill will involve 15 to 20 investors. The group turns day-to-day operations over to a management company, a DeSanto subsidiary, that must be approved by investors.

"This is a way for people with $250,000 to $500,000 who want to get into real estate but don't want to manage real estate," said Thomas T. Posavec, a vice president at Landmark Commercial Realty Inc. He did not represent either party in the DeSanto deal.

Posavec said tenant-in-common transactions are more often found in big cities because the properties involved are usually sold for at least $15 million.

"I don't know if Harrisburg has enough substantial properties that the floodgates are going to open with more of these transactions," Posavec said. "The jury is still out."

Tenant-in-common deals first became popular on the West Coast and have made their way into larger cities in the East, said James Koury, a broker with RSR Realtors who represented DeSanto in the transaction.

DeSanto Realty will acquire three more properties in tenant-in-common transactions in the Harrisburg area, DeSanto said. The properties -- two office complexes and one retail property -- represent about $70 million combined. He would not identify the properties.

Harrisburg, because of government offices, offers a stable economy with low unemployment and low vacancy rates for prime office space. The area so far hasn't attracted many institutional investors competing for commercial real estate, but that is starting to change, DeSanto said.

Posavec said Landmark has been contacted in recent months by other firms outside Pennsylvania that specialize in tenant-in-common deals. Enough of these deals would help drive up commercial real estate prices, Posavec said. "These are large groups, and they are raising the bar a bit," he said.

One candidate for a tenant-in-common deal could be the former PHICO headquarters in Silver Spring Twp., Posavec said. The building, sold in 2005 for $15 million, is being renovated.

[EastSideHBG]

Who will make way for federal courthouse?

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

The government says it needs a new federal courthouse for security reasons, and it will require a lot of space.

The GSA wants at least 21/2 acres for the building, which will hold eight to 14 courtrooms.

A snapshot of each neighborhood:

Third and Forster:

The Third and Forster site offers a mix of homes and businesses, including the Mangia Qui restaurant, the St. Moritz jazz club and Stallions, a gay nightclub. The State Museum of Pennsylvania is across the street from the site under consideration.

A group of homeowners, Capitol Area Neighbors, has lodged a visible lobbying campaign with signs in many homes that say "Fight or Move!"

North Sixth and Verbeke:

Residents in the Cumberland Court Apartments, a 108-unit subsidized housing complex, would have to move if the courthouse were built here.

While some residents have said they would move, others like the neighborhood: Broad Street Market is nearby, as is the Ben Franklin School. Residents say it is generally safe.

North Sixth and Basin:

The Jackson-Lick apartment buildings have been here since 1960. The Jackson tower is vacant, but 146 people live in the Alton W. Lick Building.

Most of them are older or have disabilities. The Harrisburg Housing Authority runs the building.

Mayor Stephen R. Reed has said the Jackson-Lick site would do the least harm and that the Cumberland Court option could help spur economic development in northern Harrisburg.

The mayor's office has said the Third and Forster site is unacceptable, but the federal government has the final say.


3 city neighborhoods wait for courthouse decision

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Residents of three Harrisburg neighborhoods have been waiting for a year to see whether the construction of a federal courthouse means they have to move.

The federal government is looking to build a $100 million courthouse in the city, and the U.S. General Services Administration selected three possible locations last year. The sites are at Verbeke and North Sixth streets; North Sixth and Basin streets; and North Third and Forster streets.

A five-member panel appointed by the federal government is supposed to make its recommendation by the end of this month, according to the GSA. A GSA administrator will make the decision for final approval, which is expected by the end of the summer.

The Patriot-News has visited each of the neighborhoods. The three are different but share one thing: They are home to people who want to stay.

[EastSideHBG]

LPT needs this for sure, as it is turning into a sprawling mess!


LOWER PAXTON TWP.

Zoning changes would save green space

Thursday, July 06, 2006
BY DIANA FISHLOCK
Of The Patriot-News

Lower Paxton Twp. officials want to preserve more open space and protect creeks and mountains with a new zoning ordinance.

While the township is enjoying lots of interest from developers, officials want to keep open spaces for walking and playing.

Since the current zoning ordinance was written in 1988, people have learned a lot about suburban sprawl and the importance of green spaces, said George Wolfe, township manager.

The new plan would encourage developers to build homes closer together and keep more open space, said Fredrick W. Lighty, chairman of the planning commission.

"It can be preservation of existing stands of trees; an open, grassy area; they can put a playground in there. There's a lot of flexibility there, but it must be open."

The commission approved the ordinance and township supervisors plan to vote on it at a public meeting Tuesday.

The commission, supervisors, developers and residents met for more than a year to create the plan, making it simpler to use and compatible with the township's comprehensive plan created in 2004, officials said.

"I give the township high marks for giving residents an equal seat at the table," said Eric Epstein, chairman of the Stray Wind Area Neighbors, a coalition seeking to promote conservation and natural assets and safer traffic patterns.

The proposed ordinance would regulate land uses, signs, parking, the location and height of structures and changes to existing structures and lots.

The ordinance won't affect existing homes unless they are redeveloped, Lighty said.

It also won't dramatically change the way the township looks, just improve land use and development, Wolfe said.

"It does a better job at protecting neighborhoods from incompatible development. It protects Blue Mountain. It protects the village of Linglestown," Lighty said. "It has better protections for wetlands, streams and steep slopes. It allows for traditional neighborhood development. ... It plans better for retirement communities. We know that's a big need as the baby boomers reach retirement age."

John Kerschner, vice president of developments at Fine Line Homes, doesn't anticipate any problems with the ordinances if passed.

"We just work within the zoning, and we work within the requirements," Kerschner said. "They study, they have the consultants, and we will work within the framework they set up for us within their tracts."

[EastSideHBG]

Pretty crappy news, and HBG is blowing yet another great parcel of land for a sub-par (in height) building.


Harrisburg U scales down tower

Friday, July 07, 2006
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

If it were a science experiment, it might be called the "incredible shrinking building."

But a proposal for a suddenly shorter headquarters for the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology has everything to do with money, not back-firing chemical reactions.

The latest design, unveiled this week before a Harrisburg City Council committee, lops off four floors, shrinking the once 20-story tower to 16 floors.

Harrisburg University President Melvyn Schiavelli said the smaller building fits better with the university's estimated $70 million budget for construction.

Officials blamed the down-sizing on skyrocketing prices for construction materials and the high costs of outfitting science labs.

"It's mostly cost-related," Schiavelli said. "This makes it an absolutely doable proposal."

The tower would be at Fourth and Market streets on what is a parking lot. It would serve as the year-old university's headquarters for the next decade or more.

The building would contain seven floors of classroom and office space for the university, or about 180,000 square feet, and nine floors, or about 190,000 square feet, for parking.

The scaled-back design eliminated two floors of classroom and office space, as well as two floors of parking, Schiavelli said.

The City Council is to vote Tuesday on the final design for the tower. If approved, construction should begin in October. The city planning commission has approved the plans.

The pre-cast concrete, brick and glass tower is expected to take two years to build, with occupancy scheduled for winter 2008.

The tower also would contain street-level retail businesses, a library and a 125-seat auditorium.

There would be administrative suites and a rooftop garden and courtyard, but no residential quarters for students.

The building's signature feature would be an over-hanging roof that resembles a graduation cap.

To pay for construction, Schiavelli said, the university is counting on at least $30 million in commitments from the state and an estimated $36 million bond issue, among other sources.

Schiavelli said there is interest from several institutional investors, whom he described as comfortable with the university's business plan and enrollment projections.

The university enrolled its first tuition-paying class of 110 students in September and is expected to more than double enrollment this fall, especially now that students will be eligible for more government grants and loans.

The university is sharing space with the affiliated SciTech High in the 200 block of Market Street.

While the proposed headquarters is projected to meet the university's needs until 2018, officials remain interested in other sites for future development.

Seemingly stymied in a bid to acquire the U.S. Postal Service property at 813 Market St., Schiavelli said the university is exploring other sites, including land in Mayor Stephen R. Reed's so-called Southern Gateway Project, a large area south of Chestnut Street.

Reed has said the transportation and economic development project would open about 35 acres of underutilized land at the southern end of center city, virtually doubling the size of downtown.

The most ambitious portion of the long-range plans involves constructing a raised platform that would cover several blocks of South Second Street and the surrounding land. Buildings would be constructed on top of the platform, while traffic and parking would be ushered underneath it.

[japmes]

I haven't been to HBG in several years, but I've heard there has been a lot of development downtown. Can someone post pictures of a few of the projects? I've heard there is an actual nightlife in HBG now.

[EastSideHBG]

Welcome, japmes! Yes, Harrisburg actually dioes have a nightlife now, and a pretty good one too at that. Check out these sites for more info:

http://www.floor-9.com/wp/

http://harrisburgnightlife.com/

As for the pictures I no longer live in HBG and don't have any updated ones. Maybe the other HBG forumers can be of some assistance.

[wrightchr]

wow...a scaled back university...again!!! this really sucks and your right Dave...it's definately a great parcel of land downtown and it could be so much more than another 16 floor highrise.

[EastSideHBG]

Townships draw people from cities, census says

Midstate numbers reflect state trend

Monday, July 10, 2006
BY DIANA FISHLOCK
Of The Patriot-News

Lance and Miste Diehl lucked into their dream house last fall.

The house was next door to that of her parents, with a big yard for their daughter, Hayley, 2, and their Siberian husky, Chewbacca.

So in November, they moved from the North Middleton Twp. house where they'd lived for six years to Silver Spring Twp., joining more than 1,850 other people who had moved there since 2000, according to the Census Bureau.

The bureau recently released its July 1, 2005, population estimates. Regionally, York County saw the biggest boost in the last five years, with 7.1 percent. Cumberland and Lebanon counties grew by 4.4 percent. Perry County bumped up 2.6 percent. Dauphin County's growth was slight, up just 0.9 percent.

The Diehls' new hometown, Silver Spring Twp., grew by 17.6 percent. Dillsburg and the townships of Union, West Hanover, South Londonderry, Jackson (Lebanon County), Bethel, Fairview and Upper Allen saw large increases.

South Hanover and West Hanover have exceeded population projections for the year 2020, said Janine Park, senior planner for the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission. "There's just so much new growth."

The area's cities took a hit. Harrisburg lost 1,478 people, or 3 percent of its population. Lebanon lost 2 percent and York, 2.1 percent.

Some boroughs also lost population: Camp Hill, 2.8 percent; Mechanicsburg, 2.4 percent; and Elizabethville, Highspire, Steelton and Mount Gretna, about 3.5 percent each.

Population trends in the midstate reflect those statewide, with cities and some boroughs losing population and many townships growing, a Pennsylvania demographer said.

Some area officials dispute the numbers.

Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed disagreed with the census counts.

"The number of residential building permits is way up," Reed said. "We have market-rate homes being built, people buying them and moving in. The tax data indicates increases as well, and beyond that, the number of vacant properties has been reduced. Those are all positive trends.

"The Census Bureau uses a computer model that has no basis in fact. For example, if for the last 40 years, there's been a downward trend in population, then their model will assume a further drop in population, and then they estimate what that drop is."

Census Bureau estimates draw from births, deaths, federal tax returns, Medicare enrollment and immigration, according to its Web site.

Lower Paxton Twp.'s 1.1 percent growth rate seemed low to officials there.

"That's a ridiculous estimate," township Manager George Wolfe said. "We've grown 8 to 10 percent every decade for the last 30 years. That should be at least 4 percent. We typically do 1 percent a year, and that's been a standard trend since 1970."

Wolfe said he expects Lower Paxton to surpass the city of Harrisburg, with 49,000 or 50,000 people by 2010.

Pennsylvanians have moved from boroughs and cities to townships for some time, said Dennis Pickeral, senior research coordinator of the data center at Penn State Harrisburg. The reasons are many.

Older people are aging in place, keeping their homes in the cities and boroughs, said Gordon DeJong, a demography professor at Penn State. "So they're keeping their home that they've lived in a long time, but there's only two of them or maybe one. So the population is changing from past times when there would have been a whole family to just now one or two people."

While boroughs and cities have housing available, many people want larger homes on larger lots, Park said.

"Pennsylvania's highly decentralized growth patterns are weakening the state's established communities, undercutting the very places whose assets the state needs to compete in the knowledge economy," said to a 2003 study by the Brookings Institution, a research and policy institute. The commonwealth's economic future depends on revitalizing its older towns and cities and curbing sprawl, the study said.

"There are places that this is turning around, but those are in the bigger places -- Lancaster, Reading -- largely being turned around by Hispanic immigrants," DeJong said.

For the next five to 10 years, DeJong predicts current trends will continue. Pennsylvania will be 45th to 50th among states for population growth, and older communities will bleed population into townships, he said.

People such as Silver Spring Twp. Manager Bill Cook will keep an eye on roads, water and sewage plants, making sure they can keep up with growth.

"It's actually accelerated recently," Cook said of the growth. "I think Silver Spring Twp., just by its geography, is a very attractive place to locate. It has good school systems, and it's within 15 miles of the city."

[wrightchr]

good article and it states the obvious for any of us on this forum. PA has a huge problem in maintaining its long established boroughs and cities. older communities have older population trends and smaller lots...yes...but they also have in many cases in PA, poor and/or failing infrastructure. Harrisburg definately fairs better than many PA cities in infrastructure. Pottsville is terrible. roads, sewage, water, utility, etc...are in very poor condition in NEPA and a definate deterrant to future economic growth and luring additional residents.

[EastSideHBG]

It's hard for me to get excited about this, when a mere year ago that lot was going to have HBG's new tallest on it, and their first residential condo building too! But as we all know, HBG Univ. got the parcel and it went from 22 to 20 to now just 16 stories.

Yes, I am happy to see a building there vs. the empty parking lot that has been there for decades. This is Harrisburg's third DT building in a few years (the other two are the 8-story on Front St. and the 18-story Market Sq. Plaza) and that is definitely something to be proud of. HBG Univ. will certainly bring the student-base the city is going for and we all know that college students lead to housing, development, etc. But HBG will never shed its small town image with development like this...never...


HARRISBURG

University to start building in October

Council approves University building
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

It's all academic now.

The Harrisburg University of Science and Technology can begin building its $70 million headquarters at Fourth and Market streets. The City Council voted unanimously last night to approve plans for the project.

Construction should start in October on a parking lot. The precast concrete, brick and glass tower is expected to take two years to build, with occupancy scheduled for winter 2008.

The building will be a little smaller than first proposed, shrinking from the initial 20 floors to the 16-floor tower approved last night.

Harrisburg University President Melvyn Schiavelli has said the downsizing helps keep the project within the university's estimated $70 million construction budget.

Plans call for seven floors of classroom and office space for the university, about 180,000 square feet, and nine floors, about 190,000 square feet, for parking.

The building is expected to serve as the year-old university's headquarters for a decade or more, but officials are already looking for sites to handle growth.

The building will have administrative suites and a rooftop garden and courtyard, but no residential quarters for students. Its signature feature will be an overhanging roof that resembles a graduation cap.

"I think it's a great project," said Councilman Dan Miller, the chairman of the committee that reviewed the plans.

The university enrolled its first tuition-paying class of 110 students in September and is expected to more than double enrollment this fall, especially now that students will be eligible for more government grants and loans.

The university shares space with the Harrisburg School District's affiliated SciTech High in the 200 block of Market Street.

[EastSideHBG]

Hey big surprise, another chain restaurant in South Central PA! The CC Mall is already going to be adding chain restaurants to its food court and now they will have this on their lot too?!? Saturation, anyone????


Liquor license transfer OK'd for restaurant

Wednesday, July 12, 2006
BY CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of The Patriot-News

A Texas Roadhouse restaurant may soon be added to the list of dining choices coming to Lower Allen Twp.

Township commissioners on Monday agreed to transfer a liquor license for the restaurant.

Texas Roadhouse would not confirm plans for the restaurant. Company spokesman Travis Doster said in an e-mail that the chain "is very interested in the Camp Hill market" and thinks the demographics are a good fit. He said the company is looking at possible locations, but nothing has been finalized.

The company's request for the license transfer said the restaurant will be on the southwestern corner of The Bon-Ton lot, near Route 15 along Zimmerman Drive, township Commissioner Dan Christ said.

Texas Roadhouse would be the only full-service restaurant adjacent to a planned Zimmerman Drive interchange on Route 15. That interchange is part of the restructuring of the Route 15-Route 581 intersection. Construction work for that $91 million project is expected to begin next year.

It would be the 15th Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Pennsylvania and the fourth in the region. The chain has restaurants in York, Lancaster and off Union Deposit Road in Susquehanna Twp.

According to the company's Web site, Texas Roadhouse operates more than 235 restaurants, with an active expansion schedule. Its 15 restaurants in Pennsylvania rank fourth behind Texas, Ohio and Indiana.

About half of the restaurants are owned and operated by the company, and the remainder are operated by franchisees. It was unclear whether the Lower Allen Twp. restaurant would be owned by the company or a franchise. The license transfer was sought under the name Texas Roadhouse Holdings LLC.

Despite its name and marketing affiliation with legendary Texas singer and songwriter Willie Nelson, Texas Roadhouse was started in 1993 in Clarksville, Ind. Its headquarters is in Louisville, Ky.

Texas Roadhouse went public in 2004. Its stock, traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker symbol TXRH, closed yesterday at $12.17 a share, down 2 cents. Signature items in Texas Roadhouse restaurants include fresh-cut steaks, ribs, chicken and beer, the chain's Web site says.

In March, the township approved a similar request to transfer a liquor license for a Garfields Restaurant and Pub to be located at Capital City Mall.

[EastSideHBG]

And you get all of this for the bargain price of $42.95 + $7 to park (and that's if the prices don't go up by next season)!


With 5 new water attractions in 2007, Hersheypark plans a big splash

Thursday, July 13, 2006
BY BARRY FOX
Of The Patriot-News

Milton S. Hershey built his empire based on the premise of doing things in a big way.

That legacy lives on with yesterday's announcement of the largest project in the history of Hersheypark.

The $19.7 million Boardwalk at Hershey will be the new attraction for 2007, the year of the Derry Twp. landmark's 100th anniversary.

Under construction near Midway America, the new area will include five water attractions, 11 food outlets, six games, seven stores, shade areas, hundreds of lounge chairs, two changing rooms with lockers and showers and a building for guest services and first aid.

The Boardwalk's centerpiece, East Coast Waterworks, will have 225 feet of bridges, seven slides, two crawl tunnels and 200 water toys such as sprays and dump buckets.

Coastline Plunge, a separate slide complex, will have a 50-foot-long tube and four slides (Whirlwind, Vortex, Surge and Riptide) that deposit riders into one of two pools.

Waverider is described as an "interactive sport/skill ride" that will allow two surfers to ride side by side on machine-made waves.

The mellower Bayside Pier will be a 48,000 gallon, zero-depth entry pool (the shallow end is nearly even with the deck) surrounded by lounge chairs.

Sandcastle Cove will include an oversized sand castle and water elements designed for younger children.

Frank O'Connell, Hersheypark's general manager, said the Boardwalk will combine two summer activities, the beach and theme parks.

"Through guest surveys, we kept hearing water, water, water, and we were looking for just the right combination of attractions," he said.

Scott Newkam, chairman and CEO of Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Co., said the planning and research for the '07 attraction began five years ago. Hersheypark officials zeroed in on the Boardwalk concept in 2004, and construction began last year.

"There's something in there for everyone," Newkam said.

The Boardwalk is being built on a 4.6-acre plot adjacent to the Ferris Wheel and Lightning Racer.

For its centennial celebration, Hersheypark will also debut shows and hold fireworks displays, beach parties and promotions throughout the 2007 season.

Hersheypark.com is holding a "100 Years of Happy" contest, in which people can send in their favorite park memories. The winning entry earns 100 hours in Hershey -- a hotel stay, admission to the park and, of course, chocolate.

The Boardwalk at Hershey is scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend.

[EastSideHBG]

I am and have always been mixed on this project...


HARRISBURG

Authority might finance sports hall of fame

Sunday, July 16, 2006
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

The Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority is considering a $30 million deal to finance a combination sports hall of fame, office space, and restaurant and bar project for City Island.

A resolution authorizing the financing, which likely would come in the form of a bond issue, is on the authority's agenda for its meeting at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.

John Levenda, director of the city's National Sports Hall of Fame Foundation, said he expects the authority board to discuss the financing on Tuesday but added that the deal likely won't come up for a final vote until August.

Levenda said he still would need City Council to pledge the city's guarantee behind the bond issue, a move that generally lowers the interest rate on the bonds and provides more security for investors but costs the city nothing.

Levenda said that no city money would be used for the project, which he expects to "pay for itself."

The museum also is scheduled to get $9.5 million from the state's capital projects fund, but that won't be released until the city spends an equal amount of its own.

If all the approvals for the financing fall into place, Levenda said it's possible to break ground on the project before the end of the year, a schedule favored by Mayor Stephen R. Reed.

However, some members of City Council, including Linda Thompson, Susan Brown-Wilson and Gloria Martin-Roberts, have said the city has far greater needs than a hall of fame on City Island. And the council has in the past rejected several requests for seed money for the sports museum.

Since then, however, three new members have been seated on the seven-member board. Dan Miller, one of the new members, chairs the council's economic development committee. He said he doesn't know how he'd vote on the project.

"We've not actually discussed it at any committee meeting," he said. "I don't really want to comment. I don't want to get out in front of anything."

The City Council is on summer break until Aug. 28.

Levenda said he will stress the self-sufficiency of the project provided by the revenue the office space and restaurant are expected to generate.

A $30,000 feasibility study by International Theme Park Services Inc. of Cincinnati concluded that the 120,000- square-foot museum, bar and restaurant and office complex could pay for itself with the addition of 60,000 square feet of office space.

Office rentals would add $613,000 in revenue in the first year of operation, growing to $934,952 by the fifth year, the report said.

The rental income -- along with revenue from museum admissions, restaurant, bar and gift shop operations and various other sources -- would help the project gross $3.9 million the first year, and up to $6 million annually by year five, the report said.

Levenda said these revenue numbers will be what attracts investors.

"The project is self-liquidating," he said.

In fact, Levenda said, the project won't need the city's guarantee for the entire life of the bonds, usually 25 years. In addition, the hall of fame foundation would assume the city's $300,000 debt in architectural fees for early designs of the project.

"Once we reach a particular level of self-sufficiency, the guarantee will be taken off the bonds," Levenda said. "This project may very well be one of the most successful tourist attractions in the city."

The hall of fame is part of Reed's vision of a "critical mass" of museums in Harrisburg.

In addition, he has proposed an African American Heritage Center for a two-building site at Third and Verbeke streets, across from the Broad Street Market.

That project is not expected to move into the final design phase until more money is raised.

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

HARRISBURG

SEC upholds $1 million ruling on Forum Place bonds liability

Sunday, July 16, 2006
BY JACK SHERZER
Of The Patriot-News

The Philadelphia-based bond underwriter involved in the financially troubled downtown Forum Place office building deal has been ordered to pay about $1 million in fines and penalties by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Dolphin and Bradbury and its CEO, Robert J. Bradbury, were initially found liable for wrongdoing this year by an administrative law judge and appealed the finding to the SEC, which ruled Thursday.

The case involved the 1998 decision by the Dauphin County General Authority to float $75.4 million worth of bonds to buy Forum Place from developer John O. Vartan.

At issue has been whether investors were adequately warned that a major tenant -- the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, which was leasing 79 percent of the space -- would be leaving soon after the purchase.

In 2002, a year after PennDOT left the 10-story building, the authority began defaulting on payments to the bondholders when it was unable to attract new leases. The building is overseen now by a Dauphin County Court-appointed receiver, as requested by the bondholders in 2003.

"[Dolphin and Bradbury] acted recklessly in offering and selling the Forum Place bonds based on offering documents that failed to include information about PennDOT's intended move," the SEC ruling said. "The investors to whom PennDOT's intent to move were not disclosed were harmed by the omissions and by the consequently misleading disclosures."

Attorneys for Dolphin and Bradbury and Robert J. Bradbury did not return a call seeking comment.

The SEC ruling slightly lowered the amount of money the firm had to give back, from $482,562.50 to $313,995.31.

Mark R. Zehner, an SEC attorney, said that adjustment was made after the SEC found that one of the bond buyers, Putnam Investments, did have information regarding the short-term nature of the PennDOT leases.

Under the order, the approximately $1 million in fines, penalties and refunds will be distributed among investors. But Zehner said there is doubt as to whether Dolphin and Bradbury, which is no longer operating as a broker/dealer, has the money to pay the judgment.

Barring an appeal, the ruling caps the SEC investigation into the Forum Place deal.

This year, Robert Fowler, a financial adviser from Lower Paxton Twp., was cleared by the SEC of any wrongdoing in the deal.

The authority was also not held liable by the SEC, which said authority members -- none of whom is serving today -- relied on Dolphin and Bradbury and Fowler for guidance.

Although the authority remains the owner of Forum Place, the financial failure did not affect the agency's finances.

Under the terms of the Forum Place deal, the bonds were to be repaid with lease profits -- so when the leases couldn't cover the expenses, those who suffered were the bonds' investors.

[EastSideHBG]

Some interesting news about the housing in the area:

EAL ESTATE

SMALLER IS BIG
Demand remains strong for lower-priced houses

Sunday, July 16, 2006
BY DAN MILLER
Of The Patriot-News

FROM THE ROAD, the plain bungalow in Lower Paxton Twp. could pass as a candidate for the ABC television show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

The white siding has that greenish-gray tint, suggesting it needs paint or a power wash. An unpaved driveway runs uphill from Devonshire Road to a one-car garage in the back that appears newer than the house.

The property doesn't seem like it should spark a bidding war. But that's what happened after Gwen Wallace and Deb Faley, agent partners with RE/MAX Realty Professionals Inc., listed the house and one-acre lot for $80,000 on a Thursday night.

"By Friday, we had people standing in line," Wallace said.

By Tuesday night, the seller had 22 written offers. She chose an offer of more than $100,000. Wallace would not disclose the exact price because the deal hasn't closed yet.

To Wallace, the experience illustrates the frenzy that can occur in the midstate residential real estate market any time a property priced at less than $165,000 becomes available, even those clearly in need of at least cosmetic improvement.

She and other real estate agents and brokers said that, while the area housing market is still strong at the midpoint, the inventory of starter houses remains tight.

Meanwhile, sales of luxury houses have slowed, mostly because of rising interest rates. Mortgage rates fell slightly last week, to an average of about 6.74 percent for a 30-year, fixed-rate loan, but that's still low by historical standards.

Wallace sees demand for affordable housing especially strong among empty-nesters, those whose children have left home. These people often want a smaller house that doesn't need as much maintenance, or a house in a development where maintenance chores are taken care of through a homeowners' association.

"They [empty-nesters] can't afford or they don't want $300,000 and up. They are looking for houses on one level that they can afford to buy. List anything between $125,000 and $165,000 and you just know it's going to sell quickly," Wallace said.

"I wish we had more houses up to $300,000 because that's the price range we are lacking in," said Viola E. Thompson, president/broker at Prudential Thompson Wood Real Estate in Camp Hill.

Thompson predicts a glut in new high-end houses because of the number of builders that have begun to focus on the midstate.

K. Hovnanian, a national home builder based in New Jersey, sees no signs of a slowdown at Bella Vista in Silver Spring Twp., where single-family houses start at more than $400,000. Sales of new houses in the development are exceeding projections, sales associate Amy Berkley said.

Sales also are good at another K. Hovnanian development, Four Seasons at Elm Tree in Mount Joy. Houses in the over-55 community are priced in the $200,000 range.

Projections have doubled from eight sales a month to nearly 16, Berkley said.

Sales of high-end homes are still running at or ahead of projections for Charter Homes, President Rob Bowman said. Lancaster-based Charter builds developments ranging from The Preserve in Hampden Twp., where homes sell for more than $600,000, to Florin Hill in Mount Joy, a mixed-use complex with townhouses in the $100,000 range.

Bowman said demand is "strengthening" in this area for homes priced at less than $300,000, but not at the expense of those who want the luxury.

"It's still a good market," he added. "We've had steady demand and tightening supply of homes. It's been that way for a significant number of years."

Berkley sees evidence of some people putting homes on the market for more than they are worth, and then reducing the price when it takes longer to sell.

She also rejects the notion that national home builders have helped fuel an oversupply of new houses. K. Hovnanian and other national builders haven't been here long enough for that to be possible, she said. Berkley also contends that midstate consumers benefit from the increased competition.

Houses in the Harrisburg area were overvalued by 3.1 percent in the first quarter of 2006, according to a nationwide survey by Global Insight/National City Housing Valuation Analysis. The survey found houses in the Lebanon market to be overvalued by 1.6 percent, in Lancaster by 13.3 percent and in York by nearly 24 percent.

The overvaluing is mostly fueled by outside investors who try to profit by reselling properties for more than they paid, said Carl Fischer, an analyst with EntrustCama, a firm that advises people on real estate investing for retirement income.

Fischer said overvaluation of houses in Harrisburg "isn't as bad as in a lot of other areas," such as in larger cities. But he predicted that values here will begin to drop in the next six to nine months as investors start putting a large number of properties back on the market. Yet individual investors still seem to be interested in the market.

The buyers of the small house in Lower Paxton Twp. are local investors who plan to fix up the house as a rental property or put it back on the market, said H. Robert Kranich, who represented the buyers as associate broker with the same firm as Wallace. Kranich would not identify the investors.

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

Area land bargains grow scarce

Sunday, July 16, 2006
BY DAN MILLER
Of The Patriot-News

The midstate still is a bargain for many people outside the region who are hunting for cheaper land. But the difference might be narrowing.

Josh Mitten, a real estate agent and sales manager for Dawn and Associates in Carlisle, said he has spent seven months trying to find a 10-acre farm for a woman seeking to relocate from just outside New York City.

The prospective buyer has horses and other animals and feels pressured from development closing in where she lives, Mitten said.

She wants elbow room but also to be close New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. She found Mitten's firm on the Web.

"She wants the country setting, but she wants to know it's 15 minutes from Wal-Mart and 10 minutes from Interstate 81," Mitten said.

He has been scouring the area from the other side of Gardners to around Shippensburg looking for available farms.

"When you find them, we are talking serious, serious money. We're talking $400,000 for 10 acres and a little house. The same property has gone up $50,000 since we started our search," Mitten said.

Developers are gobbling up farmland and flooding the market with new homes, Mitten believes.

The woman plans to pay cash for the property here. She expects to get at least $425,000 for her 2,000-square-foot Victorian on four acres in New York.

But Mitten said his client is amazed at how land prices are increasing in this area and, for the first time, has admitted to second thoughts.

But Carlisle is a slam dunk for transplanted New Yorkers Jane and Ralph Armbrust.

They just bought a house in one Carlisle-area development for $250,000. The Armbrusts paid cash and hope to get $800,000 to $1 million for their property on Long Island, said Kim Brenneman, also an agent with Dawn and Associates.

Jane Armbrust, 61, and Ralph, 68, have entered a semi-retirement that they hope will become permanent. They also wanted to be closer to their son, whose job brought him to this area, and to their grandchildren.

Ralph Armbrust spent 30 years in the aerospace industry with Northrup Grumman Corp. and has been a Long Island fisherman "on the side," Jane said. She holds two part-time jobs as a church organist and a clerk/bookkeeper. The couple hope to be here permanently by October.

Their old home is about the same size as here, but the Long Island property has more land and needs more upkeep.

"It was getting a little too much for us to take care of at retirement age," Jane said.

The midstate isn't always cheaper. Brenneman just sold a home in Newburg for $189,000 to a man from Indiana, where prices are lower.

The man came to central Pennsylvania to accept a position as a professor at Shippensburg University, where he will make more money, Brenneman said.

[EastSideHBG]

This was a screw job all the way around, but I am sure happy to see the historic area is being saved! And I am very surprised to hear that the feds will be demolishing the Quaker Meeting House too.


FEDERAL COURTHOUSE PROPOSAL

MAKING THE MOVE
Panel picks Cumberland Court as preferred project site

Tuesday, July 18, 2006
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

A leafy subsidized apartment complex at Sixth and Verbeke streets in Harrisburg is the U.S. government's preferred site for a $100 million federal courthouse project.

A government panel's selection of Cumberland Court apartments caps a 28-month search by the U.S. General Services Administration for a replacement site for the courthouse at Walnut and Locust streets, mainly to meet security requirements.

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2009 and end in 2012. The government also would raze the nearby Quaker Meeting House.

The GSA is promising relocation assistance for Cumberland Court residents, who would move within two years.

"It's time for a change," said Cumberland Court resident Reese Shakoor, 22, who lives there with her three children. "It's quiet here. There's lots of grass. But change is good."

Shakoor was among several residents who accepted the news in stride, saying they'd move as long as they are given acceptable housing.

The decision provided relief to residents at two other sites considered by the government: The Jackson-Lick public housing towers at Sixth and Basin streets, and a close-knit neighborhood of historic homes, businesses and restaurants in the shadow of the state Capitol at Third and Forster streets.

"I am ecstatic," Diane Staub said upon learning she would not have to leave her home in the Alton W. Lick building.

Staub, 49, who developed multiple sclerosis 28 years ago, has lived in the brick building for 13 years. She said she is comfortable navigating its corridors and sidewalks in her wheelchair.

"I couldn't find another place as big as mine," she said.

At the other passed-over site, Monica Grieco, an artist and bartender, said the decision means she'll be able to keep her job, her art studio and her apartment -- all located within the proposed site between Third and Green and North and Forster streets.

"I am pretty happy and relieved .... my life would have been pretty upended," she said.

The five-member selection committee's decision is expected to become final pending further study and approval by GSA's regional administrator, perhaps as early as next month.

Mayor Stephen R. Reed, who was informed of the decision yesterday morning, said final approval appears to be a formality.

He added that GSA is already distributing leaflets notifying residents.

"They are going to proceed," Reed said.

In choosing from among the three sites, GSA faced a tough decision:

Either it would bulldoze a diverse and historic neighborhood near the Capitol; oust about 140 elderly and disabled people from the Jackson-Lick public housing tower; or force the mostly minority residents out of Cumberland Court.

GSA spokeswoman Gina Gilliam said the Cumberland Court site is preferred because of its location near downtown and its similar amenities and character. Razing the apartments would have far less historic impact than other alternatives and relocating residents to similar housing should not pose a problem, she said.

Reed, who disliked all three alternatives, said the government's final analysis might have come down to money.

Reed said taking Jackson-Lick would have required that replacement housing be built under U.S. Housing and Urban Development rules. That would have pushed the site preparation costs above $30 million, well in excess of the $20 million GSA has allotted to prepare the site, Reed said.

Ramifications at the Capitol-area neighborhood were just as formidable, said Reed.

Many buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places. The establishments that would have been forced to close or move were the St. Moritz jazz club, Roxy's Cafe, Mangia Qui restaurant and Stallions, a gay nightclub.

"They would have ran afoul of multiple statutes on historic preservation," Reed said. "It would have been in litigation for years."

The GSA needed at least 21/2 acres for a building of eight to 14 stories, along with enough land to allow 50- to 100-foot security setbacks. The agency initially explored 25 sites in the city.

By settling upon the Cumberland Court site, the GSA could help expand the traditional boundary for what's considered downtown.

Retired architect Martin Murray, formerly the head of Murray Associates Architects of Harrisburg, has described Forster Street as "a wall," buttressed by state buildings that has limited Harrisburg's growth to the north.

City spokesman Randy King has said the 262,970-square- foot courthouse would have a "very substantial economic spinoff impact" on the area.

"Neighboring property values are most assuredly going to be profoundly impacted for the better," he said.

Reed said the city would push for a courthouse design in keeping with the 19th century houses and buildings of the adjacent Old Fox Ridge historic district. He said a lower-rise building with a brick facade would be more appropriate there.

"A glass-and-steel building would look extraordinarily out of place," Reed said.

The city will take a modest hit when it comes to taxes.

Cumberland Court is assessed at $1.2 million and pays about $46,000 in annual city and school taxes. The Quaker Meeting House is assessed at $253,500, but pays no taxes because of its religious use.

Selecting the Capitol-area neighborhood would have cost the city $1.4 million in annual taxes and revenues, while Jackson-Lick would have meant no tax hit as the public housing towers are tax-exempt.

[wrightchr]

^ interesting that Cumberland Court was chosen...i thought for sure it would be the Jackson/Lick towers. like you Dave, i am very surprised about demolishing the quaker meeting house. it seems to me that it could have been left intact.

[Evergrey]

This is a random question... but what has become of the cow statues from CowParade? Are they still gracing Harrisburg's public spaces... or have they been auctioned off? What is their fate?