Officials Commit to Rebuilding Market

Local and state officials last month vowed that the Broad Street Market would be rebuilt following a destructive fire.
At a press conference after the fire, Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, along with other local officials, pledged to support the market’s many vendors and restore the historic building.

“Overnight, the heart of our community was taken from us,” Williams said. “Today is not the end of the Broad Street Market. We will rebuild it.”

Subsequently, the city also announced that a temporary, enclosed market for displaced vendors would be set up on an empty lot directly across Verbeke Street until reconstruction of the building is finished.

At about 1 a.m. on July 10, the Harrisburg Fire Bureau responded to reports of smoke coming from the market’s brick building. Flames engulfed the building, causing severe damage to the roof and, specifically, the side of the building closest to N. 6th Street. The fire took several hours to contain, fire officials said.

According to Fire Bureau Chief Brian Enterline, the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction of a large ceiling fan, installed in 2017. The building did not have a sprinkler system.

According to Enterline, the building’s shell is salvageable and the historic architecture of the building can be maintained. Much of the interior portion of the building near the market courtyard is salvageable, as well, largely suffering smoke and water damage, fire officials stated.

The Broad Street Market is covered under Harrisburg’s insurance, city Business Administrator Dan Hartman told TheBurg. Vendors in the market are required to have their own insurance, as well.

Shapiro also vowed to assist the city in rebuilding the market, offering possible state grant or loan opportunities. The commonwealth is coordinating with the PA Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and the Department of Agriculture to find ways to assist vendors displaced by the fire, he said.

“This market matters; it’s mattered for more than a century,” he said. “You’re going to see government at all levels now work together. We are all now going to come together and do what’s necessary to support the rebuild.”

While local officials are hopeful about the future of the Broad Street Market, they recognize that rebuilding won’t be a quick process.

“Make no mistake, this will take time and, of course, tears, but the end result will be worth it,” Williams said. “The Broad Street Market will be back and better than ever before.”

Harrisburg Approves Grant Deployment

After months of meetings and public hearings, Harrisburg has decided how to deploy millions of its federal COVID-relief dollars.

City Council voted last month to use $31.4 million of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for projects like renovating a city pool and supporting affordable housing development.

The vote caps a long decision-making process by Harrisburg to determine how to use its total $47 million allocation from the federal government as pandemic relief.

Council already voted in June 2022 to allocate $15.6 million to reimburse the city for lost revenue during the pandemic, for one-time bonuses to uniformed personnel in the Harrisburg Fire Bureau and Bureau of Police and to replace the HVAC system in the city’s Public Safety Building.

Last month, council voted to allocate the city’s remaining funds, $31.4 million, to replace revenue lost during the pandemic. The money will go into Harrisburg’s general fund. However, the money will be used by the city for specific programs and projects approved by council.

According to City Solicitor Neil Grover, using the money for revenue replacement eliminates some ARPA reporting requirements that would otherwise be mandated when awarding funds to sub-recipients, such as local nonprofits or businesses.

The biggest allocations within the spending plan for ARPA funds will support funding affordable housing projects and the renovation of Hall Manor pool, which is currently closed, each receiving an $8 million allocation.

City officials explained at previous meetings that the money for affordable housing can be disbursed to developers as matching funds. Developers would apply for the money and be approved by a board using a scoring rubric.

Other allocations within the ARPA plan include $5 million for home repairs for low-income and elderly residents, $1.5 million for creating an ADA-accessible playground and $1.5 million for blighted building demolition. Another $1 million will assist people with delinquent trash bills, $1 million will create a workforce development/internship program for youth, and $1 million will provide funds for residents’ emergency and transitional housing needs.

Additional, smaller allocations will support tree removal services for elderly residents, the purchase of radios for the Fire Bureau, and support for nonprofits that assist senior citizens.

Council also amended the plan to include $1 million to create a “Community Matters” grant program to support underserved communities, minority- and women-owned businesses and nonprofits that assist underserved communities. Another $500,000 will create “community connection hubs” at locations in the city to assist with workforce development. An additional $1.2 million will pay for the city’s administration of the funds.

School Budget Approved; William Penn to Be Razed

At its last meeting of the academic year, the Harrisburg School District took action on two significant agenda items—the district’s budget and the future of one of its most storied buildings.

During the late June meeting, District Receiver Dr. Lori Suski approved the demolition of the long vacant and blighted William Penn School building, citing the financial burden that it has caused the district.

“We have gone through extensive dialogue about this property,” Suski said. “The building was improperly shuttered years ago, and I agree with the residents that it’s a travesty. But we need to look at how best to use our resources.”

Suski approved a $6.8 million proposal from the Gordian Group to demolish the building, built in 1926.

According to district officials at a previous board meeting, William Penn has increasingly suffered structural damage, fires and break-ins. Over the years, the school district weighed options such as selling the building and renovating it for use as a magnet middle school. However, Suski explained that the district wasn’t interested in any sales offers it got and received quotes estimating renovations could be as high as $90 million.

Several William Penn graduates and community members attended the meeting to express frustration with the plan to demolish the building.

“I’m upset that they allowed the building to deteriorate,” said Elle Richard, of the William Penn class of 1966. “It shouldn’t have gone this far. It’s sad because it seemed so much like home.”

Some school board members expressed support for the decision to demolish the building, agreeing with district officials that maintaining the building had become too costly.

“It does hurt that this decision had to be made,” said school board director Danielle Robinson. “We’ve done everything to try to figure out how to save this building but, realistically, it just can’t be done.”

The school district will likely begin demolition in August or September, which would take around a year to complete, said John Reedy, chief of operations for the district.

According to Superintendent Eric Turman, the district plans to host community meetings in the fall to hear input from residents on how they’d like to see the property used after William Penn is demolished.

At the meeting, Suski also approved the final 2023-24 budget of $218.5 million, which does not include a property tax increase. Taxes will remain at a millage rate of 30.78.

In an earlier form of the preliminary budget, the district proposed raising taxes by 3.25%. However, officials removed the tax hike from the proposal at a previous meeting.

FNB Field Set for Upgrades

FNB Field, home to the Harrisburg Senators, will undergo upgrades as Harrisburg has agreed to fund a number of improvements.

City Council last month voted to affirm Harrisburg’s commitment to fund Major League Baseball-required upgrades to the city-owned field on City Island.

Harrisburg will support improved stadium lighting, better practice and training facilities and improved clubhouse areas for both home and visiting teams. Renovations will also include expanding locker room areas due to the growing number of female coaches and umpires in professional baseball.

“With Major and Minor League Baseball recognizing the need to update facility standards to improve conditions for minor league players as part of their new collective bargaining agreement, the city of Harrisburg, as the owner of FNB Field, is proud to partner with the Harrisburg Senators to keep the Eastern League’s second oldest franchise in the city of Harrisburg,” said Dan Hartman, city business administrator.

In November 2022, the city was awarded a $6 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant from the commonwealth, which will help fund the over $11 million project. The Senators will pay for the remainder of the project’s cost, according to the city.

City and Senators officials expect construction to be completed in time for the start of the 2025 season.

“We are thrilled that the city of Harrisburg has formally decided to fund the improvements necessary to bring FNB Field in-line with the new Major League Baseball facility requirements,” said Harrisburg Senators President Kevin Kulp.

Tight Rental Market in Harrisburg Area

The Harrisburg area is the tightest market nationwide for residential rentals, says a new study.

RentCafé, a national apartment search website, stated last month that 96.2% of apartments in the seven-county, south-central PA region are occupied.

“Apartment seekers in Harrisburg face significant challenges in finding vacant places, as only about 4% of rentals are available,” according to the report.

By “Harrisburg,” the company means the entire region that comprises Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry and York counties.

The tight market makes “apartment hunting feel like looking for a needle in a haystack,” according to RentCafé.

The report states that a prospective renter needs to compete with 13 other hopefuls to secure a lease in the Harrisburg area—four times more than the national average.

For its analysis, RentCafé compiled data from 137 rental markets in the United States of multi-family properties of at least 50 units.

The Harrisburg area had a “competitive score” of 123, which actually was higher than all markets—large and small—in the nation. The Miami-Dade, Fla., market, which ranked first among large national markets, had a “competitive score” of 120.

In its report, RentCafé also states that the Harrisburg region’s rental market is twice as tight as that in Philadelphia.

For small markets, the Harrisburg area was followed by Fayetteville, Ark., and Providence, R.I., in RentCafé’s analysis.

According to the company, not only is demand strong, but there’s been a lack of new construction, exacerbating the situation. According to RentCafé’s statistics, the area has added “zero” net new apartment units recently.

“Besides the cost of living and the convenience of renting here (just about everything you need is within 20 minutes by car), people calling Harrisburg home are also close to major metros like Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, New York City and Washington, D.C.,” the report states.

Bridge Toll Plan Dropped

The proposal was all but dead, but now word is official—the South Bridge will not be tolled.

In a project update released last month, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation affirmed that it has dropped a widely criticized plan to toll the bridge to help pay for its replacement.

“The bridge will not be tolled and is no longer included in the Major Bridge Public-Private Partnership (MBP3),” according to a PennDOT statement. “The project will be moving forward with non-tolling funding sources and to expedite this critical project, the department continues to seek federal discretionary funding so the project can be delivered earlier.”

PennDOT said that the 62-year-old bridge, which carries I-83 traffic over the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg, is near the end of its lifespan. Its replacement is estimated to cost $850 million to $1 billion.

The agency hopes to begin the project in 2025.

In the meantime, PennDOT said that it is resuming environmental studies for the project to address the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). An environmental analysis is a detailed study of how a project would affect the surrounding community’s quality of life, including health, safety, cultural resources, natural resources, etc.

In February 2021, PennDOT released a plan to toll the bridge, but that proposal was met with widespread opposition from many Harrisburg and area officials. Last year, the state lost a lawsuit filed by several western PA towns opposing the PA Major Bridge P3 Program, further denting PennDOT’s tolling plan.

Last month, PennDOT said that it made the decision not to toll the bridge due to possible traffic impacts on surrounding communities, as some drivers would seek alternative routes to avoid paying the toll.

“Since the bridge will not be tolled, toll-driven diversion of traffic onto local roads will not occur,” PennDOT stated in its release. “Therefore, proposed improvements identified along the diversion routes will no longer be included in the project.”

Court Approves Property Sale

A local developer is one step closer to purchasing a Harrisburg lot on which to construct a proposed affordable housing project.

Last month, Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas Judge John Cherry approved the Harrisburg School District’s sale of its vacant lot at 1001 N. 18th St. to Harrisburg-based Fernandez Realty Group.

In February, district Receiver Dr. Lori Suski approved the sale of the lot that previously housed Woodward Elementary School to the developer, who has proposed building a four-story affordable apartment building.

However, the district was required to get court approval for the $240,000 sale. According to state law, when a public school’s property is sold privately, instead of through public auction, it must receive court approval.

With court approval, the district and Fernandez Realty Group may move forward with the sale.

“Woodward Lofts” still must go through the city’s land development process. If the project is approved, Fernandez plans to construct a 48-unit apartment building for senior citizens. The building would also house a community room, daycare, food and clothing banks, and possibly a pharmacy or clinic. The plan includes 37 off-street parking spots.

So Noted

Appalachian Brewing Co. announced last month an expansion into Carlisle, partnering with the Carlisle Barracks to open Appalachian Brewing Company at 1757 Grille. The brewpub will operate just outside the barracks gates on Jim Thorpe Road, with a view of the golf course.

Camp Curtin YMCA has cut the ribbon on four new affordable townhomes at Woodbine and Jefferson streets, near its facility in Uptown Harrisburg.  Each 2,000-square-foot home cost homeowners $150,000 and includes four bedrooms, three baths and off-street parking.

Capital Area School for the Arts has had its charter renewed for another five-year period by the Harrisburg School District. CASA, an arts-intensive public high school located downtown in Strawberry Square, received its first charter approval in 2013, which was renewed in 2018.

Catherine Hershey School for Early Learning last month “topped off” its new building in Harrisburg by placing the last steel beam on the nearly 47,000-square-foot structure at N. 6th and Muench streets. CHS Harrisburg is slated to open next year, serving children under 5 years old from under-resourced backgrounds at no cost to families.

David J. Fitzpatrick last month was named the new artistic director of the Wheatland Chorale, a Lancaster-based choral ensemble. In addition, he is the artistic director of the Montgomery County Chorale and Orchestra in Fort Washington, according to the Wheatland Chorale.

John Anthony has been named the Downtown Mechanicsburg Partnership’s “2023 Person of the Year.” The award is given annually to a borough resident or businessperson in recognition of an overall record of service to the community and its civic and volunteer organizations.

Open Studios debuted last month as affordable studio space for creators, with rents starting at $350 per month. Twelve studios and two private offices are available at 1070 S. Cameron St., Harrisburg, above the Urban Churn facility. For more information, visit www.openstudioshbg.com.

Sarah Oatney-Weiler last month was named the new Head of Early Childhood and Lower School at Harrisburg Academy. She previously served as the Head of School of a bilingual school in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and has worked across three continents over a 20-plus year career in education.

Stretch30 is a new addition to Lemoyne’s Burn30 that offers assisted stretching services. Stretch coach Elijah Fregm helps clients improve flexibility, range of motion and overall fitness in 15- and 30-minute sessions. For more information, visit www.burn30.net/stetch30.

Stuart Malina last month agreed to a three-year contract extension as music director and conductor with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. His new contract will take him through the 2025-26 season, which will be his 26th year as the orchestra’s artistic leader.

The Content Creator’s Collective has opened in downtown Mechanicsburg at 1 E. Main St. Owner Shannon Claire created the collective as a space for digital content creation, as well as for workshops, small events and pop-up shops. For more information, visit www.theShannonClaire.com/studio.

WITF and Steinman Communications last month completed a transaction that gifts LNP/Lancaster Online to WITF, central PA’s public media organization. As a result, LNP has been converted to a Pennsylvania Benefit Corporation and is now a WITF subsidiary, according to the organizations. With seed funding from the Steinman Foundation, WITF also established the Steinman Institute for Civic Engagement to support local journalism, education and community engagement.

Changing Hands

Adrian St., 2429: D. Boyle to E. Alvarado, $50,000

Apricot St., 1709: M. Baltozer to R. Hand, $40,000

Benton St., 711: A. Curillo to M. Lugo, $55,000

Berryhill St., 1212: Parcview 135 Corp. to DC Blessings Company, $63,500

Berryhill St., 2154: J. & M. Ranck to Builders Property Management & Marketing Group LLC, $90,000

Berryhill St., 2160: J. & M. Ranck to Builders Property Management & Marketing Group LLC, $53,000

Berryhill St., 2244: Ranck Investments LLC to Builders Property Management & Marketing Group LLC, $90,000

Bigelow Dr., 39: J. Mayweather to S. & S. Delp, $112,000

Boas St., 1842: J. VanHook to Penn Properties Associates LLC, $53,500

Briggs St., 268: G. Kehler & L. Mills to Alex Manning Enterprises LLC, $342,000

Briggs St., 1610: L. Collado to L. Ledesma, $40,000

Briggs St., 1813: K. Kassmel to Penn Properties Associates LLC, $62,000

Briggs St., 1909: SPG Capital LLC to Coopers Hawk LLC, $60,000

Briggs St., 1927: B. Hernandez to Y. Martinus, $65,000

Calder St., 212: S. Lindsey to N. Reigner, $186,100

Calder St., 1419: R&T Clark LLC to Penn Properties Associates LLC, $50,000

Camp St., 649: B. Debeljak to J. Rivera, $75,000

Chestnut St., 2031: N. & C. Hamani to S. Castro, $120,000

Curtin St., 523: SR Homes LLC to T. Bedon, $62,000

Derry St., 1230: C. Ramirez & A. Johnson to M. Rodriguez, $79,000

Derry St., 1515: Program for Female Offenders to 2020 Real Estate Ventures LLC, $175,000

Derry St., 2145: Stone Hedge Holdings LLC to R&K Realty Group LP, $64,500

Derry St., 2459: B. Ortega to B. Olaleye, $120,000

Edward St., 201: M. Spizzirri to A. Carrick & A. Labella, $165,000

Green St., 1409: Aljo Properties LLC to Y. Kwon, $173,000

Green St., 1413: Pine Asset Management LLC to Aljo Properties LLC, $125,000

Green St., 2951, 2955: E. Payne to D. Mouzon, $375,000

Hamilton St., 430: T. & L. Sneidman to S. Malhotra, $170,000

Herr St., 1621: SPG Capital LLC to AJ Real Estate Properties LLC, $82,000

Holly St., 1841: Tassia Corp. to D. Boyle, $75,000

Hudson St., 1135: EBM Real Estate Holdings LLC to G. & C. Ulrich, $182,000

Jefferson St., 2615: C. Geary to A. Palenfo, $80,000

Kensington St., 2357: J. & M. Ranck to Builders Property Management & Marketing Group LLC, $90,000

Kensington St., 2436: C. Zapata to Y. Vargas, $132,000

Lexington St., 2626: E. Easton to A. Tinoco & D. Walters, $90,000

Liberty St., 1349, 1351 & 2464 Reel St.: C&T Button Properties LLC to Williams & Williams Properties LLC, $260,000

Liberty St., 1428: Dima Properties LLC to E. Milanes, $80,000

Logan St., 2231: C&T Button Properties LLC to D. Boyle, $55,000

Maclay St., 425: D. Perez to A&W Homes LLC, $114,990

Market St., 1220: Colston Neighborhood Development LLC to Upscale Properties LLC, $75,000

Market St., 1226: Colston Neighborhood Development LLC to Upscale Properties LLC, $75,000

Market St., 1228: Colston Neighborhood Development LLC to Upscale Properties LLC, $75,000

Market St., 1853: S. Miranda to AZ Penn Group LLC, $120,000

Market St., 2006: Willow Mill Realty Holdings LLC to G. Diaz, $203,000

Melrose St., 725, 736, 740, 742, 1029 1031 1037, 1039, 1041, 1047 and 1044 S. 23rd St.: W. Hocker to HL Bowman Building II LLC, $787,779

Muench St., 273: S. Eicher to K. & G. Shay, $205,000

Naudain St., 1512: Golden Brick Road LLC to A. Diaz, $175,000

N. 2nd St., 1509: R. & T. Joseph to Bridgeforth & McGuire Investments LLC, $260,000

N. 2nd St., 2425: A. Waltz to TD Dwellings LLC, $232,000

N. 3rd St., 1808: T. Findon to R. Caretti, $200,000

N. 3rd St., 2112 & 2109 Susquehanna St.: Heinly Homes LLC to El Gamwo LLC, $110,000

N. 4th St., 2434: L. & C. Lautsbaugh to H. Qin, $95,000

N. 4th St., 3005: A. Cruz to Z&E Holdings LLC, $223,000

N. 5th St., 2536: D. Boyle to R. Duarte & M. Rivera, $67,000

N. 6th St., 1725: R. White to R. Stoughton, $176,000

N. 6th St., 2200: D&F Realty Holdings LP to Kian & Lian Houses & Apartments LLC, $150,000

N. 6th St., 2334: First Choice Home Buyers LLC to Dreams2Reality Services LLC, $58,000

N. 6th St., 3221: T. Blount to F. Ashenafi, $95,000

N. 12th St., 60: Arich Star LLC to A. Bouhach, $54,000

N. 15th St., 519: Great Row LLC to NA Property Holdings LLC, $64,000

N. 15th St., 1307: B. Shepard & N. Cook to L. Smith, $101,500

N. 15th St., 1435: N. & V. Gutkovskiy to M. Brown, $115,000

N. 16th St., 28: J. Goodman to Rivas Property Investments LLC, $55,000

N. 16th St., 802: Greenlove Realty LLC to BA Fresh Start LLC, $50,500

N. 16th St., 1122: L. Sampson to A. Moore, $123,000

N. 18th St., 21: S. Ledesma to J. Garcia & E. Peralta, $40,000

N. Front St., 1323: DMI55 Enterprises LLC to LGBT Community Center Coalition of Central PA, $255,000

N. Front St., 2843: Accession Holdings LLC to Kachin International LLC, $340,000

Peffer St., 228: B. Matuszny to J. Tedorski, $249,900

Peffer St., 427: L. Blanton to G. McCoy, $225,000

Penn St., 2117: Sound Community Solutions to Equitable Rentals LLC, $70,000

Penn St., 2121: Akadi Trucking LLC to KDM Capital LLC, $101,000

Penn St., 2128: J. Espaillat to B. Carr, $120,000

Penn St., 2133: Lancaster Real Estate Fund LLC to Tal Flan Real Estate LLC, $76,001

Pennwood Rd., 3128: F. Mills & J. Glover to S. McDonald, $145,000

Race St., 548: Panda Real Estate LLC to Ladaff Enterprises LLC, $177,000

Regina St., 1706: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to 1706 Regina St Harrisburg LLC, $40,000

Regina St., 1708: S. Flores to AZ Penn Group LLC, $100,000

Regina St., 1721: D. Airhart to E. Ashenafi, $107,000

Schuylkill St., 544: Ideal Associates LLC to Y. Rahman, $45,000

South St., 107: K. Arnold to C. Meyer, $165,000

S. 12th St., 1319: G. Ruiz to M. Garcia, $45,000

S. 13th St., 320: W. Paredes & I. Gelvez to A. Alfonso, $40,000

S. 14th St., 114: A. Lopez & S. Garcia to Penn Properties Associates LLC, $55,000

S. 15th St., 216: M. Nichols to AJ Real Estate Properties LLC, $75,000

S. 18th St., 1235: M. Quinn to Glanzair Properties LLC, $106,500

S. 19th St., 227: J. Pierre to Penn Properties Associates LLC, $56,900

S. 25th St., 614: T. Tran to M. Kenz, $45,000

S. 27th St., 653: T Wy Enterprise LLC to M. Arias & B. De Abreu, $112,500

S. Cameron St., 1605: G. Martin to I. Claytor, $60,000

S. Front St., 803: T. Edwards to Laurenn Reiss LLC, $196,100

State St., 1925: AJ Real Estate Properties LLC to S. Jobarteh & K. Suso, $240,000

Swatara St., 1224: O. Kagiri to Falcao Group Consulting & Service Corp. Inc., $65,000

Thompson St., 1621: Keystone Properties Solutions to Balaci Properties LLC, $92,000

Verbeke St., 124: Kyzer Rentals LLC to M. Dagostino, $138,000

Vernon St., 1343: J. & C. Glick to SU Hogar LLC, $79,200

Vernon St., 1555: R. Scott to J. Everett, $45,000

Walnut St., 1614: J. Berrios to J. West, $80,000

William St., 1423: Stoute Housing Inc. to B. Lewis, $175,000

Wiconisco St., 420: R. Andrews to Sky Resort Investments LLC, $165,000

Woodbine St., 320: J. & J. Mangan to J. Pronio, $166,500

Harrisburg property sales, June 2023, greater than $40,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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