Author Archives: Maddie Conley

Wall of Broad Street Market’s brick building collapsed, officials assessing incident

December 15, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

A wall of the Broad Street Market’s brick building collapsed Monday.

A wall of the Broad Street Market’s brick building collapsed Monday morning.

A portion of the building, which is currently under construction following a devastating July 2023 fire, crumbled leaving a pile of bricks on the side closest to the Millworks.

Harrisburg Communications Director Mischelle Moyer confirmed that the wall fell, but no one was injured. She said that Mayor Wanda Williams and officials are meeting to assess the situation, saying that “it proved the building to be unstable.”

“At this time, structural engineers and architects are on site and beginning a comprehensive assessment of the damage to the building, as well as the potential impact on the overall restoration project,” Moyer said. “This evaluation process will take several days to complete to ensure accuracy and safety.”

Moyer said that the city will share more information and updates as they are available.

“We ask for patience and understanding as the professionals carefully evaluate the situation,” she said. “The historic Broad Street Market is a treasured landmark, and this work will be approached with the diligence, care, and prominence it deserves.”

The Historic Harrisburg Association released a statement on Monday as well.

“We were saddened to learn that a portion of its brick wall collapsed this morning,” the statement said. “Another setback is the last thing the market needs. But we are confident that it can be restored, as we have seen with other high-profile landmarks, such as the historic portion of Strawberry Square at Third and Market Streets whose brick walls were restored in the 1980s. Fortunately, Alexander Construction Management and the architect, Murphy & Dittenhafer, have outstanding historic preservation expertise. We are confident that this will be an award-winning restoration project.”

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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Council members share concerns with big raises for city officials; revisit Broad Street Market lease, LERTA

December 9, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg City Council on Tuesday

Harrisburg City Council on Tuesday weighed an ordinance to allow for raises for several elected officials.

Some council members expressed their opposition to a proposal from the city to significantly raise salaries for the mayor, council and several other elected officials, while other council members said they needed more information.

As part of Harrisburg’s proposed 2026 general fund budget, Mayor Wanda Williams would receive a $20,000 raise, bringing her annual salary to $100,000, four council members would get a $5,000 raise and the controller would get a $5,000 raise. The additional three council members and city treasurer would receive raises at the beginning of their next terms, as salary hikes for elected officials are only legally allowed at the beginning of a term.

According to Interim Businesses Administrator Sam Sulkosky, the elected officials have not received raises in 20 years.

City Solicitor Neil Grover said that, while raises have been brought up over the years, few have been proposed and none have passed council. Grover described it as a tough political call.

“I will not be supporting this bill. I think people do deserve raises, but […] we knew the job was hard when we took it,” council member Lamont Jones said. “We have a lot of issues in the city of Harrisburg and, for me, I can’t enrich myself when we’re in this position.”

Council President Danielle Hill also told TheBurg that she would be voting “no.”

Hill explained that she mainly took issue with the raise that the mayor would receive and said that she sees many other issues in the city that she would rather focus on.

“Many people have asked me, ‘What has the mayor done to deserve a raise?'” Hill said.

Council member Jocelyn Rawls expressed concern with the amount that salaries were proposed to increase and questioned if they could be raised more incrementally.

Council member Shamaine Daniels asked how the raises would impact pension costs, but officials did not have that information at the time.

Other council members said that they understood the need for raises after years without any, while raising concerns over whether the city could afford them long-term.

“We’ve legislated through some of the hardest times that our city’s seen, COVID. I remember sitting in this very chamber with masks on and our lives were at risk,” Rodriguez said. “But I do understand, I overstand a lot of our residents’ concerns. But I’ve always looked at why a lot of our directors are making more than our mayor, I’ve just never seen any sense with that. And same thing with council. It’s a position where you really can’t put a price on it.”

Sulkosky shared data on elected officials’ salaries in comparable cities. According to his findings, Lancaster’s mayor makes $103,084 annually, York’s mayor makes $75,000, and Wilkes-Barre’s mayor makes $82,400. The median salary for about a dozen cities’ mayors was $85,184.

Council decided to keep the bill in committee, requesting additional information on salary comps from Sulkosky.

In other news, council weighed extending the city’s lease agreement with the Broad Street Market Alliance for another year. The current lease expired at the end of 2021 and has been operating on a month-to-month basis since.

Grover explained that the city and market will need to have meetings to discuss a new lease. However, Grover said that the current lease needs to be extended as part of a requirement for the market to receive state grant funding for upgrades to the market’s stone building.

Council also weighed another extension, this one being for Harrisburg’s LERTA program, which provides tax abatement incentives to developers. Around this time last year, officials asked for an extension for the program, but said that they’d be working to reevaluate and make changes to LERTA in order to better serve stakeholders.

Jason Graves, the city’s director of business development and LERTA administrator, said that the city has drafted new legislation and has received county support, but is waiting on the Harrisburg School District to review. Because of the delay, the current LERTA program is proposed to be extended for another year.

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Police say that victim of fatal Cameron and Market bus incident jumped from the vehicle’s window

December 8, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

Police car (file photo).

A man was killed in a bus incident in Harrisburg over the weekend.

On Saturday afternoon, a passenger on a Greyhound bus traveling through Harrisburg was fatally hit after he jumped from the window of the bus, according to police.

Although PennDOT initially said the incident involved a pedestrian, Harrisburg Police detective Lt. Kyle Gautsch told reporters on Monday that the victim was a bus passenger.

While on the bus, the 59-year-old man had a psychological episode that was possibly a result of mental health issues, Gautsch said. The man then opened the emergency exit window on the bus and jumped out and the same bus ran over him.

The victim was not identified by police.

The intersection of Cameron and Market streets in Harrisburg has been the site of several fatal pedestrian and cyclist accidents over the years. However, this was not a pedestrian-involved car accident, police stated.

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Christmas tree lighting, caroling coming to Broad Street Market this weekend

December 4, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

This tree will be illuminated outside the Broad Street Market.

It’s time to get into the holiday spirit.

A group of local organizations are coming together to host a tree lighting event at the Broad Street Market on Saturday, Dec. 6.

Harrisburg-based Capital Rebirth, Friends of Midtown and the market will co-host the event, which will begin at 5 p.m. and feature crafts, cocoa and caroling.

“This event represents what the holiday season is all about — connection, joy and community,” said Mikell Simpson, founder and executive director of Capital Rebirth. “We are proud to help create experiences that bring people together, and we hope this tradition brings warmth and unity to Midtown for years to come.”

Organizers will illuminate the 11-foot Douglas fir tree, donated by Ground Roots of Dover, Pa., after a short program emceed by WGAL’s Tom Lehman. The tree is positioned in front of the market’s tent structure at N. 3^rd and Verbeke streets.

Before the tree lighting, Erica Shallenberger will provide music in the stone building from 4-5 p.m. During the evening, there will also be caroling by the Messiah Lutheran Church Choir, arts and crafts, s’mores and hot cocoa.

The event is free and open to the public.

“The Midtown community has been incredibly supportive and collaborative throughout the past year and it has been a pleasure working with them to bring this idea to fruition,” said Cherri Parks-Taylor, Broad Street Market manager. “We look forward to this becoming a standing tradition. We hope this brings joy to the Harrisburg community as a whole.”

For more information, visit Capital Rebirth’s Facebook page.

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Accessory boutique to reopen in downtown Harrisburg

November 26, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

Dewberry Alley in Strawberry Square

A familiar business will soon return to Strawberry Square.

AMMA JO, an accessories showroom, will hold a grand opening in downtown Harrisburg on Dec. 4, marking the third time the storefront has operated in Strawberry Square.

The boutique will offer handbags, accessories, gifts, art and home accessories at its location inside the Market Street entrance of Strawberry Square.

“We are returning to the downtown because we enjoyed our previous experience in Strawberry Square, and we feel that the energy is coming back to the downtown experience – we want to be a part of that!” said owner Amma Johnson.

AMMA Jo will host its grand opening at 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 4.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Amma Johnson back to the downtown,” said Brad Jones, president of Harristown Enterprises, which owns Strawberry Square. “Amma has a fantastic brand and is an inspiration for other retailers and small businesses here in Harrisburg.”

For more information about AMMA JO, visit their website.

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Harrisburg proposes 2026 budget with no tax hike; council approves two housing developments

November 25, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

Mayor Wanda Williams presented her proposed 2026 budget to City Council on Tuesday.

Harrisburg began its annual budget review process with City Council on Tuesday.

Mayor Wanda Williams announced the city’s proposed 2026 general fund budget of $88.1 million, which does not include a property tax increase.

“This is a balanced budget with no tax increase,” Williams said. “That achievement required discipline in a year marked by sharply rising insurance costs, a volatile fuel market and inflation that continues to strike nearly every municipal service.”

The total proposed budget, including the capital projects fund, state liquid fuels fund and neighborhood services fund, among others, is $127.4 million.

Of note in the proposed budget are significant raises for several city officials—including a $20,000 raise for the mayor. According to Interim Business Administrator Sam Sulkosky, the mayor’s current $80,000 annual salary has remained the same for 20 years, since 2006.

City Solicitor Neil Grover said that the mayor decided to propose the raise, describing the move as a “tough political call,” which has discouraged elected officials in the past, but saying, “it makes good sense.”

“It’s been a long time. It’s something that needed to get done,” he said.

In addition to the mayor, the proposal includes $5,000 raises each for four city council members: Ausha Green, Jocelyn Rawls, Ralph Rodriguez and Rob Lawson, who was elected in November and will take his seat in the new year.

The city controller would receive a raise as well, $5,000. Newly elected, Karen Balaban will take the seat from current controller Charlie DeBrunner in January.

Sulkosky said that, according to the law, elected officials may only get a raise at the beginning of their term, which is why only some elected officials would get a raise this year. Others who begin a new term in two years would get raises at that time, he said.

In addition to the financial burdens that Williams said would impact the 2026 budget, officials said that a large number of county property tax reassessments and dismal parking revenue still impact the city—issues that they had highlighted during last year’s budget presentations. Williams said that the city plans to save money by bringing more work, such as road paving and demolition, in-house.

Currently, however, the proposed budget includes a surplus, with general fund revenues projected at $92.3 million. Sulkosky explained that some of that was due to the city’s $2 million increase in fire protection revenue from the state, bringing that total to $7 million. Additionally, Sulkosky said that, because the city’s union contracts are not approved yet, possible pay increases are not yet factored into the proposed budget.

Council will review and discuss the proposed budget with each department head at hearings on Dec. 2, 3, 4 and 8.

In other news, council gave the green light to two housing projects planned for the city.

Harrisburg-based WCI Partners plans to convert an office building at 1909 N. Front St. into 60 market-rate apartments. The building is currently occupied by Hersha Hospitality, but according to WCI, the company is downsizing and moving locations.

Under the proposal, WCI would create all one-bedroom units in the four-story, 58,832-square-foot building. There are also 71 off-street parking spaces.

Council approved the land development plan by a vote of 5-2, with council president Danielle Hill and member Crystal Davis voting against it. Hill said her “no” vote was due to the project not including affordable housing.

Also, Handles Helping Hand Foundation received approval to construct four attached, three-story affordable townhomes on vacant land at 1605 to 1613 Market St.

The project site is currently owned by the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority. A small community garden used to operate onsite, but the lot has since become blighted. The developer will consolidate the five parcels on the land and subdivide it into four lots.

The $1.5 million project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2026, according to foundation president Chris Franklin, a Harrisburg native and former Harlem Globetrotter. Townhomes would be sold to lower-income families for around $120,000.

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Vision & Values: New directors take the helm at three of Harrisburg’s longest serving homelessness providers

November 25, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

George Chochos

George Chochos has never liked the term “at-risk youth.” He prefers “youth with potential.”

That’s a phrase that could have defined the Albany, N.Y., native’s younger years, though he likely didn’t think so at the time.

In many ways, Chochos, the new executive director of Harrisburg’s Bethesda Mission, may have been just like the clientele that Bethesda serves.

In his youth, he got in trouble in school, began facing legal issues, experienced family trauma, started using drugs and faced homelessness. Eventually, he got jail time in the maximum-security Sing Sing prison in New York.

Chochos was later moved to Eastern NY Correctional Facility and became one of 15 students to participate in Bard College’s prison initiative, which offered inmates an opportunity to get a degree.

“Everything changed,” he said.

Chochos found a different path in life, earning a college degree while in prison, working as a chaplain at rescue missions and, a year after being released from prison, was accepted into Yale Divinity School.

“My first semester, a front-page article in the New Haven Register came out that said, ‘From Jail to Yale,’” Chochos said.

Chochos graduated with two master’s degrees and went on to work for Georgetown University and Vera Institute, creating college programming for people in prison and advocating for federal Pell grants for the incarcerated.

Afterwards, working his way out of several jobs by creating and implementing solutions, Chochos went on to find the next, leading him to Harrisburg late last year. With not only an impressive professional background in the field, Chochos feels that his personal history makes him well-suited for the job.

During his first time preaching at Bethesda’s chapel service, Chochos shared his story. Later, someone told Chochos that they asked a Bethesda client if they knew the new director.

“Supposedly, they said, ‘oh yea, that brother understands,’” he said.

Chochos is not alone as the new director of one of Harrisburg’s longest serving homeless and community service providers. In addition to Bethesda, both Downtown Daily Bread and Christian Churches United of the Tri-County Area have new top officials.

In our October issue, we published a story on organizations that are taking unique, innovative approaches to housing the unhoused locally. However, nonprofits like Bethesda, DDB and CCU have logged decades marked by service to the community and have become institutions that residents, and even transplants to the city, rely on.

Still leaning on the tried-and-true service methods, new leaders at the top of each of the three pillars are casting their own visions for the future of service in Harrisburg.

“Many times, places like rescue missions and shelters, it can almost feel like how prison felt for me. It was like a bracket in my life,” Chochos said. “It’s not like when I got to prison, I knew there was going to be a pathway to some kind of life post-incarceration. What I would like to see with Bethesda Mission is for us to have pathways to education, pathways to employment, pathways to long-term housing.”

Kristen Herman

Puzzles & Potential

For a decade, Kristin Herman worked in the prevention field, serving at the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

She advocated for grant funding for domestic violence programming and studied how trauma, systemic barriers and other experiences can lead to relationship violence.

Now as the executive director of Downtown Daily Bread, Herman is working on the other end of the service spectrum.

“This is very much the opposite end. This is crisis work. We’re giving meals, we’re giving showers, we’re giving day shelter,” she said. “I interact with clients here. I get to do things like fix the dishwasher and unclog the toilets.”

And while her work now is very hands-on, Herman feels confident that her prevention background will be an asset to the nonprofit.

“It was a way for me to transition and take the skills that I have in prevention and seeing the bigger picture of how folks end up on DDB’s front doorstep,” she said. “I really like puzzles and, I would say, potential. So, looking at something and being like […] ‘how do all these pieces fit together?’”

Like Herman, Matt Reichard was looking to move into a more direct assistance role.

Reichard most recently served as the associate pastor at CrossPoint United Methodist Church in Lower Paxton Township and has also worked at Paxton Ministries and operated a medical clinic with his wife in Haiti.

When Reichard saw the opening at Christian Churches United, he decided to apply.

“It piqued my interest as something that’s a little bit different than the church setting and back into the community work like I had done in Haiti,” he said.

Reichard started as director earlier this year, at a time when there have been a lot of changes and uncertainty at the local, state and federal levels regarding human services.

“It’s always kind of in the background, but it doesn’t keep us from doing what we do, for now,” he said.

Fortunately, federal budget and funding changes and pauses haven’t caused any service or program cuts yet for CCU, because homelessness continues to rise in Harrisburg, as it does nationally.

“It’s a growing problem,” he said. “That’s something that I wanted to try to do something to help with.”

Matt Reichard

Everything Approach

For CCU, Reichard sees one of the biggest needs as continuing to beef up the organization’s homeless prevention efforts through programs like rental assistance. He’s also focused on keeping CCU’s shelter space for adults, which is heavily utilized, running smoothly. In the future, he hopes to expand shelter options to include families with children.

Reichard sees the work that other, newer community groups are doing to address homelessness, such as through building tiny homes and organized tent encampments. He appreciates the fresh attempts at finding solutions, but emphasized the need for a variety of approaches, including older, more established ones.

“I think the two have to work together,” he said. “The newer things are great, and I love new ideas, but I think it takes an everything approach. It’s going to take everybody working together. Some of these newer things will work for some people, but not for others. Some of the older things will work for some people, but not for others. It just depends.”

At DDB, Herman would also like to expand existing programs to make more space for highly-in-demand shelter beds and hot meals.

For Bethesda, Chochos has a vision to bring his expertise in college programming to the shelter by offering pathways to education to clients, possibly even partnering with a university to open a satellite campus onsite.

“That way when somebody comes to Bethesda Mission, there’s not that uncertainty at the back end, but there is a pathway,” he said. “I think that would also motivate people to want to be in our programs. When you know there’s housing at the end, there’s employment at the end, or I can get my education while I’m here.”

While the issue of homelessness continues to climb, all three of the new directors have plans to continue growing their organizations to meet the needs in Harrisburg.

“When I was a chaplain, [my goal] was to help people move from hopelessness to hopefulness. And that’s really what I want to instill,” Chochos said. “Hope can motivate you in ways that other things can’t.”

For more information about Bethesda Mission, visit www.bethesdamission.org.

To find out more about Downtown Daily Bread, visit www.downtowndailybread.org.

To learn more about Christian Churches United of the Tri-County Area, visit www.ccuhbg.org.

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December Publisher’s Note

November 25, 2025 | by Lawrance Binda

At the end of the year, our schedule gets tossed into the air.

While everyone decorates and parties, TheBurg staff scrambles to meet early deadlines, finalize our stories, and get our monthly magazine into your hands.

The rapid-fire Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year’s train of holidays is always challenging, and this year is especially tough for us, given the quirks of the calendar.

Nonetheless, no worries. As always, we’ll meet our deadlines, with our print magazine packed with community news, commentary, features, events and fun. And, like each December, this issue focuses heavily on the holidays and how we celebrate here in the Harrisburg area.

This month, we have holiday stories that range widely from local attractions to light displays to seasonal entertainment and more. We also have some great ideas on ways to give back to the community, if that’s on your to-do list.

If it is, we hope that you’ll consider putting something special from TheBurg under your tree, as merch sales help fund our mission of serving this community. Currently, we offer sweatshirts, T-shirts and ballcaps through our website or, if you prefer, just drop by our office. Donning your Burg gear also shows the world (or at least your fellow Wegman’s shoppers) that you support our work and your community.

For the holiday season, we also hope you’ll consider joining Friends of TheBurg, our membership program. To say “thanks,” we’ll send you a Burg-branded tote, delivered right to your door. You’ll also get an invitation to the Burg Bash, a huge annual party to honor our members (and my single-favorite night of the year). To date, we’ve had over 700 individuals, families, groups, companies and organizations become members—so please, join in the fun!

OK, I think I’m all pitched out for the month. It’s time now to turn the page and dig into our annual seasonal issue. TheBurg staff wishes you and your loved ones the happiest of holidays!

Larry, Lauren, Meg, Maddie, Natalie and Lex

Lawrance Binda
Publisher/Editor

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Lack of Capitol: In Harrisburg, an absent state workforce shatters small business dreams

November 25, 2025 | by Lawrance Binda

Illustration by Rich Hauck

When I first moved to Harrisburg, Aleco’s was my go-to spot for a quick, cheap meal.

At the time, the (very) casual eatery was located at North and 2nd streets, a cozy spot frequented mostly by neighborhood denizens like me.

Aleco’s was run by Jose, originally from Mexico and one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever met. If you dropped in at 7 a.m., he’d happily grill up a breakfast sandwich for you. For lunch and dinner, he furiously dished out burgers, cheesesteaks, sandwiches and huge salads. On Saturday nights, the late-night drinking crowd showed up, standing in a long line that often wound up the block, for greasy slabs of pizza at 2 a.m.

The place never seemed to close, and Jose never seemed to take a day off.

Mike, an older guy who lived nearby, waited every week for the Tuesday night pasta special—a mountain of spaghetti, meatballs, salad and garlic bread, all for about eight bucks.

“Look at all this food,” he said to me more than once, marveling at the pile on his plate. “It’s the best deal in town.”

Unfortunately, Aleco’s salad days (excuse the pun) wouldn’t last. About eight years ago, his landlord didn’t renew his lease, wanting the first-floor storefront for himself. So, Jose relocated a few blocks away, just across from the Capitol building, hoping to tap into the state worker market. Unfortunately, by now, we all know how this story ends.

A pandemic, 25,000 missing state employees, empty office buildings—and another Harrisburg small business down the drain, another dream shattered. In late October, I tried to stop in for lunch, but found the doors locked, the always-open place dark and empty. I tried calling, and the phone went unanswered.

Recently, TheBurg was named Small Business of the Year by the Harrisburg Regional Chamber, and, this month, I have the great honor of accepting this award on behalf of my amazing, creative, committed staff.

Because of this, I thought I might write a column about what it takes to be a successful small business in Harrisburg, an admittedly tough place to make it. I even sketched out a few ideas, addressing concepts like consistency, quality, flexibility, responsibility and dedication, which I believe are components of our success.

But then I realized that, no, that’s not enough. In Harrisburg, you can be a business that does all these things right—and still find yourself run over by some force beyond your control.

A pandemic might hit. Inflation may roar. And, worse of all, your Capitol customer base might stop showing up for work. Over the last five years, all these things happened to the hardest-working man in Harrisburg.

Of course, it isn’t only Jose. The catalogue of shuttered downtown businesses is a long one. Just last March, I wrote about another sandwich shop, Deco Grab & Go, which suffered a similar fate, and, well, I could go on and on. The list goes far beyond lunch spots, including law firms, lobbyists, banks, shops, consultants, bars, etc., which, since the pandemic, have closed, downsized or relocated, leaving many buildings half or fully empty.

My phone rang recently and a building owner, clearly upset, told me that he feared losing his anchor tenant, a downtown business that likely wasn’t renewing its expiring lease. He placed the blame squarely on Gov. Shapiro, who continues to allow most state workers, much of the time, to work remotely.

He said that he believed Shapiro had a responsibility either to order all state workers back to the office or to help fund the redevelopment of downtown Harrisburg—say, a one-time $100 million payment to help convert empty offices into residential space, where there is a demand.

Great idea, I told him, but, also, good luck with that. The problem, I said, is that Harrisburg is an orphan. Neither party gives a hoot about its own capital city.

For the Democratic governor, allowing state employees to continue working from home is the path of least resistance. Why rock the boat, upsetting the workforce, even if in-office work is superior? A future Republican governor might try to reverse that. However, that could prove difficult, considering that so many workers have grown accustomed to remote work or hybrid schedules.

Last year, I wrote a column saying that we, in Harrisburg, need to admit that state workers aren’t coming back and move on, opening a new chapter in the city’s history. I imagine a future in which Harrisburg finally fulfills its destiny as a great small city located on a majestic river, with a walkable, mixed-use downtown full of shops, restaurants and attractions. But, sure, such a transition will take gobs of money, and I have no idea where that will come from.

Even if it happened, it’ll be far too late for Jose and the many other small business owners who have become collateral damage since the pandemic. One day, a whole new crop of starry-eyed entrepreneurs will take their place. I can only wish them better luck than the poor souls who, deciding where to locate their businesses, once looked at the sprawling, stately Capitol Complex, with thousands of weekday workers, a guaranteed customer base, and confidently thought, “Well, at least this will never go away.”

Lawrance Binda is publisher and editor of TheBurg.

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December News Digest

November 25, 2025 | by TheBurg Staff

December News Digest

Williams Re-Elected Harrisburg Mayor

Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams won a second term last month, besting the city’s treasurer for the second time this year.

With all precincts reporting, incumbent Williams received 5,096 votes versus 3,837 for Dan Miller, currently Harrisburg’s treasurer.

“Thank you for giving me another four years,” said Williams, at her victory party in Uptown Harrisburg. “I promise as I did before: a new Harrisburg. Now, who’s with me?”

Like Williams, Miller is a registered Democrat. However, he ran on the Republican ticket after narrowly losing the Democratic primary to Williams in May, but garnering enough write-in votes to secure the Republican nomination.

After conceding defeat, Miller said that he gave it his best but couldn’t overcome running on the Republican side in such a Democratic city.

“It’s so disappointing,” said Miller, at his election eve gathering of supporters at the Millworks. “You don’t know how many people told me you have to win. They know that Harrisburg is in a bad place.”

Other than the mayoral race, Harrisburg’s other general election races lacked competition in the overwhelmingly Democratic city.

For City Council, Jocelyn Rawls, Ralph Rodriguez, Ausha Green and Rob Lawson all won, running unopposed for four, four-year seats. For school board, Roslyn Copeland, Danielle Robinson, Brian Carter and Jaime Johnsen all won, running unopposed for four, four-year seats, while Annie Hughes captured the lone two-year seat, also unopposed.

Democrat Karen Balaban, running unopposed, won a four-year term as city controller. She’ll replace long-time controller Charlie DeBrunner, who did not stand for re-election.

Dauphin County also had elections for several row offices and judgeships this year, with Democrats performing well.

For prothonotary, Democratic challenger Antonio Carreno of Harrisburg unseated the Republican incumbent, Matt Krupp, also of Harrisburg. For clerk of courts, Democrat Tina Nixon of Harrisburg bested the Republican nominee, John McDonald. For county coroner, long-time Republican incumbent Graham Hetrick squeaked past the Democratic nominee, John Harris Jr.

In close races for Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas judge, Democrats Katy Kennedy-McShane and La Tasha Williams defeated Republicans Fran Chardo and Jim Zugay.

Office Conversion Approved

An adaptive reuse project in downtown Harrisburg can move forward, having received the stamp of approval from City Council.

Developer Breneman Properties plans to transform three attached office buildings at 315 N. 2nd St. into a 10-unit apartment building.

Council passed the apartment conversion by a vote of 4-2, with council member Jocelyn Rawls and president Danielle Hill voting against the project. Hill prefaced her vote by saying she would vote “no” because the development did not include affordable housing, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The vacant 8,300-square-foot office building formerly housed the Pennsylvania Healthcare Association. The renovation will include constructing one- and two-bedroom units ranging from 500 to 1,200 square feet. Eight off-street parking spots exist on site.

Units are expected to rent from $1,000 to $1,400 a month, the developer said.

At the same meeting, council approved allowing the city to negotiate and enter into a professional services agreement with Ellen Freedman Schultz and Associates, LLC to develop an urban forestry and watershed education curriculum in partnership with the Harrisburg School District. The city will pay $25,000 for the program, money that will be reimbursed by a federal grant that Harrisburg received in 2023.

In other council action, Yvonne Marie Jackson was appointed to the Harrisburg Housing Authority board.

Council OKs One Project, Tables Another

One major adaptive reuse project can move forward with construction, while another has been tabled.

Harrisburg City Council last month approved one of two projects, giving the green light to an apartment project at the former Polyclinic building and stalling a downtown housing project for seniors.

Council voted in favor of a proposal by Pennmark Harrisburg Holdings, an affiliate of Montgomery County-based Pennmark Management Company, to transform the building that historically housed the Polyclinic Hospital at 2601 N. 3rd St.

The approved land development plan is for phase one of a three-phase proposal for the campus, which includes three buildings. The first phase targets the northernmost building on the property, which previously housed nurses’ quarters and more recently offices, and building out 96 market-rate units, with first-floor commercial space.

Council also voted on a plan by Harristown Development Corp. to renovate 333 Market Street, a 22-story building downtown that previously housed state government offices. At first, council’s vote resulted in a 3-3 tie, with council member Ralph Rodriguez absent.

“I want to maintain affordability, especially for our seniors,” said council President Danielle Hill, who initially voted against the project.

After City Solicitor Neil Grover told council that a tied vote would mean that the project was voted down, council decided to bring the development plan back up for reconsideration. Council tabled the vote for council members to ask further questions of the developer.

Harristown has proposed renovating floors 11 through 19 of the building, which are currently vacant, and creating 81 one- and two-bedroom apartments. Harristown is currently looking for an organization to master lease the units and provide senior housing.

At a previous work session, council members expressed concern about the affordability of the units. Harristown President Brad Jones said that he did not know what the unit rates would be, because they would be determined by the company that master leases the apartments.

Council member Shamaine Daniels advised council members who still had questions or concerns to meet with Jones but said that she believed council should pass the land development plan. If they wanted affordability to be a requirement, council should have the law bureau draft an ordinance, Daniels said.

“As far as I’m concerned, his application met the requirements,” Daniels said. “There’s nothing that mandates affordable housing.”

Hill responded, saying, “We understand that there’s no mandate for affordability, but when we’re dealing with seniors, we want to know a range of something. Being given a blanket answer isn’t sufficient enough for me.”

But Daniels noted what she saw potentially becoming a “recurring issue” if council votes down land development plans that meet all city statutes.

“If it gets denied, then it gets appealed, then we have to spend money defending an appeal that’s not defensible and is just a waste of money for everybody,” Daniels said.

In other news, council voted to accept a $101,000 payment from PennDOT to purchase a plot of city-owned land located in Swatara Township, near Paxton Street and City Park Drive, related to the I-83 widening project.

Grass Campus Playgrounds Open

Harrisburg kids now have another place to play.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg announced that they have constructed two new playgrounds for schoolchildren and the community at their Alexander Grass Campus for Jewish Life in Uptown.

The playgrounds were built on the Etter Family Green, a large green space on the Grass Campus.

They are already being used by Jewish Community Center participants and students at the Brenner Family ELC and The Silver Academy, housed on the Grass Campus.

Additionally, the playgrounds are open to the entire community outside of school hours, after 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and until dusk on Saturdays and Sundays.

“With immense pride and happiness, we celebrate the opening of our new playgrounds—a vibrant space where laughter, imagination and community come alive,” said Christine Cutuli, the federation’s chief operating officer. “Deepest thanks to every generous contributor who made this dream a reality. Your support and kindness will echo in the joy of every child who plays and learns here.”

The playgrounds, designed by BCI Burke, include slides, enrichment features, seating spaces and a xylophone. The Jewish Federation also upgraded the Etter Family Green with a fence and safety infrastructure.

Funds for the project came through numerous grants, including a Neighborhood Assistance Program grant from Capital Blue Cross, a Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Non-Profit Security grant and a Dauphin County Local Shares Municipal grant, among others.

The Alexander Grass Campus for Jewish Life is located at 2986 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit their website.

So Noted

Adam Santucci last month was elected to the executive committee of McNees Wallace & Nurick, a Harrisburg-based law firm. The executive committee is McNees’ senior leadership team, which guides the firm’s strategic direction and operations, according to the firm.

Lacie Parker last month was named regional vice president of Community Options, a national nonprofit that develops housing and offers employment support for people with disabilities. In this position, she will oversee operations in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Hampshire.

Midstate Shows last month announced its first show as part of the 2026 Dauphin County Live Concert Series. Alt-indie band Rainbow Kitten Surprise is slated to take the stage in Riverfront Park on Tuesday, Sept. 15, as part of its “bones” North American tour.

Changing Hands

Bailey St., 1245: People First Homes LLC to M. & J. Natal, $107,000

Balm St., 52: R. Rammouni & W. Othman to Dream Kasa Properties LLC, $125,000

Bellevue Rd., 2304: K. Hurst & C. Reinhold to A. Reber & C. Dietz, $495,000

Berryhill St., 1414: O. Conde & N. Esquea to A. Bisono, $67,000

Berryhill St., 1609: C. Wheeler & A. Swann to A. Tejada, $140,000

Berryhill St., 2158: T. Deangelis to Cleveland Association LLC, $110,000

Boas St., 109: J. Holloway & JNB Properties to J. Castro, $180,000

Boas St., 257: M. & J. Rivino to J. Johnson, $194,000

Boas St., 1713: Sunrise River Investments Inc. to A. Ventura & M. de la Cruz, $210,000

Boas St., 1800, 1001 N. 18th St. & 1201 N. 6th St.: Fernandez Realty Affordable Homes LLC to Woodward Lofts LP, $240,000

Briggs St., 2028: AUM Investments LP to DM Capital Holdings LLC, $95,500

Brookwood St., 2462: J. Dodson to A. Madrid, $126,000

Derry St., 2705: E. Beiler to H. Uppal, $150,000

Division St., 503: H. Moyer to B. Saveleski, $148,900

Emerald Ct., 2456: D. Tamang & R. Bhandari to N. Myers, $185,000

Emerald St., 229: M. Temba to HPC Properties LLC, $220,000

Emerald St., 613: JRHeller Com LLC to Chappel Capital LLC, $70,000

Forster St., 1837: D. Hall to House Cash LLC, $110,000

Fulton St., 1734: J. Thomas to R. Simms, $210,000

Green St., 807: V. & A. Jones to K. & A. Burgess, $345,000

Green St., 1509: W. Hughes & I. Wright to M. Murray, $245,000

Green St., 1932: M. & T. Kohera to N. & M. Faubion, $305,000

Hale Ave., 393: F. Ramirez & J. Polanco to C. Wells & C. Kenley, $160,900

Hale Ave., 412: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to J. Perez, $160,000

Holly St., 1709 & 1715: K. Kadel to L. Stewart, $70,000

Holly St., 1933: T. Davis to Echo Propco LLC, $93,000

Hummel St., 426: C. & S. Orellana to C&P Property Management LLC, $70,000

Lewis St., 421: J. Barber to BP Real Estate Investment Group LLC, $153,805

Locust St., 119: HBG Locust LLC to J. & D. Jones, $300,000

Logan St., 2249: Gilligan Realty LLC to Echo Propco I LLC, $82,000

Maclay St., 235: F. Contreras to Rebuild the Capital LLC, $220,000

Market St., 1705: Y. Guzman to A. Diaz, $80,000

Mulberry St., 1811: MR RE LLC to M3 Legacy LLC, $219,900

Naudain St., 1624: S. Brown to JL Mar Investments LLC, $65,000

N. 2nd St., 400: Murphy & Laus Real Estate LLC to Milan Property Group LLC, $650,000

N. 2nd St., 814: Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters to Academy HBG Realty Inc., $232,500

N. 3rd St., 3214: J. & E. Connolly to Red Giraffe Group LLC, $140,000

N. 4th St., 1625: J. Wolfe & K. Hunt to E. & L. de la Cruz, $210,000

N. 4th St., 2242: J. & A. McArthur to J2J Holdings LLC, $72,450

N. 5th St., 2405: Stoute Housing Inc. to J. Moody, $175,000

N. 5th St., 3135: J. Vega to E. Medina & D. Rivera, $273,000

N. 6th St., 1531, 1533, 1539: Buonarroti Trust to Pendleton 1521 North Sixth SPE LLC, $225,000

N. 14th St., 1201: Bedon Flooring LLC to E&R Realty Legacy LLC, $65,000

N. 14th St., 1203: Bedon Flooring LLC to M. Poles Jr., $159,000

N. 15th St., 1523: K. Braddock to E. Cook, $120,000

N. 17th St., 40: Bridger Investments LLC to Halden Horizons Group LLC, $70,000

N. 18th St., 86: DKH Homes LLC to J. Lapp, $73,500

N. 18th St., 122: Gilligan Realty LLC to Knight Development & Management LLC, $80,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 506: I. Hooker to A. Yau, $169,000

Park St., 1632: M3 6 Realty to Nachmo LLC, $83,500

Penn St., 1922: August W. Geise 2005 Trust to H. Rivera, $282,500

Regina St., 1412: M. & R. Rammouni to K&M Home Investment LLC, $80,000

Regina St., 1505: J. Jackson to Leos Property Care LLC, $93,000

Regina St., 1855: Mau Properties LLC to TR Property LLC, $277,628

Rudy Rd., 2488: N. Rivera to 2020 Real Estate Ventures LLC, $60,000

Rumson Dr., 2920: W. & D. Illanes to C. Chapa, $170,000

Showers St., 613: L. Plummer to S. Hull & A. Zimmerman, $269,000

Showers St., 617: D. Nomie to L. Pierce, $229,000

S. 13th St., 401: C., A., F. and S Weaver to M. Ginder, $121,000

S. 13th St., 436: J. Torres to J. Morales, $155,000

S. 13th St., 1449: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to DKH Homes LLC, $60,000

S. 15th St., 537: JRHeller Com LLC to Chappel Capital LLC, $60,000

S. 17th St., 923: J. Hawkins to Richie Property Management Services, $270,000

S. 17th St., 1122: A. Bratina to W. Melgarejo, $135,000

S. 18th St., 1301: House Cash LLC to Family 1st Estate LLC, $135,000

S. 25th St., 736: L. Crowder to B. Epwene, $101,000

S. 26th St., 625: Quick Holdings LLC to Z. & T. Walizer, $180,000

State St., 1412: S. Lee & M. Prokopy to PACC HBG 2 LLC, $190,000

State St., 1426: BRC 2 Properties LLC to Pichardos Realty LLC, $165,000

State St., 1512: Penn RM Properties LLC to Halden Horizons Group LLC, $99,000

Susquehanna St., 2120: W. Sheaffer to JRHeller Com LLC, $146,667

Swatara St., 2109: Swatara St LLC to La Swtara LLC, $90,000

Verbeke St., 1713: R. Green to Cleveland Association LLC, $125,000

Waldo St., 2707: S. & T. Johnson to U. Thapa, $90,000

Walnut St., 1854, 1856, 1858, 1860: A. Sullivan & A. Adams to Zook Rentals LLC, $460,000

Wiconisco St., 529: C&C Homes LLC to M. Bellamy, $160,000

Woodbine St., 633: S. Ali to C. Torres, $157,000

Zarker St., 2045: G&W Rentals LLC to G. Garcia, $143,000

Harrisburg property sales, October 2025, greater than $50,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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