Tiny homes for homeless veterans in Harrisburg ready for residents, as officials cut the ribbon

May 29, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

VOPA and local officials cut the ribbon on Veteran’s Grove

A new housing development in Harrisburg is ready to welcome residents.

Veterans Outreach of Central Pennsylvania (VOPA) cut the ribbon on Wednesday on its tiny home village that will house homeless veterans in a secluded community in south Harrisburg.

“These bricks and this mortar will be the foundation upon which we will rebuild lives and give our veterans a renewed sense of purpose and hope,” said Tom Zimmerman, VOPA co-founder and board chair, at the ceremony.

Veteran’s Grove, located on a five-acre plot of land at 1105 S. Front St., along the riverfront past the PennDOT building, includes 15 tiny homes and a community center. The organization plans to function as a transitional living community for men and women who are homeless and in need of assistance with things like finding work, addressing mental health issues and overcoming substance abuse disorders.

Veteran’s Grove

In June 2023, VOPA broke ground on the over $4.1 million project, after first proposing the project in 2020. The land was donated by local philanthropist Peggy Grove, and the organization raised money completely from community donors, said Bill Habacivch, VOPA executive director.

Veterans will begin moving into the tiny homes, rent-free, in early June, each getting their own home, which includes a bed and bathroom, as well as support services through a therapeutic community model.

In the community center, residents will experience group therapy sessions and peer-to-peer engagement, which will pair them with veteran mentors.

Inside a tiny home

The center also includes a kitchen, which will serve residents three meals each day, and a dining room, as well as rooms for meetings, the intake process and medical and dental services.

“Everyone is an individual, and everyone has individual issues that need to be addressed and so they get an individual plan,” Habacivch told TheBurg.

In addition to assistance for those who live on site, the center will also help veterans from the Harrisburg area community at large, offering the same counseling, wellness and job training services.

“Our job is that we cannot leave anyone behind,” Habacivch said. “When I was in the corps. we would never leave anyone behind.”

For more information about VOPA, visit their website.

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Broad Street Market invites community to help name new temporary structure

May 29, 2024 | by Jolie Lloyd

Broad Street Market’s temporary structure

Broad Street Market-goers are invited to share what the market means to them, in a creative way.

A panel of market vendors and friends are asking the community to help name the market’s temporary structure, which opened to shoppers last week.

The tent opened across from the market to give a few displaced vendors, as well as several new vendors, a place to set up shop nearly a year after a July 2023 fire heavily damaged the brick market building. City and market officials have stated that the tent will remain open for around two years, as the brick building is rebuilt.

Community members are invited to reflect on what the market means to them and submit a creative, original and meaningful name for the temporary structure via an online form. In addition to providing a name suggestion, the form includes space for participants to explain the reasoning behind their choice.

Name submissions will be accepted now through June 22.

The market’s panel of judges will then present up to five name suggestions for community voting, chosen based on “creativity, relevance and market spirit,” according to the market’s website. Voting will then run from June 27 to July 6.

The panel will announce the winning tent name at a public market board meeting on July 10, which will mark the one-year anniversary of the fire.

To suggest a name for the temporary structure, fill out the submission form on the Broad Street Market’s website.

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Friendly Fun: Children’s puppet show theater cuts the ribbon on Harrisburg space

May 29, 2024 | by Kawena Jacobs

Members of Imaginary Friends theater cut the ribbon on their Strawberry Square location.

Some new fuzzy friends are bringing all things silly, fun and musical to the Harrisburg theater scene.

Imaginary Friends, a brand-new children’s puppet show theater, cut the ribbon on its space in Strawberry Square on Tuesday.

Owner and production designer Bill Kassay said he wants the show to encourage interest in the arts from an early age.

“I think Harrisburg has a great arts scene, [and] a great theater scene. It just needs to start developing a little younger,” Kassay said.

The grand opening included a free show for those in attendance, however, the first official shows will begin on June 1.

The show’s troupe consists of puppeteers and musical performers alike, many of whom met during their work at nearby amusement parks.

“[It’s] a gap that we kind of have in the area. I don’t see too many children’s theaters or really puppet theaters,” performer Ben Stansbery said. “I think there’s a really good opportunity here to bring this new art form here.”

The puppet friends include Darling Daisy, Emery the Elephant, Sasha the shark and Fallon the fruit bat. The theater itself is also a part of the show, as if the audience is entering a house with blue skies and a rainbow in the background.

“I’m a big fan of site-specific theatre, and it’s a great ephemeral experience because you’re only there for a short time. So, I knew I wanted to transform this place,” Kassay said.

There are currently two shows that will run throughout the summer, “A New Neighbor!” which promotes themes of friendship and acceptance and “Imaginary Friends Tell Jokes!” which brings comedy to a young audience. Another show is likely to be added in July, Kassay said.

Imaginary Friends is scheduled to host shows through Aug. 31, focusing primarily on the summer break while children are not in school, with hopes of eventually expanding that time frame.

Imaginary Friends is located in Suite 117, inside Strawberry Square. For more information and showtimes, visit their website.

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Harrisburg Council re-votes, confirms Broad Street Market construction manager

May 28, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg City Council meeting on Tuesday

A project to rebuild the Broad Street Market’s fire-damaged brick building can now take a step forward, following a contentious council meeting.

Harrisburg City Council on Tuesday reversed its previous rejection of the city’s selected construction manager for the rebuild, allowing the project to move forward.

Council voted 4-3 in favor of hiring Harrisburg-based Alexander Building Construction Co. as the construction manager to oversee the market rebuild, with council members Lamont Jones, Jocelyn Rawls and Danielle Bowers voting “no.”

At a meeting two weeks ago, council voted down the contract, 5-2, several members claiming that the selection process was inequitable and that the selection committee was not diverse. Previously, council members Crystal Davis and Ralph Rodriguez voted against the contract, but changed their votes during the reconsideration on Tuesday. All other council members voted the same as they did previously.

Following council’s original rejection of the resolution, the city administration objected to council’s claim, saying that the selection was fair. Officials also noted that they would need to restart the selection process, which could take anywhere from four to six months. Following the decision, Mayor Wanda Williams, the market’s board of directors and local state representatives, among others, spoke out against council’s “no” vote.

Williams maintained her position when she spoke to council at Tuesday night’s meeting.

“The process was not flawed,” she said. “I put who I felt is competent [on the scoring team]. I am the mayor, let me do my job.”

With a construction manager now hired for the rebuild, the city can now move forward with hiring a general contractor, architect and other contractors for the market. Officials have shared that the brick building restoration will likely take around two to three years.

“I’m excited and appreciative that City Council reconsidered their prior vote, and we’re looking forward to construction on the brick building getting underway,” said Eric Hagarty, chair of the market’s board. “Now the two-year clock on when doors can open begins, and we get to start planning for a future that includes having the brick building reopened.”

Rodriguez said that he changed his vote on Tuesday to a “yes,” after meeting with city officials and community members to discuss the resolution.

“The optics of the selection process seemed and appeared flawed,” he said. “Yes, the process should be transparent […] yes, the portion too should be fair and equitable, although, in my very own opinion, it’s not the step where we can really hold accountability up. That occurs in the next step with the actual selection of those who will do the work.”

Rawls maintained her opposition to the resolution on Tuesday, stating that, while she does not oppose Alexander as the manager, she still felt the selection process was unfair. She also voiced concern that Karl Singleton, the city’s chief equity and compliance officer, wasn’t involved in the process.

Singleton spoke during public comment in support of council’s equity concerns.

“There is no one up here who wants this to be rebuilt more than me,” Rawls said. “But I will not allow you all to go down in mud […] because a process wasn’t full of integrity and honor and respect. The process was flawed and we need to change that process today.”

During their previous council meeting, Rawls also took issue with inconsistencies found on her copies of the city’s scoring rubric that was used to score potential contractors. According to Williams, Rawls was accidentally given a draft copy of the rubric, which contained a typo that was later corrected.

Williams also pointed out during the meeting that council unanimously passed at least eight prior city contract agreements this year that used the same scoring procedure. She also said that she will continue to use the same city employees on the scoring team.

Prior to council’s re-vote, some community members urged council to reconsider and approve the construction manager, while others spoke in favor of council’s concern about fairness in the selection process.

“You need to keep more of the money here,” said Earl Harris, a local pastor and Harrisburg resident. “If you’re going to build a community where 73% are Black and brown, where do we fit in this process? We need to be included.”

Another Harrisburg resident, John “Joesmooth” Palmer, said that he just wanted to see the market restored as soon as possible.

“All I want to know is what’s taking so long,” he said. “Let’s get this thing done, let’s not make any excuses. Ten months is too long.”

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White House official visits Harrisburg, tours recent affordable housing projects

May 28, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams and White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez spoke with Harrisburg homeowner Damon Taylor.

A senior White House official visited Harrisburg on Tuesday to talk up affordable housing.

Tom Perez, director of intergovernmental affairs for President Joe Biden, toured several recent housing developments in the city, while touting the federal government’s efforts to increase housing opportunities across the country.

“Our housing crisis is indeed a crisis,” Perez said, during a press conference outside the recently built affordable houses on the 200-block of Hummel Street. “When you have a roof over your head, you have dignity. That’s what it’s about, and that’s what it’s about for Joe Biden.”

Perez, along with Mayor Wanda Williams and other local officials, toured one of the five Hummel Street homes, which Harrisburg-based Tri-County Housing cut the ribbon on in April. The houses were built to provide homeownership opportunities to lower-income families in the city and used $250,000 from the commonwealth’s share of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support the project.

“We are inching closer to our goal of making sure anyone in the city who needs an affordable place to live has the ability to rest their head easy at the end of the day,” Williams said.

Additionally, Perez visited homeowner Damon Taylor who lives on the 1500-block of Swatara Street, another house that was built as part of a project by Tri-County Housing for lower-income families.

“It feels great to have something you can call your own,” said Taylor, who has previously experienced homelessness. “I would not be here if it wasn’t for these programs.”

Perez said that the federal government will continue to invest in housing efforts, noting Biden’s proposed measure to give $10,000 tax breaks to first-time homebuyers.

“President Biden will continue to pay very careful attention to the issue of housing and affordability because we know we’ve made much progress, but we also know that we have to finish the job,” Perez said.

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Second council member indicates support for Broad Street Market construction manager, may be enough to flip decision

May 27, 2024 | by Lawrance Binda

The boarded-up brick building of the Broad Street Market

Another Harrisburg City Council member has indicated that he may change his vote in favor of a construction manager to oversee the restoration of the Broad Street Market.

In a statement, Ralph Rodriguez became the second council member on Monday to publicly state that will reconsider his vote from two weeks ago, when council voted 5-2 against the administration’s selection of a construction manager for the burned-out brick market building.

“This project is paramount to our beautiful city’s economic development and tourism,” Rodriguez stated. “For these reasons, I feel comfortable requesting a vote reconsideration on the matter to begin the BSM process.”

Two weeks ago, Rodriguez joined a majority of council to vote against the administration’s choice of Harrisburg-based Alexander Building Construction Co., based on concerns over the city’s selection process. On Monday, he said that those concerns had been alleviated in recent days.

“I did not feel the mayor’s office provided a case worthy of a selection for a project of this size,” he said, in his statement. “In the days since, the mayor’s office has done a much better job of providing the requested materials and explaining why Alexander is the obvious choice for a project of this magnitude.”

Earlier on Monday, council member Crystal Davis said that she would change her vote and agree to hire Alexander as construction manager. Davis and Rodriguez’s “yes” votes would appear to give majority support to Alexander, assuming that council members Ausha Green and Shamaine Daniels continue to vote in the affirmative.

A vote reconsideration is not currently on council’s agenda for Tuesday’s legislative session. However, the issue can be brought up from the floor during the course of the meeting.

The initial vote to hire Alexander failed after several council members said that they believed the administration’s process for selecting a construction manager was not equitable or fair. The administration rejected that assessment, saying that the four firms in the running were judged based on a strict scoring mechanism.

After council’s “no” vote, the administration said that it would need to restart the search process from scratch, which, they stated, would take many months to complete. Already, the market’s brick building has sat untouched—charred, boarded up and largely roofless—for nearly 11 months, since the July 2023 fire, which displaced about two-dozen vendors.

In addition, last week, Harrisburg’s two state House members issued a letter urging council to reconsider its vote, saying that the city would sacrifice potential state funding for the market if a construction manager were not selected before the next state budget cycle.

Like Davis, Rodriguez on Monday stated that he remained committed to ensuring equitable processes for city contracting.

“That does not negate that we will begin serious conversations to ensure everyone has a fair opportunity to do business with the city of Harrisburg,” he said.

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Harrisburg council member declares vote switch, says she’ll support proposed Broad Street Market construction manager

May 27, 2024 | by Lawrance Binda

The Broad Street Market’s brick building

Work to rebuild the burned-out brick building of the Broad Street Market appears to be one vote closer to starting, as a Harrisburg council member has announced a change in her position.

On Monday morning, Crystal Davis stated that she would switch her vote from “no” to “yes” on hiring Harrisburg-based Alexander Building Construction Co. to serve as construction manager for the lengthy project.

“I encourage my fellow council members to join me in voting ‘yes’ at Tuesday’s meeting because it is not fair to the market vendors or the people of Harrisburg to wait any longer to start construction on rebuilding the brick building,” Davis said, in a statement.

Davis’ vote alone is not enough to secure Alexander as project manager, the first step in a rebuilding process expected to take two to three years. Two weeks ago, council rejected the administration’s proposal to hire the company by a 5-2 vote, meaning that one more vote is needed, assuming that council members Ausha Green and Shamaine Daniels reiterate their “yes” votes.

Currently, a revote is not on the agenda for Tuesday’s council meeting, meaning the issue may need to be brought up from the floor during the meeting.

After the “no” vote, the administration said that it would need to restart the search process from scratch, which, they stated, would take many months to complete. Already, the market’s brick building has sat untouched—charred, boarded up and largely roofless—for nearly 11 months, since the July 2023 fire, which displaced about two-dozen vendors.

The prospect of further delay brought widespread criticism of the “no” vote from Mayor Wanda Williams, members of the market’s board of directors and many residents.

“Local small businesses who were displaced by the fire will continue to go on without income and the community members who depended on the market for their groceries in an area otherwise defined as a food desert by the USDA will have to wait even longer now—despite on-the-record admissions by many members of Council that Alexander Building Construction Co. had the most qualified proposal,” said Eric Hagarty, chair of the Broad Street Market Alliance, following the vote.

Moreover, last week, Harrisburg’s two state House members issued a letter urging council to reconsider their vote, saying that the city would sacrifice potential state funding for the market if a construction manager were not selected before the next state budget cycle.

In her statement, Davis said that she also reached the conclusion that the project needs to begin as soon as possible.

“[Vendors] do no deserve to wait any longer,” she said. “The people of Harrisburg do no deserve to wait any longer. Work needs to begin today.”

Davis said that she remains concerned about the fairness of the city’s process for selecting companies hired by Harrisburg.

“We will need to continue to work with Mayor Williams’ administration to continue improving procurement procedures to ensure all companies who want to do business with the city of Harrisburg have a fair and equitable shake,” she said. “I have been assured these vital and hard conversations will continue.”

The construction manager helps to guide the overall project. However, the selection of other key positions, such as general contractor and architect, remains with the city.

Meanwhile, last week, the market’s temporary structure opened across the street from the market, more than 10 months following the fire. It houses eight vendors, including five displaced by last year’s fire.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

May 24, 2024 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

LHACC executive director Gloria Vazquez Merrick and other local officials cut the ribbon on the new center.

We made it to a three-day weekend—that’s something to celebrate! The warm summer weather will make it the perfect time to enjoy the city. If you’re planning on heading to Artsfest, check out our story below for all the details, as well as all of our other reporting from this week.

Artsfest is back in Harrisburg this weekend, featuring artists, entertainment and food, our online story reported. The event will take place in Riverfront Park from Saturday through Monday.

Broad Street Market’s temporary structure opened this week, and the community came out in support, our online story reported. Eight vendors opened in the market, offering everything from produce to meat to sweets.

Harrisburg School District Superintendent Eric Turman was appointed as superintendent of the Central Dauphin School District and will leave Harrisburg, our reporting found. Receiver Dr. Lori Suski said that the district would begin looking for a new superintendent.

Jewish Family Service of Greater Harrisburg will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its adoption and foster care program at an annual luncheon event, our online story reported. The organization hopes to inspire people to consider how they can support and advocate for children in need during the event.

The Latino Hispanic American Community Center (LHACC) cut the ribbon on its new building on Derry Street in Harrisburg, our online story reported. The new center will give the organization additional space to expand its programming.

The LGBT Center cut the ribbon on its new N. Front Street home in Harrisburg, our online story reported. The center will use the space to continue its community programming and support resources.

Local legislators issued a statement this week, saying that the Broad Street Market may lose potential state funding to support efforts to rebuild the fire-damaged brick building, our online story reported. Rep. Dave Madsen and Rep. Patty Kim both urged council to reconsider its rejection of the city’s selected construction manager, which may prolong the rebuild and delay funding.

Logos Academy in Harrisburg shared its plans to expand to include space for additional students and grades. Find out more about the changes they will make in the coming months, here.

The PA Open Air Farmer’s Market is celebrating its 50th anniversary, our magazine story reported. For years, the market has offered produce and handmade goods at the PA Farm Show complex.

Paxton Creek flooding issues in Harrisburg will be addressed through a multi-million-dollar project that was awarded state funding this week, our online story reported. U.S. Senator Bob Casey presented a $1.25 million grant to the city and Capital Region Water at a press conference.

PennDOT announced that it would begin its road safety improvement project on Derry Street in Harrisburg and surrounding municipalities. Find out more on the construction plans in our online story.

Sara Bozich has compiled all of the best events happening in Harrisburg in her Weekend Roundup.

Steven Williams, a Harrisburg author, recently released a new book in his mythological series, our online story reported. The author will host a discussion and book signing event at the Midtown Scholar on Friday.

Winnie Okello, a Harrisburg area resident, recently transitioned into a new role as the Park and Recreation Equity Program specialist for the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, our magazine story reported. The job combines her passions for environmental work, program coordination, service and equity.

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Jewish Family Service in Harrisburg to raise awareness, celebrate adoption, foster care program at event

May 23, 2024 | by Jolie Lloyd

Jewish Family Service

During National Foster Care Awareness Month, a local service provider will spotlight the unique ways it advocates for children.

Jewish Family Service of Greater Harrisburg (JFS) will hold its annual luncheon on Friday, May 31, taking the opportunity to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its adoption and foster care program.

“We want people in the community to know that we do this,” said Steve Schauder, CEO of JFS. “We are looking for prospective families that are interested in learning more about this, and we are looking for people to support our work.”

This year’s event will highlight JFS’s foster and adoption care program and the organization’s work to pair medically fragile children with foster and adoptive families.

Schauder hopes that the event will raise awareness about JFS’s programs, as he feels that much of the community does not know about the work they do, he said.

The luncheon will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Jewish Community Center at 3301 North Front St. In addition to the anniversary of the program, the event will mark JFS’s 60th anniversary.

The theme for the night is “Every Child a Champion” and the keynote address will align with the theme. Alabama-based Auburn University basketball coach Bruce Pearl, who is an advocate for helping children with life-threatening illnesses, will address the crowd.

Rachel Kuhr, chief program officer of JFS, also hopes to bring awareness to just how unique JFS’s work with medically fragile children is.

“Few other agencies are willing to accept children with the kinds of medical needs they have, who we’ve taken into placement,” Kuhr said.

Kuhr and Schauder also want to let community members know that JFS’s services are for the whole community, regardless of religious or ethnic background.

“For us, everything is about getting the community to understand that JFS serves all members of the community,” Schauder said. “While we work based out of our Jewish values, we serve anyone who comes to us for help.”

Schauder described JFS as a social and human service and mental health agency. In addition to foster and adoption care, JFS’s programs include mental health counseling, refugee resettlement, senior services, community assistance services, financial assistance, a food pantry and a meals-on-wheels program.

“There is a Jewish belief that we are all partners in repairing the world. The world can be a broken place and we are here to fix it,” said Schauder. “And that goes for everyone. That is our central value that informs what we do.”

To purchase tickets for the event or learn more about Jewish Family Service, please visit their website.

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Logos Academy in Harrisburg to expand, offering space for more students, grade levels

May 23, 2024 | by Jolie Lloyd

Logos Academy

A Harrisburg school plans to further its educational mission through an expansion project.

Logos Academy, a private, faith-based elementary school in Midtown, will soon begin renovations to add a fifth-grade program and create space to potentially double its student body size.

“It allows us to realize our vision,” said Andy Phillips, founding CEO of Logos Academy. “Our vision is to serve, and these expansions help us to be able to serve well and serve even more kids.”

Logos was founded in 2016 as a free preschool program. Since then, they have added around one grade per year, according to Lauren Bonnema, donor relations specialist for the school.

Currently, the school serves preschool through fourth-grade students, and the expansion will accommodate the addition of a fifth-grade class. Additionally, the added space will allow for the preschool and pre-k programs, which are currently combined, to be separated.

Renovation plans include the addition of three lower-level classrooms, updates to the bathrooms and the addition of an ADA-accessible bathroom.

The third- and fourth-grade classes that currently meet upstairs will move to the new basement classrooms, opening space upstairs to house a music and art program.

Logos officials expect the project to take place over the summer and be completed by the fall, making the new spaces ready to use for the 2024-25 academic year.

Once renovations are complete, the academy will have the capacity for around 120 students, possibly doubling the current school size of around 60 students, said Logos Principal Jessie Kauffman.

Although the school is expanding, Kauffman’s goal is to keep class sizes small to follow a trauma-informed structure, she said.

“Having space to keep classes small makes us able to focus on each individual child,” she said. “Because we’re able to have smaller classrooms and provide that consistency and safe foundation, their brains are able to calm down and focus on learning.”

To learn more about Logos Academy, visit their website.

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