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

[crs921]

210 N SECOND DENIED FINAL APPROVAL BY HARRISBURG CITY COUNCIL!
City Council shoots down plans for downtown tower
by JOHN LUCIEW
Tuesday March 11, 2008, 7:58 PM
A planned 18-story, $35 million office tower in downtown Harrisburg has hit a major snag.

The City Council tonight rejected final development plans for the project, even though virtually all members said they liked the project that would fill in a "hole" at Second and Locust streets.

The council deadlocked 3-3 over a provision that would have required the building's developers to put up a bond before demolishing the Dunlap building to make way for construction.

The council's original resolution set the bond at $250,000, but members Gloria Martin-Roberts, Dan Miller and Susan Brown Wilson favored increasing the amount to $1 million.

The members said the higher bond would prevent the developers from tearing down the historic building and then leaving the property vacant. The bond would be lifted once the project is built.

The members tried to amend then table a resolution approving the project plans, but their efforts failed as the board deadlocked. That set up the 3-3 vote that essentially rejected the plans.

Council President Linda Thompson vowed to revive the project, promising to place the plans on the fast track if they are resubmitted.


City solicitor Steve Dade said the developers, known as 210 North Second Street Associates LLC, would have the option of submitting the plans again or appealing the council's rejection to Dauphin County Court.

Attorney Andrew Giorgione, one of four partners in the project, abruptly left the council chambers immediately following the vote. He and another man walked away from a reporter seeking comment.

The proposed luxury office tower would be built where the Tom Sawyer Diner now sits. It would have 13 floors of "Class A" luxury office space, a first-floor retail area and three floors of interior parking for 60 vehicles.

The plans called for the facade of the Dunlap building to be preserved and incorporated into the southeast corner of the new structure. The project was expected to create 225 construction jobs and generate an estimated $160,970 in annual city property taxes.

[shload]

If the plans are viable and the company has the money in place to do the project, why would they balk at the bond? It sounds like good insurance for the city, so there is not another empty lot or 1/2 completed project.

[crs921]

Harrisburg City Council
City Government Center
10 North Second Street, Suite 1 Lower Level
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Fax – 717-255-3081

Emails (cut and paste into your "to" bar to send):

lthompson@harrisburgcitycouncil.com; wwilliams@harrisburgcitycouncil.com; sbrownwilson@harrisburgcitycouncil.com; bkoplinski@harrisburgcitycouncil.com; dmiller@harrisburgcitycouncil.com; gmartinroberts@harrisburgcitycouncil.com; kimpatty@hotmail.com; bgabler@harrisburgcitycouncil.com


Developers for 210 N. Second St's planned 18-story tower with skybar are urging supporters to contact Harrisburg City Council immediatleyto save the project. See the article above for background.

[shload]

Originally Posted by crs921

Harrisburg City Council
City Government Center
10 North Second Street, Suite 1 Lower Level
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Fax – 717-255-3081

Emails (cut and paste into your "to" bar to send):

lthompson@harrisburgcitycouncil.com; wwilliams@harrisburgcitycouncil.com; sbrownwilson@harrisburgcitycouncil.com; bkoplinski@harrisburgcitycouncil.com; dmiller@harrisburgcitycouncil.com; gmartinroberts@harrisburgcitycouncil.com; kimpatty@hotmail.com; bgabler@harrisburgcitycouncil.com


Developers for 210 N. Second St's planned 18-story tower with skybar are urging supporters to contact Harrisburg City Council immediatleyto save the project. See the article above for background.

So are you urging them to accept the plans with no bond, 250,000 or 1,000,000??? Would have been nice to hear from the developer's lawyers, on why they don't want to put up the bond.

[crs921]

they offered $250,000 bond which was originally accepted. all of a sudden, harrisburg city council asked for $1 million bond. if it were a developer that wasn't local, i'd say that was fair. but these developers are local and have a great reputation for revitalizing harrisburg --- they won't abandon this project. this is ridiculous.

[EastSideHBG]

LOL yet another Harrisburg City Council FAILURE! Great job at continuing to push developers right out of the city (and in some cases, the area).

[Evergrey]

Metro Harrisburg had a job growth rate of 0.7% in 2007, adding net 2,200 jobs.

[klingy04]

Things are looking good in Steelton. Sounds like this project is actually going to happen...Ok, probably going to happen...alright, might happen...fine, we'll have to wait and see.

From the Central Penn Business Journal

Steelton's business park in sight
By Eric Veronikis
3/14/2008

Steelton Economic Development Corp. continues to prepare for this business park in the Dauphin County borough. Illustration/Submitted
Signs of progress are emerging in Steelton.

The borough recently spent about $800,000 on streetscape improvements to Front Street. New streetlights, sidewalks and crosswalks flank the site of a future business park the Steelton Economic Development Corp. (SEDC) is spearheading on two blocks between Trewick Street and the corner of Front and Locust streets.

Steelton officials took out a $1 million line of credit last year to buy nine properties on eight acres that make up the park site, said Pat Gehrlein, Steelton's Main Street manager. Gehrlein leads residential and economic development efforts for the borough. He said he expects ground to be broken on the park's first building, a 28,251-square-foot grocery store, within three months.

The borough will hold on to four acres behind the park that will serve as the parking lot. Officials want developers to buy the other four acres. The developers would lease the parking space from the municipality, Gehrlein said.

Harrisburg-based RizkCOzann Foods Corp. plans to build the grocery store in the park. Gehrlein said he could not discuss who the other developers are because of ongoing negotiations.

So far, officials have worked out six of the nine property-sales agreements needed to move the project forward. Officials have entered eminent-domain proceedings to acquire the other three because the property owners and the SEDC have yet to reach sales-price agreements, Gehrlein said.

The borough has had the three properties in question appraised three times since the project began two years ago, Gehrlein said. Officials paid the owners of the other properties between $225,000 and $237,500 for each site, he said.

The properties in eminent-

domain proceedings are 110 N. Front St., 154 N. Front St. and 202-220 N. Front St. The borough is close to agreements with the owners of the latter two sites, Gehrlein said. And David Nebroski, who owns The Divine Light bookstore at 110 N. Front St., said he is negotiating with officials.

Nebroski said talks are moving in a positive direction.

"It is a large project, so the details take time. And it's a new project for Steelton borough. There is a learning curve for everyone involved," Nebroski said.

The SEDC wants private developers to build four 30,000-square-foot mixed-use office buildings and a grocery store in the park. The three-story office buildings could also house retail space and residential units on the third floor, he said. Gehrlein said Steelton officials hope $32 million is invested in the park.

Mickey Rizk, chairman and chief executive officer of RizkCOzann Foods, already submitted land-development plans for a 28,521-square-foot Shurfine Markets grocery store in the park (see "Other developments," below).

Rizk announced the project last year. But he originally planned to build it adjacent to the business park at 101 Trewick St. He chose to extend the store into the park to make it bigger, he said. It will cost $7.2 million to develop the borough's first grocery store in 20 years, Rizk said. He said he expects officials to sign off on the project next month.

"Once we receive approval, we will start demolition right away," Rizk said. "If things go the way we hope, we should have our grand opening Thanksgiving weekend."

Borough officials regularly talk with other potential investors in the park, said Michael G. Musser II, Steelton borough manager. Steelton will spend an additional $3 million to complete parking-lot paving and other street improvements, Gehrlein said.

"It's a 10-year plan. We are about two years into it," Gehrlein said. "The big step was land assemblage. The grocery store is going through the approval process. From there, we start negotiations with other folks and will look to 2009 to start developing (the office buildings)."

Other developments

Harrisburg-based RizkCOzann Foods Corp. plans to develop a $7.2 million Shurfine Markets grocery store in Steelton's planned business park along Front Street.

Meanwhile, the owners of RizkCOzann Foods are negotiating the sale of its 18,600-square-foot International Food Market at 750 N. Front St., said Mickey Rizk, chairman and chief executive officer of the company.

Restaurant chains Dunkin' Donuts and Subway are interested in the site, Rizk said.

"We are negotiating with a couple companies, but (Dunkin' Donuts and Subway) have exclusivity," Rizk said.

Dunkin Donuts and Subway could both move to the site, he said. Negotiations should wrap up next month, and a six-month construction period would start almost immediately, he said.

[Young Gun]

Good stuff to hear. I know it might not happen but it took another step forward. Steelton, needs economic development. It will help the greater Harrisburg area, and what is the one thing we complain of? Grocery stores in our city. I know steelton isn't Harrisburg, but if they can make it work there, why not in Harrisburg.

[Young Gun]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Metro Harrisburg had a job growth rate of 0.7% in 2007, adding net 2,200 jobs.

Good news, but what was the population growth rate of employable persons?? Wonder how many of those jobs were in warehousing....

[MidtownMike]

As I mentioned a few pages back:

Bishop McDevitt will move to suburbs
by The Patriot-News
Tuesday March 18, 2008, 9:20 AM

Bishop McDevitt High School will be moving out of Harrisburg to a new campus in the suburbs, according to an announcement to be made by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg at a press conference this morning.

In a story posted on the diocese's web site, the bishop will announce that the number one site is an 86-acre site along Spring Creek Road near Page Road in Lower Paxton Township. The diocese presently is negotiating for the site.

The decision is supported by the high school's board of directors, according to the web.

"The new high school will include all the necessities and facilities required of a world-class high school program today _ necessities and facilities that we could not economically create at the school's current 6 1/2 acre site," the bishop said in the release.

Included in the new school would be first class academic resources, full athletic facilities, and sufficient parking that is central to the 10 parishes that sent students to the school including easy access for students from the city of Harrisburg, he said.

"Our commitment to maintaining and even growing our ethnic and cultural diversity remains undiminished," he said. "But the stark truth is this: we can only continue this mission with a school that is thriving. A school that is in sustained enrollment decline is not a strong foundation to service."

Diocesan press release: http://tinyurl.com/3xgchv

Here's general area of the site (dead center of the map): http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=4...,0.072784&z=14

[klingy04]

Melting Pot fondue restaurant coming to Harrisburg.

From meltingpot.com

The Melting Pot of Harrisburg
Thank you for your interest in the Harrisburg Melting Pot. We can't wait to introduce you to our exciting fondue restaurant!

Out location is in the Scottsdale Plaza across the street from the Harrisburg Mall. We will be breaking ground soon and expect to open in the Fall of 2008. If you have any questions, or want to be contacted when we start taking reservations, please select the "Contact" button above and send us a message.

[danwxman]

Greenbelt section will be enhanced
by The Patriot-News
Thursday March 20, 2008, 11:05 AM

The Patriot-News 2007
This path on the grounds of the former Harrisburg State Hospital is part of the Capital Area Greenbelt.A major project to upgrade the Capital Area Greenbelt in uptown Harrisburg will begin within the next 10 days, according to Mayor Stephen R. Reed in a news release today.

The project which will cost more than $267,000 will include construction of a 10-foot path that would be parallel with Industrial Road from HACC's Public Safety Drive to the entrance of Wildwood Park. The path will safer for biking, skateboarding, walking and jogging, he said.

Extensive landscaping and tree-planting using vegetation native to the area is planned.

The design work was financed through a state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant, while the state Department of Transportation is financing the construction.

Work is expected to be completed by late April.

The Greenbelt is a series of connected recreational trails throughout Harrisburg and surrounding municipalities.

For information, contact the city Department of Parks and Recreation at 255-3020.

[danwxman]

Reed envisions multiple uses for high school
REED Thursday, March 20, 2008BY JOHN LUCIEWOf The Patriot-News
Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed's vision for the Bishop McDevitt High School building is a mixed-use development where he said residents could live, work and play.

Calling the building that is to be vacated in five years too big for one use, Reed said parts should be divided into residential, class-A office and recreation and gym space.

"I can't imagine that the entire property would be turned into residential," Reed said Wednesday. "It would take you five years to rent it. But you could have people who would live, work and play on the same site."

Reed acknowledged that the city likely wouldn't drive the decision on how the building is to be reused. He said the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg has signaled it would form its own committee to chart the building's future.

The diocese announced Tuesday that it plans to move the school from the 1930s-era building on the 2200 block of Market Street to a 50-acre campus to be developed in Lower Paxton Twp. The transition is expected to take at least five years.

"They are not going to let the city control it," Reed said of the diocese's plans for the building. "But their decision will very much impact us, and the city is going to provide input whether it's invited or not."

Reed, who is a McDevitt grad, said a crucial factor would be how much the diocese hopes to get for the land and building, and how much work the structure needs to be converted into a new use. Despite those hurdles, Reed said he expects the building to draw interest from developers.

"I think what the diocese is waiting for is developers to come to them and say what they want to do with the building," Reed said.

Reed said he would rule out using the building for subsidized public housing, saying the city already has more than its share.

And Reed vowed that Harrisburg would object to any prolonged vacancy of the structure. He said the city could not tolerate such a large, signature building to remain abandoned and fall into disrepair, as was the case with the diocese-owned Sylvan Heights Mansion before it was rehabilitated into the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg.

Reed added that he wants the building and its 61/2 acres to be added to the city, county and school district property tax rolls.

"We're five years out," he said. "It's not like this has to be decided overnight, thank God."

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

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by klingy04

Melting Pot fondue restaurant coming to Harrisburg.

From meltingpot.com

The Melting Pot of Harrisburg
Thank you for your interest in the Harrisburg Melting Pot. We can't wait to introduce you to our exciting fondue restaurant!

Out location is in the Scottsdale Plaza across the street from the Harrisburg Mall. We will be breaking ground soon and expect to open in the Fall of 2008. If you have any questions, or want to be contacted when we start taking reservations, please select the "Contact" button above and send us a message.

Is this the Harrisburg area's first Melting Pot?

[MidtownMike]

Second Street office tower to get second chance for approval
by JOHN LUCIEW, Of The Patriot-News
Friday March 21, 2008, 11:41 AM

An 18-story office building is planned for Second and Locust streets, Harrisburg

A planned 18-story office tower on North Second Street will get a second chance for approval before Harrisburg City Council.

Council President Linda Thompson said the board would reconsider the once-rejected plans for the $35 million high-rise at its meeting set for 6 p.m. Tuesday.

This time around, Thompson is assuring passage of the plans, which were blocked by a 3-to-3 vote earlier this month.

Thompson said that hiccup shouldn't disrupt construction plans that call for a 2010 opening for the building at Second and Locust streets.

"The project meets all the conditions. We had no justification to say 'no'," Thompson said.

The council deadlocked over a provision that would have required the building's developers to put up a bond before demolishing the historic Dunlap building to make way for construction.

The council's original resolution set the bond at $250,000, but members Gloria Martin-Roberts, Dan Miller and Susan Brown Wilson favored raising it to $1 million. Member Wanda R.D. Wilson was absent.

The opposing members argued that the higher bond would prevent the developers from tearing down the historic building and leaving the site vacant. The bond would be released after the project was built.

Thompson said she didn't want to single out the building's developer, known as 210 North Second Street Associates LLC, by enforcing a higher bond amount. She said the city has never insisted upon such a requirement before and needs to come up with a uniform policy.

Thompson said the developer has agreed to hold its demolition permits for the Dunlap building in escrow until the necessary financing and leasing is in place to move forward with construction.

Thompson said this, along with the original $250,000 bond, should ensure that the Dunlap building won't be razed in vain.

Greg Rothman, one of four partners in the project, said he now sees a clear path ahead for the project.

The tower would be built where the Tom Sawyer Diner is located. It would have 13 floors of office space, a first-floor retail area, a rooftop sky bar, and three floors of interior parking for about 60 vehicles.

The project is expected to generate about $160,970 in annual city property taxes.

[crs921]

As we all eagerly await the final approval of the 210 N. Second St. tower/skybar tonight at Harrisburg's City Council meeting.....some other news....

MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS TO CAPITAL AREA GREENBELT UNDERWAY IN CITY’S UPTOWN


Harrisburg, PA – Mayor Stephen R. Reed today said that a major project to enhance the Capital Area Greenbelt will soon commence in the City’s uptown.

Reed said the project consists of the construction of a ten-foot bituminous path running parallel with Industrial Road that will span from HACC’s Public Safety Drive to the entrance of Wildwood Park. The path will provide a safe passageway for persons pursuing recreational opportunities in the area such as bike riding, skate boarding, walking and jogging.

The Mayor said the path will be accompanied by extensive landscaping and tree-planting through the use of vegetation native to the area. He said directional signage is also included in the project. A natural buffer between the trail and Industrial Road have been incorporated into the design which will consist of grass with raised mound plantings.

The project’s design work was financed through a Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant and the actual work on the project is being financed by a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation grant. The project received a total of seven bids, with H. Edward Black and Associates having been selected to design the project and KIMBOB, Inc. having been selected to implement the project. The total cost for the project is $267,534.57, with $73,089.57 going towards design, soil analysis and archaeological activity and $194,445.00 going towards construction and construction inspection.

Reed said work on the project is expected to begin in the next ten days and is expected to be completed by late-April.

The Capital Area Greenbelt is a series of connected recreational trails throughout the City of Harrisburg and surrounding municipalities that are supported and maintained through a cooperative effort between those municipalities. The Capital Area Greenbelt Association (CAGA) is the non-profit organization that facilitates the Capital Area Greenbelt and works on the premise that users of public lands should accept responsibility for those lands through the formation of partnerships with government land-managing agencies.

For more information on the new project or on the Capital Area Greenbelt itself, contact the City’s Department of Parks & Recreation at (717) 255-3020.

In other News......HARRISBURG ALOFT construction delayed - again - and will start in June or July per WCI.

[crs921]

http://www.whtm.com/news/stories/0308/506433.html

[crs921]

Another delay for $35 million tower for Second Street
by JOHN LUCIEW
Tuesday March 25, 2008, 7:38 PM
A $35 million high-rise building planned for North Second Street in Harrisburg just can't seem to get off the ground.

The City Council tonight again failed to approve plans for the 18-story office tower at Second and Locust streets, where the Tom Sawyer Diner sits.

Instead, the council said it would delay its reconsideration of the once-rejected project until its next voting meeting, set for 6 p.m. April 8.

In the meantime, member Brad Koplinski said he would chair an economic development hearing to come up with a formula for placing bonds on historic buildings that are to be razed to make way for new projects.

Koplinski said such a formula would take into account a building's age, size, location and historic significance in setting the value of the bonds.

Under the policy, developers would have to put up bonds on such buildings in order to receive city approvals to demolish those structures and re-build.

The provision is seen as a way of preventing developers from tearing down historic buildings and leaving the sites vacant. The bonds would be released after projects are built.

[crs921]

Cut and paste these email addresses into your "To" box on your email --- and send Harrisburg City Council a clear message to urge them to vote for the 210 N. Second Street tower on April 8 -- and that they are elected to keep Harrisburg moving forward, not backward.

Harrisburg City Council Email Addresses:

lthompson@harrisburgcitycouncil.com; wwilliams@harrisburgcitycouncil.com; sbrownwilson@harrisburgcitycouncil.com; bkoplinski@harrisburgcitycouncil.com; dmiller@harrisburgcitycouncil.com; gmartinroberts@harrisburgcitycouncil.com; kimpatty@hotmail.com; bgabler@harrisburgcitycouncil.com