Downtown Survey Results Shared
The results of a recent survey show that community members are ready and excited for a downtown Harrisburg renaissance, officials say.
The Pennsylvania Downtown Center, in partnership with the Capital Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC), last month announced the results of a survey that garnered thousands of responses and showed support for revitalizing downtown.
“What came back was both encouraging and clear-eyed: strong pride in the city’s architecture, riverfront and cultural assets, alongside real frustrations around parking, everyday retail, safety and business climate,” according to the Revitalize Downtown Harrisburg website.
According to survey responses from over 4,000 people, five strong themes emerged.
One of the top findings of the survey was that people are interested in making downtown a place for everyday life, with a grocery store, pharmacy and places to meet basic needs.
Other themes included overcoming the barrier of parking downtown, improving perceptions of safety and cleanliness, supporting business development, and creating energy through more housing, events and activities.
About half of the respondents were city residents, 45% worked downtown, and 43% said they support downtown restaurants on a weekly or monthly basis. Additionally, 20% said they wanted to be involved in the downtown revitalization project.
Tree Inventory Begins
Harrisburg has begun its first citywide tree inventory in at least a decade.
An urban forestry management company with certified arborists last month started conducting a census of trees across the city, according to Harrisburg forester Cody Legge.
After the inventory is complete this month, the city will identify where tree maintenance—including removing, pruning or planting— must be completed.
“They’ll do all the streets first, and then double back to do our parks,” said Legge, noting the contractors will work their way across the city at their discretion.
The work is funded through a $2 million federal “TreeVestment” grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The grant is designed to bolster urban tree canopies.
Most of the money has been set aside for tree work, said Legge, which, between maintenance, removal and plantings, can be costly to perform.
Legge said he expects that most city trees may need to be pruned, either to remove routine deadwood or to resolve clearance issues. This would include city trees between sidewalks and curbs that are technically in the public “right of way.”
“There’s quite a bit of conflicting issues with tree limbs being just a little too low on the streets or the sidewalks,” Legge said.
He added that a handful of “risky” trees may need to be removed, but the grant dictates that anywhere the city removes a tree, a new tree must be planted in its place. He has also advised the contractor to take note of stumps or divots in the ground where the city could replant a tree where one clearly was in the past.
Legge estimated that the last tree inventory for Harrisburg was conducted around 2016.
HACC to Sell, Lease Buildings
HACC’s board of trustees last month approved a resolution that gives the institution permission to sell or lease seven buildings it owns across central PA.
Facing a $63 million debt obligation and more than $163 million in deferred maintenance, the board approved the sale or lease of Harrisburg’s Midtown 1 building (located at 4th and Reily streets) as well as its Ted Lick and John N. Hall buildings on its main Harrisburg campus. The resolution also included two buildings in York, as well as buildings in Lancaster and Gettysburg.
“We’re not closing the campuses, none of them, but we’re just looking at our space utilization in Harrisburg,” said John Sygielski, on his last day as HACC president and CEO, just before the new president, Daniel Lufkin, started.
Sygielski said that, while HACC could use more state funding, 2026-27 will be its third year in a row without an increase in operating funds. Downsizing its building portfolio will hence help it meet its debt obligations, he said.
Sygielski said HACC plans to move operations at Midtown 1 to HACC’s main campus and is in talks with other organizations about its Lick and Hall buildings.
According to Sygielski, overall consolidation of the buildings may take one or two years.
Home Sales Dip, Prices Rise
Harrisburg-area home sales dipped in May, though prices powered higher, according to the latest report on previously owned houses.
For the three-county area, 561 homes sold in May compared to 599 in the year-ago period, as the median sales price increased to $305,000 from $290,000, according to data from the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).
In Dauphin County, 263 houses changed hands, versus 290 in May 2025, while the median sales price jumped to $295,000 from $250,000, GHAR said.
Cumberland County tallied 259 home sales in May, a drop from 273 a year earlier, as the median sales price fell slightly to $322,000 from $324,900, according to GHAR.
In Perry County, 32 homes sold, compared to 35 the prior May, as the median sales price rose to $322,500 from $257,500, GHAR said.
The pace of home sales slowed a bit, as “average days on market” increased to 27 days in May versus 24 days in May 2025, stated GHAR.
So Noted
Carlyn Krall last month was named the new marketing and social media manager for Visit Lebanon Valley. In this role, she will oversee social media platforms, marketing campaigns, digital content and promotional initiatives, according to the organization.
Carrie Wissler-Thomas will retire in September after four decades leading the Art Association of Harrisburg, the association announced last month. The board named Debbie Smith, owner of the Smith Gallery and Fine Custom Framing, to succeed Wissler-Thomas as executive director and president.
Denim Coffee last month opened its third shop in downtown Harrisburg, its largest location, at 17 S. 2nd St. on the ground floor of the Menaker Apartments. The new space seats more than 50 and has a conference room available for meeting reservations, designed to offer gathering space for the community.
Harrisburg Fringe Festival will return this month, from July 16 to 19, showcasing visual, performance and musical art at venues throughout the city. As part of the festival, filmmakers Wallace McKelvey and Paul Hood will screen another installment of “River City Stories,” a lineup of original films inspired by life in the city, at Midtown Cinema. Visit www.hbgfringe.com.
Market Square Concerts this month will present its Summermusic series with a special emphasis on American musical contributions for the country’s 250th birthday. The concerts, at Market Square Presbyterian Church in downtown Harrisburg, will take place July 12, 15 and 19. For more information, visit www.marketsquareconcerts.org.
The Exchange, an “active adult” living community in downtown Harrisburg, cut the ribbon last month on its building at 112 Market St. New Holland-based Garden Spot Communities, along with Harristown Enterprises and Select Capital Commercial Properties, re-developed the long-time office building into a 55-plus community consisting of 39 one- and two-bedroom apartments.
Visit Hershey & Harrisburg last month added several new stops to the Harrisburg Arts District map to include monuments along the Susquehanna riverfront and recently opened venues like Capital City Music Hall and Coronet Park. The district is made up of more than 50 murals and monuments and more than 20 theaters, performance venues, museums and art galleries. For more information on the map and audio tour, visit the VHH website.
Changing Hands
Bailey St., 1218: R2 Investors LLC to TYHequities LLC, $82,000
Berryhill St., 2436: J. Charlton to V. Wisman, $140,000
Boas St., 412: E. Buda to M. Fox & A. Ringler, $215,000
Briggs St., 1612: M. & M. Stewart to W. Jenkins, $80,000
Brookwood St., 2168 & 2168 Gettys Alley: JTA Consulting Group LLC to A. & M. von der Linden, $165,900
Catherine St., 1505: S. Samuel to S. & L. Lapp, $122,500
Chestnut St., 1943: Northline Properties LLC to Breneman Properties LLC, $62,500
Cumberland St., 218: D. MacGregor to Z. & L. Ordo, $230,000
Derry St., 1523: H. Cotignola & J. Pickens to 2020 Real Estate Ventures LLC, $70,000
Derry St., 2335: L. Thompson to J. & D. Florentino, $250,000
Edgewood Rd., 2301: New Holland Enterprise Management LP to C. & C. Ortiz, $348,000
Edgewood Rd., 2315: E. Shaner to M. & M. Cuzco, $338,000
Evergreen St., 25: Golden Triangle Investment LLC to O. Rodriguez, $155,000
Forster St., 212: N&R Group LLC to Arm 1209 Green PA LLC, $395,000
Forster St., 1814: N. Burrell to J. Santana, $160,000
Geary St., 619: T. Rodriguez to J. Diaz, $130,000
Geary St., 626: EJB Rentals LLC to Ardoise Investments LLC, $80,000
Graham St., 118: D. Kyle & D. Holland to D. Page & J. Cavey, $411,400
Green St., 2008: M. & M. Akins to I. Inchausti, $295,000
Greenwood St., 2714: P. Smith to A. Davis, $155,000
Hoerner St., 116: PPS Realty Inc. to SNB Real Estate Solutions LLC, $82,000
Hunter St., 1623: J. Monegro to U. Sheikh, $85,000
Kelker St., 206: JMW Property Group LLC to 206 Kelker LLC, $337,500
Lewis St., 228: J. & C. Bisel to A. Berkowitz & N. Gordon, $294,500
Logan St., 2232: L. Folks to JRHeller Com LLC, $53,750
Market St., 1209: Avila Estate Investment LLC to J. Nonsent, $145,000
Market St., 1913: Widespread Properties LLC to Kingfisher Properties LLC, $310,000
Melrose St., 716: Rivas Property Investments LLC to A. Cepeda, $141,880
Muench St., 427: D. Glick to A. Esh, $112,000
Naudain St., 1634: I. Colon to U. Velez, $92,700
North St., 1502: D&F Realty Holdings LP to D. Meran, $117,890
North St., 1717: JDP 2014 LLC to D. Arias & J. Bautista, $160,000
North St., 2012: Salah el Din LLC to C. Smith, $145,000
N. 2nd St., 315: Breneman Properties LLC to 315 N 2nd Owner LLC, $293,474
N. 2nd St., 1113: Doyle Assets LLC to PACC HBG2 LLC, $120,000
N. 2nd St., 1333: R. Adams & K. Rasmus to M. Zimmerman, $187,000
N. 2nd St., 3028: D. Bradley & E. Berry to Z. & A. Martin, $266,000
N. 3rd St., 3132: M. Dunbar to J. & A. Hurtado, $230,000
N. 4th St., 19: Joseph Kowalczyk to 4th & Walnut Street Owner LLC, $475,000
N. 4th St., 21: Joseph Kowalczyk to 4th & Walnut Street Owner LLC, $450,000
N. 5th St., 2727: Integrity First Home Buyers to Alexs Rentals LLC, $120,000
N. 6th St., 1500, Unit 502: L. Grossberg to P. Zhou, $585,000
N. 6th St., 2605: Sky Resort Rentals LLC to Stoltzfus Real Estate Holdings LLC, $180,000
N. 6th St., 2631: City Limits Foundation to J. & D. Negron, $90,000
N. 6th St., 2939: R. Stewart, M. Silliker & N. Li to M. Elbayoumy, $70,000
N. 6th St., 3119: K. Clemons to Rosebud Capital LLC, $150,000
N. 14th St., 211: Dreams2Reality Services LLC to G&K Best Homes LLC, $127,000
N. 15th St., 1503: A. Laboy to N. Navarro, $115,000
N. 15th St., 1603: R. & D. Requa to A. Ochoa & E. Hernandez, $155,000
N. 16th St., 1103: A. Sandino to C. de Jesus, $172,500
N. 16th St., 1204: J. Mancero to C. Burgos & R. de Reyes, $177,000
N. Front St., 321: 321 N Front St LLC to Blue Valley Leasing, $84,352
N. Front St., 1109: JMW Property Group LLC to J. Parrish, $257,000
N. Front St., 1525, Unit 213: Selenite Real Estate LLC to H. Shearer, $155,000
Reel St., 2470: D&F Realty Holdings LP to W. Mercado, $61,843
Rose St., 933: GKX LLC to Rotewort Enterprises LLC, $435,000
Royal Terr., 109: E. Camones to D. Whitted, $189,000
Sassafras St., 133 & 114 Herr St.: Sassafras Court Partners LP to Alex Manning Enterprises LLC, $800,000
S. 13th St., 951, 1000: From the Heart Church & Ministries of HBG Inc. to Rock City Building Support Inc., $1,150,000
S. 13th St., 1449: DKH Homes LLC to SkyZoom LLC, $160,000
S. 14th St., 447: B. & A. Muzirwa to Luperon Properties LLC, $115,000
S. 15th St., 523: Willow LLC to S. Cheam, $50,000
S. 17th St., 22: A. Taveras to D. Paulino, $145,000
S. 17th St., 435: G. Oden to J. Pauta, $200,000
S. 19th St., 409: Bridger Investments LLC to H. Everett, $141,000
S. 19th St., 549: D. & D. Letterlough to Alis Repair Shop LLC, $120,000
S. 23rd St., 649: Two Three Two Investments LLC to A. Ranjan, $140,000
S. 29th St., 630: T. Anderson to O. & O. Balogun, $250,000
S. Cameron Terr., 1511: CSL Investments LLC to Easy Home Offer LLC, $104,000
State St., 1828: Visionary Investments RE LLC to A. Velazquez, $125,000
Susquehanna St., 1330: Green Scapes Investments LLC to J. Dubina, $190,000
Swatara St., 2005: S. Mejia & W. Guzman to G. Chalas, $175,000
Valley Rd., 2301A: S. Thornsley to M. Thompson, $367,000
Walnut St., 401: J. Kowalczyk to 4th & Walnut Street Owner LLC, $375,000
Walnut St., 411: J. Kowalczyk to 4th & Walnut Street Owner LLC, $900,000
Walnut St., 1732: A. Bouhach to E. Buckley, $128,000
Zarker St., 1937: J. Belai to T. Kea, $125,000
Harrisburg property sales, May 2026, greater than $50,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.
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