Broad Street Market rendering of the 6th Street entrance (courtesy, City of Harrisburg)
Construction at the Broad Street Market is now slated to begin next month.
Harrisburg officials on Monday told TheBurg that the groundbreaking for the rebuilding of the fire-damaged brick building would move up a month, to Sept. 30.
Previously, the city said that construction would begin at the beginning of September, but more recently, that date was pushed to Oct. 30. But Facilities Director Dave Baker said that the timeline has been expedited due to “the mayor’s prerogative to make this project as expeditious as possible.”
“I’m moving as quickly as I can,” Mayor Wanda Williams told TheBurg. “I want it open ASAP, but I want it done right.”
Broad Street Market rendering of the interior of the brick building (courtesy, City of Harrisburg).
Williams has approved the final design for the brick building rebuild, which includes preservation of the historic nature of the building, with added HVAC, a mezzanine, and ADA compliance. Ultimately, some features may be added or removed depending on funding.
The renderings in this story are the most recent versions.
Baker said that he doesn’t expect insurance money to cover all project costs. Additional money may come from CDBG funds received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and grant opportunities.
Broad Street Market rendering of the courtyard (courtesy, City of Harrisburg).
Williams and Baker both said that the previously proposed “connector” building, which would have been erected between the brick and stone buildings, is not part of the plan.
Baker said that, by Aug. 11, the city plans to release its invitation for contractors to bid on construction. There are 10 bid packages that include various trades needs, such as electrical, plumbing, selective demo, etc. By Sept. 2, all bids will be due, and just weeks later, the city hopes to break ground.
Many community members have expressed frustration with the prolonged construction timeline. The brick building has been closed for over two years, since an early-morning fire gutted the historic market building in July 2023.
However, Baker and Williams explained that the city has been working daily behind the scenes.
“There are so many facets to this project that are not seen,” Baker said.
He also explained that the city only received the final plans from the architect, York-based Murphy & Diffenhafer Architects, this past Thursday.
Williams said that she has been advocating for a speedy delivery from the architects, saying about the Sept. 30 start date that, “it’d be sooner than that if they could.”
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