Tag Archives: Danielle Bowers

Harrisburg City Council to restart youth commission, hire advisors

March 12, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

(From left) Council members Lamont Jones, Jocelyn Rawls and Danielle Bowers shared information about the Youth Commission at a press conference.

Harrisburg City Council will restart a civic educational program meant to inspire youth.

At a press conference on Tuesday, council member Jocelyn Rawls announced that council’s Youth Commission will return next school year, and is in need of advisors.

“Myself and members of city council are dedicated to providing middle school to high school age residents with greater opportunities for leadership, community government and involvement and first-hand experience in their local government because they are our future leaders,” said Rawls, chair of the parks, recreation and enrichment committee.

Council is looking to hire a senior advisor and junior advisor, both part-time. The advisors will serve as mentors to the youth and will organize meetings and community events and work with local officials. The advisors will report to Rawls and council President Danielle Bowers and have an office in the MLK City Government Center.

Applications for the positions are now open. Council expects to hire for the positions in April.

The commission previously operated for a period from October 2022 to August 2023. According to Rawls, she and Bowers decided it would be best to pause the commission to have time to revamp it to reach more students and to hire advisors who could devote more time to the program.

The youth commission will be open to Harrisburg students, from any school within the city, who are in sixththrough 12^th grade. Youth must apply, interview and be selected for the board, which will meet twice a month from September to June.

To apply for the Youth Commission advisor positions, visit the city’s website. For more information, contact Assistant City Clerk Jared Truesdale at 717-255-6500.

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Harrisburg mayor vetoes council’s budget changes, reversing changes to salaries, raises

December 30, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg’s MLK City Government Center

Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams has reversed many of City Council’s changes to the city’s 2025 budget, amendments that she says were “targeting the administration.”

At a press conference on Monday, Williams announced that she had vetoed most of council’s budget amendments, most of which would have eliminated or lowered raises for employees.

“These vetoes are not decisions I made lightly,” Williams said. “They are rooted in the principles of operational efficiency, sound policy and fairness to the hardworking individuals who serve our city every day. Unfortunately, the amendments made by City Council fail to uphold these principles and I cannot in good judgment allow them to stand that way.”

According to city Communications Director Mischelle Moyer, Williams signed off on the majority of the about $142 million budget, but line-item vetoed most of the amendments council had approved on Dec. 17, following extensive budget hearings.

Williams said that the amendments council made “undermine the values and the functionality of our city government.”

The amendments council had made included denying raises to several positions in the office of the mayor, saying that role responsibilities didn’t justify raises. They also eliminated a raise for the deputy director of treasury, expressing frustration that the office hours were limited.

Williams vetoed both of those changes, restoring previously proposed raises.

Additionally, council had made changes that lowered numerous other proposed raises for city employees. They also eliminated about 10% of the salary for the interim director of building and housing development, the portion that is funded by the city, the rest of which is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Council also cut all funding for the director of community relations and engagement position in the police bureau, saying the position had been vacant and was not needed.

Williams also vetoed those changes.

“Denying them fair and measured raises, especially during a time of inflation, sends a demoralizing message to the public servants who dedicate their careers to this city,” Williams said.

Lastly, Williams vetoed a budget amendment made by council to allocate $10,000 to fund the hiring of two part-time advisors for council’s youth commission. Williams said that she believed that was a misallocation of city funds that could be used elsewhere.

“Instead of targeting the administration that keeps our city running, I charge City Council with exercising the fiduciary management that they promised the people of Harrisburg that they would execute when they took office,” Williams said.

Council President Danielle Bowers issued a statement shortly after that opposed Williams’ vetoes and re-enforced council rationale for amendments.

“You have no interest in working together with Harrisburg City Council,” Bowers said in the statement, addressing Williams. “If you were interested, you would understand our rationale behind the thoughtful amendments that were voted on to amend Bill 7-2024, the ‘2025 Annual Budget for the City of Harrisburg.’”

When reached by phone, Bowers told TheBurg that while council does have the power to override a mayoral veto, that would need to take place before the end of the year. Because council doesn’t have time to advertise an emergency meeting, which is required by law, they could not hold an emergency meeting, she said.

Bowers also said that the budget could be reopened in January, but that would have to be done by the mayor.

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Harrisburg Council members, administration spar over emergency declaration for Broad Street Market

September 9, 2024 | by Lawrance Binda

The brick building of the Broad Street Market

Harrisburg City Council and the administration are once again at odds over the Broad Street Market, this time over an emergency decree that helped jumpstart the stalled reconstruction of the brick building.

On Monday, three council members co-signed a letter questioning the July 23 decree, in which the city declared a health emergency, due to a report of rats inside the burned-out building.

“This declaration, made without prior public notice, has raised significant questions among the Council and our constituents, particularly regarding transparency and process,” states the letter signed by council President Danielle Bowers and members Lamont Jones and Jocelyn Rawls. “We believe the manner in which this emergency was handled may have circumvented City Council’s fiduciary responsibilities . . .”

The letter then lists seven questions that address such issues as when the administration first heard of the presence of rats, the specific threats to public health, how contracts were approved to mitigate the issue and why council was not asked to vote on specific contractors.

The market’s brick building partially burned down and was closed in a July 2023 fire. The historic building sat untouched for over a year until the emergency declaration, which launched a series of contracts to clean out the interior, perform shoring-up work and conduct lead abatement, among other projects, all performed without council approval.

In response to council members’ letter, the administration late Monday issued its own statement asking “members of Harrisburg City Council to stop coming up with ways to delay construction.”

“I find it disheartening that the same three members of Council who voted against starting work on the market in May, are continuing to do what they can to delay construction,” stated Mayor Wanda Williams. “The ability to expeditiously declare a State of Emergency at the site of the Market’s Brick Building allowed us to not only quickly address the rat issue, but start construction on a building City of Harrisburg residents wanted to start months ago.”

In her response, Williams did not say if the administration would, or would not, answer council members’ specific questions, but stated that she had the legal right, under the commonwealth’s Third Class City Code, to declare the emergency and thus suspend standard bidding rules.

In May, council rejected the first major contract relating to the market rebuild, a construction manager, before reconsidering and narrowly approving the hiring of Harrisburg-based Alexander Building Construction. It will need to approve many additional vendors, including a project architect and engineer.

Click this link to read the full text of City Council’s letter: Broad Street Market – Site Emergency Letter r

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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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Harrisburg legislators say Broad Street Market may miss state funding if council doesn’t select construction manager

May 21, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Broad Street Market brick building

Local state legislators are asking Harrisburg City Council to reconsider a recent decision regarding the Broad Street Market, as the city may risk losing state money.

In a letter from Rep. Patty Kim (D-103) and Rep. Dave Madsen (D-104) addressed to council, the Harrisburg-area officials stated that council’s recent decision to reject the city’s selected construction manager for the brick market building rebuild may cost the city potential state funding.

At a meeting last week, five of the seven council members voted against the proposed contract with Alexander, most stating that they felt the city administration’s selection process was inequitable. Council President Danielle Bowers also stated that she was concerned that the selection committee wasn’t diverse.

According Madsen, he and Kim have been part of a Governor’s Working Group to address the market rebuild following a devastating July fire and have been meeting with city and market officials for months. The group has been in negotiations to help get financial aid for the market included in the state’s budget. State support would help fill in the gap between the total project cost and insurance money that Harrisburg has received, he said.

With council’s vote against hiring Alexander Building Construction Co. to oversee the project, the city will need to re-start the RFP process, which could take another four to six months, officials have stated.

The state legislators, in their statement, expressed concern that the delay could push any potential state funding into a following budget cycle, as this budget is expected to pass in June.

When reached by phone, Madsen said that, for legal reasons, the state can’t directly allocate money to the city or the market and has been waiting for a construction manager to join the project to help determine where to allot potential funds.

“From this point of view, we are concerned that the delay in selecting a construction manager now could delay support from the state,” according to Madsen and Kim’s letter. “We implore you to find a way to reconsider the vote or, based on its significance, find a way to expedite a new selection process.”

Since council’s decision, several organizations have also issued statements regarding the vote.

Immediately following the meeting, Mayor Wanda Williams issued a statement calling council’s decision “careless,” Broad Street Market Board Chair Eric Hagarty said that the board was “deeply disappointed,” and the Historic Harrisburg Association (HHA) released a statement expressing concern that the effects of the fire on the historic building “will only worsen over time.”

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Harrisburg council rejects construction manager for Broad Street Market, rebuild may be delayed months

May 14, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg City Council meeting on Tuesday.

Harrisburg City Council has rejected the city administration’s choice of a construction manager for the Broad Street Market, possibly delaying for months work to begin restoration of the fire-damaged brick building.

At a legislative session on Tuesday, council voted 5-2 against a proposal to hire Harrisburg-based Alexander Building Construction Co. to coordinate and manage the rebuild of the market building, which was seriously damaged by a July fire. Several council members stated that they believed the selection process was inequitable, a position rejected by the Williams administration.

“The process was not equitable, and that’s the bottom line,” council President Danielle Bowers said. “I find discrepancies within the process. All of the committee assembled to review the proposals received is viewing them from the same lens and perspective, and it’s an issue.”

Council members Shamaine Daniels and Ausha Green voted in favor of the proposal.

Bowers and other council members stated that they didn’t necessarily have an issue with Alexander or its qualifications, but with the scoring and review process that took place by the city.

With the rejection of the proposal, the city will now need to go back to square one, likely issue a new RFP, review new bids and redo the selection process, according to Dave Baker, director of facilities for the city. This may take anywhere from four to six months, he said.

Baker said that, before selecting Alexander, Harrisburg reviewed four RFP submissions and scored them based on criteria such as their experience in construction management, fire restoration experience, and ability to have daily on-site supervision of the project. Alexander scored the highest, while having the second highest bid price.

The selection committee was made up of three Harrisburg employees, all of whom are white: Debbie Reihart, a project manager for the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation, Dan Hartman, city business administrator and Scott Miller, a project manager for facilities. Baker explained that the members were chosen based on their expertise and understanding of projects such as this.

However, council members pointed out that the city’s Chief Equity and Compliance Officer Karl Singleton was not part of the team and that they believed the team was not diverse. Some also noted that they were unclear whether Alexander would select diverse, local contractors as vendors for the project.

Council member Lamont Jones also took issue with the fact that Alexander was also recently chosen by the city to serve as the general contractor for an FNB Field upgrade project.

“There’s cronyism that takes place in our city, which leaves out the little guys and the people that are looking to scale their businesses,” Jones said. “We are known to be called a rollover city and I am looking to change that.”

However, Baker explained that Alexander would not be directly hiring vendors for construction and professional services for the project, but rather assisting the city with recommendations for a general contractor and architect.

Baker told TheBurg that he believed that the selection process was fair and included people with diverse professional backgrounds, ages and genders.

The city will now restart the RFP process for a construction manager.

“We will expedite the process, but it takes a fair amount of time,” Baker said.

Eric Hagarty, board president for the Broad Street Market Alliance, attended the meeting, urging council, during public comment, to support the resolution. He noted that, if the contract was approved, construction on the brick building could possibly be completed in two years. After the vote, he said he was “deeply disappointed.”

“I’m disappointed that City Council can’t get their act together,” Hagarty said. “Because of City Council’s inaction, it’s going to be years before this is complete and it didn’t have to be this way. I’m disturbed that President Bowers, who is on the market board, voted ‘no.’”

Following the meeting, Mayor Wanda Williams issued a statement calling council’s decision “careless.”

“The reckless decision by these city councilors this evening to not award the Broad Street Market construction manager to the most qualified proposal – the one with the experience and support of the Central Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades Council – means vendors will have to wait even longer to get back into their permanent home, and city residents will watch the one-year anniversary of the fire come and go without any work being done,” she stated.

Williams also said that she met multiple times with council members to discuss the scoring process.

However, council members noted during the meeting that they believed there were still discrepancies with numbers on the scoring rubric that city officials had and the ones they were given on Tuesday.

“There are a number of things that literally and figuratively are not adding up,” Bowers said.

Also on Tuesday, council voted in favor of a project by Harrisburg-based Midtown Redevelopment LLC to construct a four-story, 36-unit senior apartment building on a vacant lot at 1610 N. 4th St.

The project will also include first-floor commercial space, 30 first-floor interior parking spaces and 12 outdoor, on-site parking spots.

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February News Digest

January 30, 2024 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg Passes 2024 Budget

Harrisburg has solidified a spending plan for 2024, one that anticipates impacts from inflation and the lingering effects of the pandemic.

In late December, City Council approved a $109.4 million general fund budget, which includes investments in infrastructure and public safety. The budget does not include a property tax increase.

In total, the balanced budget equals $150.7 million, including the general fund and the $21.1 million neighborhood services fund budget, among others.

The budget specifically prioritizes projects such as street paving, upgrades to city parks and the hiring of several new police officers. The plan also factors in the spending of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money on projects like renovating the Hall Manor pool and funding affordable housing development, one-time funds that boosted this year’s budget number.

Council passed the budget after making a few minor amendments to the original proposal, mostly reducing raises for city employees that they felt were not deserved or adequately explained by the administration. Council voted 5-1 to approve the budget, with council member Shamaine Daniels voting against it.

Additionally, in 2024, the city has raised residents’ monthly trash bills by $3.23, making the cost $35.57 per month. According to city Business Administrator Dan Hartman, the fee hike is needed to offset inflation and continuously increasing expenses such as tipping fees, wage increases, vehicle costs and fuel prices.

Area Officials Sworn In

Kicking off the new year, many recently elected officials took office in January.

Harrisburg City Council and Dauphin County officials were sworn in at separate ceremonies, including newcomers to council and to the county’s board of commissioners.

During a ceremony at city hall, Dauphin County Magisterial District Judge Hanif Johnson swore in council president Danielle Bowers for a second term, alongside Crystal Davis, a new council member. The third member, Lamont Jones, also a newcomer, attended the ceremony, but was officially sworn into office at the county courthouse earlier.

Soon after the ceremony, council held its reorganizational meeting, unanimously electing Bowers to serve as council president for another term. In a vote of 4-3, council chose Ausha Green to serve as vice president for a second term, as well.

On the same day, Dauphin County swore in several public officials.

Incumbent county commissioners George Hartwick, a Democrat who has served for 20 years, and Mike Pries, a Republican who took office in 2010, again took the oath of office.

In November, Democratic challenger Justin Douglas was elected as the third commissioner, replacing Chad Saylor, and flipping the board to Democratic control for the first time in over a century.

Douglas attended the county’s ceremony but was sworn in at a separate ceremony earlier that morning in Conewago Township, where he lives.

Catherine Hershey Schools Taking Applications

A major, cost-free childcare and early education center in Harrisburg is now accepting applications for enrollment.

Last month, the Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning opened the application process for its Harrisburg location, which is being developed at N. 6th and Muench streets.

The center is an arm of the Milton Hershey School and will offer free care and education to 150 low-income and at-risk children, from 6 weeks to 5 years old. It will focus on providing kindergarten readiness programming and family support.

The 45,000-square-foot complex has been under construction for over a year and is expected to be completed later in 2024, at which time it will open to students.

It will be open weekdays, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., employing a play-based curriculum to enhance a child’s overall development and early education.

The Harrisburg location will be the second Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning in central PA. The first opened in Hershey last year, and another in Middletown is slated for 2025. Three additional schools—in Lancaster, New Danville and Elizabethtown—are expected to open in 2026.

Harrisburg Police Mark New Hires, Promotions

Five Harrisburg police officers were promoted and two others were brought on board during a ceremony last month at Whitaker Center.

During the hour-long event, Mayor Wanda Williams administered the oath of office to the new officers, Zachary Donmoyer and Solomon Myers.

“One of my great honors, as mayor, is that twice a year I get to stand in front of all of you and give this solemn oath to our new officers,” Williams said. “I know that, with each young man or woman who raises their hand to protect the city of Harrisburg, our city is just a little bit safer.”

Donmoyer and Myers will now enter HACC Municipal Police Academy to begin their training.

Deputy Chief Dennis Sorensen, who retired from the bureau last month after a lengthy career, announced the officer promotions. They are:

Sgt. Antwyn Chatman
Cpl. Andrew Cortelazzi
Cpl. Anthony Cummings
Cpl. Farida Kingsboro
Cpl. Chad McGowan

During his remarks, police Commissioner Thomas Carter also noted the recent decline in homicides in Harrisburg. In 2023, the city had 13 homicides, the lowest number in a dozen years and 10 fewer than in 2022.

The ceremony also took note of several long-tenured officers who recently retired. They are:

Deputy Chief Sorensen, serving 32 years
Capt. Milo Hooper, serving 27 years
Lt. James Galkowski, serving 27 years
Sgt. Robert Minnier, serving 23 years
Sgt. Teresa Covey, serving 23 years

William Penn Demolition Canceled

Harrisburg’s William Penn building is no longer slated for demolition.

At a January Harrisburg School Board meeting, Receiver Dr. Lori Suski officially reversed her previous decision to raze the vacant, blighted school building.

In June, she approved a contract with the Gordian Group to tear down the building, at a cost of $6.8 million. However, since then, community members voiced opposition to the decision, causing Suski to halt the demo and form a task force to discuss alternative options.

At a previous meeting, task force members voted on a motion to recommend to Suski that the building be saved.

Last month’s board meeting solidified that plan, with Suski instead approving the Gordian Group to clean out debris and remove asbestos from the building. The agreement also includes constructing a fence along the front façade to protect the public from falling debris.

A fire, determined by the city’s fire bureau to be caused by arson, damaged William Penn in December. As part of the proposal, the Gordian Group will also clean out and secure the fire-damaged area.

With Suski saving the building from demolition, the district will continue to weigh options for future use of the property.

Area Homes Sales Slip, Prices Steady

Harrisburg-area home sales slipped while the median sales price inched higher in December, according to the latest monthly report on previously owned houses.

For the three-county region, 492 homes sold in December compared to 528 in the year-ago period, as the median sales price rose to $259,275 from $250,000, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, 245 houses sold, a decrease from 274, as the median sales price climbed to $243,500 from $225,000 the prior December, GHAR said.

Cumberland County had 210 home sales, a drop from 229, as the median price decreased to $284,950 versus $288,900 in December 2022, according to GHAR.

In Perry County, sales totaled 30 homes, an increase from 21 compared to the prior December, as the median sales price rose to $220,000 from $206,500, GHAR said.

The pace of sales was steady, as “average days on market” rose in December to 23 days versus 22 days a year ago, according to GHAR.

So Noted

Amanda Carter last month was appointed the interim executive director of the LGBT Center of Central PA, replacing long-time director Amanda Arbour. The center also announced the appointments of Michael Tschop as the center’s new director of finance and grants and TL Waid as the new GLO site director, replacing Carter in that post.

Don McKenna last month was named the president of Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Since last July, he has served in the role on an interim basis and, before that, as president of Hampden and Holy Spirit medical centers.

Got Jerk Island Grill and Juice Bar has opened at 1313 N. 2nd St. in Harrisburg, the former location of Ted’s Bar and Grill. From the restaurant, chef Kenny Henny serves authentic Jamaican cuisine while colleague Jomo Bunsie concocts a variety of creative, fresh-made juice drinks.

Justin T. Webb was appointed last month as the new chief financial officer for Mid Penn Bancorp. Webb has been with the bank since 2012, previously serving as executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Nesta Hemp Shop debuted last month at 9 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg, in the retail strip known as the “Shops at 3rd,” adjacent to Strawberry Square. Owner Carmelia Rameau offers a large selection of CBD products, supplements and body care items, as well as dispensary-grade THC products that do not require a medical card.

The Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children, a membership-based advocacy organization of early care and education professionals, has relocated their Pennsylvania headquarters to a 2,800-square-foot, fourth-floor office in the Lerner Tower in Strawberry Square in downtown Harrisburg. They previously were located in the Harrisburg Transportation Center.

Changing Hands

Benton St., 542: K. Moore to J. Garcia & D. Rodriguez, $183,000

Benton St., 704: J. Marrero to First Choice Home Buyers LLC, $75,000

Boas St., 420: K. & D. Borelli to S. Rubenstein & H. Choi, $139,000

Briggs St., 1500: G. Stevenson to Kemetic State LLC, $581,000

Camp St., 651: J. Medina to Bencosme Realty LLC, $80,000

Chestnut St., 1605: P. & G. Devita to V. Ledesma, $82,000

Derry St., 1323: Best By LLC to Vernon St Apartments LLC, $175,000

Derry St., 1628: Rivas Property Investments LLC to A. Moscoso, $142,000

Derry St., 2008: BCR-2 Properties LLC to K. & J. Simonetti, $145,000

Derry St., 2431: A. Williamson to G. Singh, $95,000

Division St., 423: D&F Realty Holdings LP to Archie Group LLC, $88,000

Ellerslie St., 2332: J. & M. Weaver to Builders Property Management & Marketing Group LLC, $55,000

Emerald St., 248: M. Nolan to M. Luciano, $146,000

Forster St., 1839: Tender Loving Care Healthcare Services to GZL Corp., $56,000

Fulton St., 1419: A. Skerpon to D. Brown, $182,500

Fulton St., 1719: M. Biscoe to R. Hall, $199,900

Grand St., 915: A. & A. Zlogar to T. Wadlinger, $134,000

Green St., 1218, 1222: J. & S. Bircher to Harrisburg Dream Homes LLC, $215,000

Green St., 1325: S. & E. Rairigh to R. Wesch, $177,900

Green St., 2023: Z. & S. Smith to S. Latanishen & N. Krak, $259,000

Hale Ave., 400: H. Vo & H. Ngo to V. Miller, $139,900

Herr St., 1712: E. Arriola to Y. Monegro & R. Sanchez, $140,000

Hummel St., 236: D. Boyle to Atabalero Investment LLC, $60,000

Hunter St., 1715: A. Donaldson to Side by Side 365 LLC, $50,000

Jefferson St., 2243: Krista Moulds Trust to K. Harris & D. Haskins, $125,000

Kensington St., 2015: Gary Neff Inc. & City Limits Realty to A. Rahman, $66,000

Kensington St., 2316: B. Kelley to T. Dieu, $95,000

Kittatinny St., 1249: J. Ebersole to 1249 Kittatinny LLC, $69,000

Market St., 1226: Upscale Properties LLC to O. & S. Williams, $245,000

Market St., 1837: M. & S. Richards to D. Dumelice, $136,500

Market St., 1901: G. & C. Lutz to N. & T. Celestin, $210,000

Melrose St., 732: A. Eckert to P. & A. Sjardijn, $245,000

Mercer St., 2455: N. Dung to K. Weldeghebrial, $122,500

N. 2nd St., 1112: Fancy Homes Harrisburg LLC to D. Miller & R. Finley, $172,000

N. 2nd St., 2539: E. & A. Stockstill to K. On, $265,000

N. 2nd St., 2701: K. Sheets & K. Hancock to Z. & S. Smith, $525,000

N. 4th St., 3231: J. Grant to Family Tree Holding LLC, $127,100

N. 5th St., 3017: C. Skotedis to T. Fisher, $269,500

N. 6th St., 1410: S. Finkenbender to Chaitradhi Group LLC, $183,000

N. 6th St., 2211: 608 N Third LLC to Ministry Int IPDA Inc., $204,500

N. 6th St., 2240, 2284, 2290, 2292, 2301, 2302, 2303, 2304, 2305, 2306, 2307, 2309, 2311, 2313, 2315, 2317, 2319, 2321, 2323, 2325, 2327, 2329 & 595, 597, 599 Emerald St.: Redevelopment Authority of Harrisburg to JMB Gardens LLC, $55,000

N. 6th St., 3153: Normans Realty Service Inc. to S. Rosas, $132,000

N. 12th St., 29: Soloman Investment LLC to ILL Holdings LLC, $53,000

N. 12th St., 53: N. Padilla to Dreams2Reality Services LLC, $69,000

N. 13th St., 506: Blue Lion Real Estate LLC to E. Baret, $160,000

N. 15th St., 236: D. Boyle to P. Nunez, $55,000

N. 15th St., 1623: M. & B. Jackson and D. Smith to R. & A. Smith, $215,000

N. 17th St., 120: First Choice Home Buyers LLC to F. Rodriguez, $75,000

N. 17th St., 803: Sky Resort Rentals LLC to Rosaruth Properties LLC, $67,500

N. 19th St., 27: A. Paredes to N. Diaz, $135,000

N. 19th St., 29: A. Paredes to A. Leon, $85,000

N. Cameron St., 101 Rear: R. & S. Otto to R&J Cameron LLC, $400,000

Park St., 1912: Lancaster Real Estate Fund LLC to Balaci Properties LLC, $84,900

Penn St., 1103: Equitable Builds LLC to A. Kittel & S. Lamaster, $225,000

Penn St., 2212: A. & T. Bobb to HBG Apts LLC, $91,000

Reel St., 2725: C. & D. Huffer to C. & E. Clemons, $125,000

Reily St., 333: ADS Investments LLC to P. Haile, $121,500

Royal Terr., 129 & 131: D&F Realty Holdings LP to R. Gertz, $129,500

S. 15th St., 220: J. Doller & H. Ford to First Choice Home Buters LLC, $52,000

S. 16th St., 30: D. & R. Wieand to T. Kea, $105,000

S. 16th St., 545: PBBO Real Estate LLC to Awesome Tenants LLC, $50,000

S. 17th St., 540: M. & G. Garcia to D. Montes, $71,400

S. 25th St., 729: Y. Suero & T. Nikuary to Waters Properties LLC, $320,000

S. 28th St., 728: M. Marcus to C. & D. Aversa, $147,000

S. Front St., 589: 30X30 Investments LLC to E. & P. Pettis, $250,000

Pine St., 215: Musalair Trust to 215 Pine St LLC & Pine St Properties LLC, $375,000

State St., 1514: Inder Group Estate LLC to M. Singh, $115,000

State St., 1626: Best By LLC to Vernon St Apartments LLC, $195,000

Walnut St., 104: N&R Properties LLC to Charming on Walnut LLC, $102,600

Walnut St., 106: N&R Group LLC to Charming on Walnut LLC, $167,400

Walnut St., 1212: T. Roberts to Wright Restoration Properties LLC, $100,000

Wiconisco St., 631: M. Ayyad to C. Smith, $82,500

Wiconisco St., 632: R. Perdomo to W. Scales, $128,500

Zarker St., 1932 & 2021 Holly St.: D. & R. Requa to Z&E Holdings LLC, $139,000

Zarker St., 2035: V. Dickey to J. Tippitt, $115,000

Harrisburg property sales, December 2023, greater than $50,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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Harrisburg City Council, Dauphin County officials take the oath of office

January 2, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

New Harrisburg City Council member Crystal Davis was sworn into office by Judge Hanif Johnson.

Kicking off the new year, many recently elected officials took office on Tuesday.

Harrisburg City Council and Dauphin County officials were sworn in at separate ceremonies, including newcomers to council and to the county’s board of commissioners.

During a morning ceremony at city hall, Dauphin County Magisterial District Judge Hanif Johnson swore in council president Danielle Bowers for her second term, alongside Crystal Davis, a new council member. The third member, Lamont Jones, also a newcomer, attended the ceremony, but was officially sworn into office at the county courthouse last week.

“The joy was in the journey,” Davis said. “This is like the topping of it all. I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues and looking at different avenues to support our community.”

Davis shared that one of her initial priorities on council will be to support affordable housing development. Jones said that education is important to him, including helping to inform the public on where to go with complaints and concerns.

Council president Danielle Bowers was sworn in.

“I’m really excited for the opportunity to continue to serve the residents,” Bowers said. “I’m excited for the new year and to get started.”

Bowers said that, this term, she will focus on initiatives related to affordable housing, economic development and public safety.

Also mid-morning on Tuesday, at the Hilton Harrisburg, Dauphin County swore in several public officials, including several newcomers.

Incumbent county commissioners George Hartwick, a Democrat who has served for 20 years, and Mike Pries, a Republican who took office in 2010, again took the oath of office.

Dauphin County Judge Scott Evans swore in Commissioner Mike Pries.

In November, Democratic challenger Justin Douglas was elected as the third commissioner, replacing Chad Saylor, and flipping the board to Democratic control for the first time in over a century.

Douglas attended the county’s ceremony but was sworn in at a separate ceremony early on Tuesday morning in Conewago Township, where he lives.

“A lot of important work lies ahead, and I’m optimistic about what we can achieve together for the residents of Dauphin County,” Douglas said. “I recognize there’s much for me to learn and I look forward to growing in my knowledge and understanding.”

County Commissioner Justin Douglas

According to Pries, priorities for 2024 will include finding additional funding for the county’s 9-1-1 dispatch service and fighting illegal dumping. During his campaign, Douglas shared that he would seek reform at the Dauphin County Prison and focus on improving mental health services.

The following county officials were also officially sworn in on Tuesday:

President Judge Scott Evans
Judge William Tully
Judge Courtney Powell (newly elected)
Controller Mary Bateman
District Attorney Francis Chardo
Sheriff Nicholas Chimienti, Jr.
Treasurer Nick DiFrancesco, Treasurer (newly elected)
Register of Wills/ Clerk of Orphans Court Jean Marfizo King
Clerk of Courts Bridget Whitley (newly elected)
Recorder of Deeds Jim Zugay

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Democrats, running unopposed, win in Harrisburg; some Dauphin County races very tight

November 7, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda

Campaign signs in Harrisburg

Election Day unfolded with few surprises in Harrisburg, as most city offices were uncontested for the general election.

With all precincts reporting, incumbent Danielle Bowers and newcomers Crystal Davis and Lamont Jones won three, four-year seats on Harrisburg City Council. The Democrats were unchallenged as no Republicans ran in the race.

Likewise, incumbent Treasurer Dan Miller faced no Republican opposition and won another four-year term.

The Harrisburg school board race also was not competitive, as Democrats Ellis R. Roy, James Thompson, Doug Thompson Leader, Terricia Radcliff and Autumn Anderson all won four-year terms running unopposed.

For magisterial district justice, Matthew Pianka won the race for District 12-1-02, with almost two-thirds of the vote. He was unopposed on the ballot but faced opposition from Autumn Fair, who ran a vigorous write-in campaign.

For District 12-1-04 newcomer Mikaela Sloan won running unopposed, as did incumbent MDJ Hanif Johnson in District 12-1-05.

In Dauphin County, with all precincts reporting, several races were very close and should be regarded as unofficial pending final, certified results.

For county commissioner, incumbent Democrat George Hartwick led the four-candidate field, followed by incumbent Republican Mike Pries. The contest for the final, four-year seat was neck-and-neck, with Democratic challenger Justin Douglas holding a slight edge of just 43 votes over Republican incumbent Chad Saylor.

For county treasurer, Republican Nick DiFrancesco had a relatively narrow lead over Democrat Fred Faylona of about 800 votes out of 62,290 total votes cast.

For clerk of courts, Democrat Bridget Whitley held a considerable lead over Republican John McDonald. For recorder of deeds, incumbent Republican Jim Zugay was narrowly defeating Democratic challenger Tami Dykes by about 750 votes.

In other county races, the Republican incumbents—District Attorney Fran Chardo, Sheriff Nick Chimienti, Controller Mary Bateman and Register of Wills Jean Marfizo King—all won, running unopposed.

This story was based on unofficial results from the Dauphin County Elections Bureau. We will update the story if warranted. To view all results for the municipal primary in Dauphin County, visit the election bureau website.

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Harrisburg City Council weighs apartment project for former federal building

October 3, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg City Council work session on Tuesday

On Tuesday, Harrisburg City Council heard a proposal for a major downtown apartment project.

Council weighed a land development plan for the adaptive reuse of the former Federal Building, to turn the 11-story office structure into a 162-unit apartment building.

New Jersey-based developer, Yasser Hellel, has proposed constructing 146 one-bedroom units, 14 two-bedroom units and two studio units in the 196,000-square-foot building.

Additionally, Hellel has proposed first-floor commercial space and amenities such as a fitness center, penthouse lounge, shared office space, a rooftop deck and shared lobby. About 30 parking spaces would be included in an underground level of the building.

“I think it’s going to be an exciting project,” Hellel said. “The demand is documented nationally for these units.”

Council members asked questions about affordability and contracting opportunities for local companies.

Hellel responded, stating that the units would likely rent at market rate, with the exception of 10, which would be affordable by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines.

Additionally, he shared that he would plan to work with local contractors on the project.

“I’m happy to hear that at least 10 units will be affordable for our residents,” council President Danielle Bowers told TheBurg. “Some affordability is better than none. I wish them well in their process.”

Hellel purchased the building in February for $13.3 million. He estimates that the total project, including acquisition costs, will cost about $35 million.

According to Hellel, the building became vacant near the end of September. Previously, the building housed the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and other federal offices. Most court personnel moved to the new federal courthouse on N. 6^th Street in April.

While the interior of the building would change with construction, according to Hellel, the majority of the exterior of the building would remain the same.

If the project is approved, developers expect to begin construction early in the summer of 2024 and continue for 18 months.

The proposed land development plan was approved by the Harrisburg Planning Commission in early August.

Council is slated to vote on the proposal at their Oct. 10 legislative session. An affirmative vote would allow the developer to proceed with the project.

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