The news media toss about the word “historic” recklessly. They do so to rev up the melodrama, to make rather average stories sound more important than they actually are.
That said: “historic” may well describe the past year for the people of Harrisburg. In the city’s long history, 2013 will almost certainly be regarded as a year of singular importance, regardless of how the complex financial recovery plan shakes out over the long term.
So, with apologies to my former co-editor, Pete, who understandably chafed at this tired, old nugget of journalism, here are my Top 10 news events in Harrisburg for 2013, in descending order of importance.
10. Sale and re-launch of TheBurg. It may seem self-serving to put your own baby in a Top 10 list, but I’m going to do it anyway. I’ve been told many times that TheBurg means much to the people here, and, after a brief hiatus, we were able to re-launch it with an entirely new style and level of quality. With the generous support of our Publisher Alex Hartzler and several key community members, we are able to put out a product that, we hope, serves Harrisburg well and reflects the cosmopolitan city it’s becoming.
9. Changes in legislatures. The arrival of of Sen. Rob Teplitz and Rep. Patty Kim in the Capitol brought much-needed youthful vigor and a pro-city spirit to the state legislature. Similarly, the election of Shamaine Daniels and Ben Allatt promises to shake up City Council with new blood, energy and ideas.
8. Restaurant scene. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. For such a small city, the restaurant scene in Harrisburg is excellent—and keeps getting better. This year will only add to the riches. Rubicon, next to Mangia Qui, will be first out of the gate with an early-2014 opening. Nearby, a high-end pizza and wine restaurant will rise at the corner of N. 2nd and State streets, while, a block up, Brickbox plans fine dining for the first floor of its new LUX condo building. Midtown also is getting in on the love. A wine-focused restaurant has been proposed for the corner of N. 2nd and Harris streets, and, if everything goes right, a new microbrewery will open just a few blocks away from there. Later in the year, a farm-to-table restaurant is due for the Stokes Millworks building across the street from the Broad Street Market.
7. Transportation funding. In November, the state legislature passed—and Gov. Tom Corbett signed—a $2.4 billion transportation bill that delivers $10 million in road improvements to Harrisburg over the next five years. This money is critical if the city is ever going to repair and modernize its infrastructure, which has been neglected for so many years. It’s essential both to the city’s livability today and to its attractiveness as a place for people to live, work and visit. Imagine a downtown where staying in your traffic lane isn’t a white-knuckle guessing game and driving across Forster Street isn’t like rumbling over ski moguls. To quote road-loving Judge Doom from “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”—“My God, it’ll be beautiful!”
6. Reform of the Harrisburg Authority. For many people, mentioning a utility authority is a one-way ticket to naptime. But, in Harrisburg, it’s been the center of melodrama for years, ever since revelations that former Mayor Steve Reed used the authority as a sandbox for his financial games. Therefore, it’s no small matter that the authority has remade itself with new leadership, new independence and a renewed mission, now focused on water and sewer service. It even has a new name: Capital Region Water, which better reflects its sharply focused mission.
5. Restoration of historic and blighted properties. Just two years ago, important properties as varied as the Barto Building, Payne-Shoemaker Building, Stokes Millworks, the Moffitt Mansion, among many others, were all languishing as underutilized, if not abandoned. They now have all been or are being restored and put back into use. To cap off this list: the awful eyesore known as the Capitol View Commerce Center, once the physical symbol of all that was wrong with Reed-era, high-finance Harrisburg, was bought out of bankruptcy and will be completed next year. If this hulking, half-finished, corruption-tainted disaster can be salvaged and turned into vibrant, occupied space, you have to be optimistic what the future holds for the rest of the city. Tipping point, anyone?
4. Sale of the city incinerator. It began as a debacle and pretty much stayed that way for 40 years, a polluting money pit that, when it wasn’t breaking down or being forced by the authorities to shut down, was leveraged into insolvency. It became both the plaything and the burden of successive mayors, whose dreams for it far exceeded its ability to deliver on them. The irony is that, just as the blasted thing finally worked as long-hoped, the city had to sell it for about one-third of the price owed on its accumulated debt. Nonetheless, our long municipal nightmare is over.
3. The primary loss of Mayor Linda Thompson. A year ago, many residents seemed resigned that Thompson would win re-election, extending an administration that they believed didn’t serve the city well. I shared the opinion that Thompson, for many reasons, was not the best person to serve as mayor of Harrisburg. However, I didn’t believe she had enough support to secure a second term, given the palpable exhaustion with her leadership. In the end, she came in third in the Democratic primary, securing just 28 percent of the vote.
2. The election of Eric Papenfuse. About a year ago, Papenfuse told me that he was considering running for mayor. I immediately tried to discourage him, thinking this effort would out work about as well as his previous unsuccessful runs for City Council and Dauphin County commissioner. Silly me. Papenfuse clearly learned from his past campaigns, starting late but quickly lapping a formidable primary field, then repeating that impressive performance in the general election. If I have just one wish for Harrisburg for 2014, it’s that the city finally gets the high-quality leadership it so desperately needs and deserves.
1. The Harrisburg Strong Plan. When former receiver David Unkovic released his financial recovery framework in 2012, people seemed generally impressed with its thoughtfulness and scope. Receiver William Lynch’s final plan was even more comprehensive, fleshing out Unkovic’s outline and adding several novel elements. The Strong plan has the potential to be a game-changer, not only for Harrisburg but for other financially distressed cities needing a new model to draw on. The ultimate success of this complex plan is hardly assured, but it gives this city a chance—a good one—for a new beginning and a hopeful future.
If you look carefully, you’ll notice that there is one element that ties this list together. Each item is, in my opinion, positive for Harrisburg. How many cities can say the Top 10 news items over the past year were good ones?
