The herons flew in and out, riverfront festivals came and went, and another year passed by in Harrisburg, Pa.
Per tradition, January is the month for me to reflect on the biggest news stories in our fair city over the past calendar year. At first blush, 2024 seems like a quieter news year than most since I started this column, but let’s see what I can come up with.
10. Great Start
As in prior years, I like to begin this annual column with some good news before lowering the boom on readers. The debut of the Catherine Hershey School for Early Learning qualifies as very good news indeed. In September, the 47,000-square-foot school on N. 6th Street officially opened, providing city families with free childcare and instruction for preschoolers. The impressive facility also stands out among several new buildings helping to revitalize the long-empty N. 6th Street corridor into the city.
9. District Deals
In 2024, the Harrisburg School District made as much real estate as education news. Early in the year, the district’s receiver made a final decision to retain the shuttered, beloved William Penn High School, ending, at least for now, that dispute. A few months later, the district bought the former Eastgate Center for its new admin building. It also reconfigured several school buildings, sold land that once held the Woodward School, and restored and reopened Steele Elementary, capping a busy year for school properties.
8. Out the In Door
For over two years, the city’s top staff seemed pretty stable—until it wasn’t. In 2024, the city’s business administrator, finance director, engineer, communications director and building and housing director all left, most within a matter of weeks. Maybe this was a big deal, maybe it wasn’t, but it did leave residents scratching their heads. In October, the city announced it had hired a new business admin, ending a four-month vacancy for that critical post. However, as of early December, some of the other departments remained without permanent leadership.
7. Out with a Bang
Seemingly forever, fireworks have been a highlight of Harrisburg’s summertime riverfront festivals. Most passed peaceably, until recently. In July, for the second time in three years, word quickly spread of guns and gunshots amid the rockets’ boom and glare, leading people to flee mid-show. In both cases, police reported no actual shootings, but the public panic was quite real. In response, the mayor canceled the fireworks display planned for the Kipona festival, and, now, we’ll have to wait and see if the tradition revives for 2025.
6. Home Front
Harrisburg’s new housing is a tale of two markets. In recent years, many market-rate projects have been proposed, but little has been built, largely due to rising costs. In contrast, in 2024, numerous affordable housing projects, often aided by subsidies, credits and favorable terms, broke ground or cut ribbons. In my view, Harrisburg needs both quality market-rate and affordable housing—and lots of it. To serve everyone, the city should make new housing of all types a priority, helping to repeople a place that lost nearly half its population since the 1950s.
5. Help for Unhoused
Harrisburg’s years-long homelessness crisis continued to make headlines in 2024, as the city cracked down on camping in public parks and then used federal funds to help expand capacity and services at two shelters. Meanwhile, in south Harrisburg, the long-anticipated Veterans Outreach of Pa.’s “tiny house” project opened its doors to homeless vets in the spring. Two other proposals, one for homeless veterans and the other for the general population, are planned for adjacent lots.
4. Governor’s Slog
Speaking of housing, Governor’s Square slogged through another year with only scant signs of progress. The beleaguered, 200-unit affordable housing project continued to fall apart and empty out as lawyers butted heads in bankruptcy court. I won’t detail all the excruciating, frustrating legalities of the past year except to say that, as of this writing, the sprawling complex seems headed for receivership. A court-appointed receiver then would try to do what the parties have failed to do: oversee what’s left of Governor’s Square and ultimately find a buyer.
3. Trail Nix
In recent years, three different nonprofits have proposed housing projects for homeless individuals, especially veterans, in south Harrisburg. That land, though, long has had another use, accommodating a portion of the Capital Area Greenbelt, Harrisburg’s popular biking/hiking/running trail. Following a prolonged dispute among the city, developers and the landowner, the Greenbelt Association agreed to try to reroute the trail, estimating the effort could take three years and cost $3 million. In the meantime, the trail segment has been diverted onto busy city streets.
2. State Fate
Some news stories break suddenly, others creep up on you. The fate of Harrisburg, post-pandemic, falls into the latter category. In 2024, folks finally seemed willing to admit the painfully obvious—that the vast state workforce would never return to pre-COVID levels, with predictably harsh impacts on downtown businesses, commercial real estate and the city budget. Downtown, especially, needs to begin moving onto whatever comes next, helped, I hope, by some bold leadership and a plan from city hall.
1. Market Matters
In 2023, the Broad Street Market fire was, without question, the No. 1 news story on my annual list. For 2024, the market again notches the top spot. This time, it wasn’t the fire itself, but the continuing fallout—from the painfully slow tent opening to the painfully slow market restoration. Along the way, we were subjected to a political fight over the construction manager, a political fight over the emergency declaration, and the arrest of the market’s former director. Good times. Like last year, I give the most credit to the Harrisburg community for its support, advocacy and unity in saving our beloved, historic market.
So, there you have it—my top 10 city news stories of 2024. Here, I’ll insert my usual disclaimer that this is just one man’s view, along with my usual lament that another year has passed with little sign of our elusive Harrisburg beaver. Sigh.
Looking ahead, what might be in store for 2025? Well, we have a new, unpredictable administration in D.C., mayor/council elections in Harrisburg and likely more fallout from the commonwealth’s pullback from its capital city.
As they say, buckle up—it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Lawrance Binda is publisher/editor of TheBurg.
Illustrations by Rich Hauck.
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