Tag Archives: Harrisburg City Council

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

July 9, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

The new superintendent of the Harrisburg School District, Eric Turman, was sworn into office this week.

We’ve definitely made it to the dog days of summer here in Harrisburg. That’s also the theme of this month’s TheBurg Podcast, out now. If you liked our July magazine stories, the podcast digs even deeper into several of them. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, but first, catch up on the latest local news, listed and linked, below.

COVID-19 vaccines are being offered in the Harrisburg area at two upcoming clinics, our online story reported. On July 14 and 15, Harristown Enterprises will sponsor a clinic inside of Strawberry Square, and Central Penn College will hold one on July 16 and again on Aug. 6.

Eric Turman was sworn in as the new superintendent of the Harrisburg School District this week, our online story reported. Turman was the former principal of Reading High School before starting his position with Harrisburg on July 1.

Gun violence awareness will take center stage at an event at Italian Lake Park this weekend, our online story reported. A Harrisburg mother planned the event to honor those affected by gun violence in the community.

H*MAC’s former owners were awarded millions in a defamation lawsuit, our reporting found. Judge John McNally awarded them about $4.7 million in combined damages, ruling that they were defamed in online comments.

Harrisburg City Council approved two development projects, including a community of tiny homes for veterans on S. Front Street and a mixed-use office and apartment building on N. Cameron Street. For more information on other approved resolutions, read our online story.

Harrisburg City Council’s finance chair, Ben Allatt, voiced concern over a proposed debt repayment plan, our reporting found. He and council President Wanda Williams say the city can settle its debt with cash on hand, rather than through a proposed refinancing.

Harrisburg Young Professionals’ Italian Lake Concert Series kicks off this weekend, our reporting found. Local musician Shine Delphi will perform for free on Sunday.

Levi Fetterman has touched the hearts of many of his Twitter followers, even without opposable thumbs. Our magazine article tells the story of the lovable pup who was rescued by Giselle Fetterman, the second lady of Pennsylvania, and her husband John Fetterman, lieutenant governor.

Low-end real estate in Harrisburg attracts buyers from all over the country. In his column, our editor reflects on why this happens and the impact it has on residents of the city.

Murals are coming to Allison Hill and Steelton as part of the 2021 Harrisburg Mural Fest, our online story reported. Sprocket Mural Works will paint murals at the new Recycle Bicycle location in Harrisburg and at Mid Penn Bank in Steelton.

Sara Bozich highlights live music events in the Harrisburg area this weekend. Take a look at her Weekend Roundup, here.

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Harrisburg City Council’s finance chair voices support for debt repayment plan

July 6, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg City Council in session on Tuesday

Two key Harrisburg City Council members have affirmed their support for paying off city debt with cash on hand, thereby rejecting a planned bond refinancing advocated by the mayor.

At Tuesday’s legislative session, Council President Wanda Williams and Ben Allatt, chair of council’s budget and finance committee, said that they supported an alternative plan to use reserve funds to settle nearly $25 million in bond debt.

“It might be my parting exercise in my role as budget and finance chair to ensure that we can wipe this debt out and make sure the city remains on firm footing going forward,” said Allatt, who plans to retire from council in January.

According to Allatt, as of June 30, the city had a cash savings of $37 million, which, he said, could pay off the city’s debt and still leave a healthy reserve fund balance of $11.8 million.

The city also is slated to receive $48.8 million from the federal “American Rescue Plan Act.” Allatt said that some of those funds could be used to reimburse the city for qualified COVID-related expenses, which would free up additional money in the city’s budget.

Last week, Mayor Eric Papenfuse painted a sharply different picture, emphasizing the superiority of his plan to refinance most of Harrisburg’s existing bond debt at a lower interest rate.

The refinancing, he said, would save the city some $10 million in interest payments over the life of the bonds, most of which date back more than 20 years and that Harrisburg defaulted on during its financial crisis of a decade ago.

Allatt agreed that the refinancing would save the city money compared to the 6.75% interest rate it now pays on those bonds. However, he insisted that a better path forward is to pay off the debt all at once.

“We are in no way raiding the general fund in such a catastrophic way to be able to address this debt,” he said.

Reached by phone on Wednesday, Papenfuse, who was not at the council meeting, insisted that Harrisburg could not pay off its debt in full and retain a reasonable fund balance.

He said that the city’s current $37 million fund balance will decline substantially through the end of the year, given a pending $8 million bond payment, payroll costs and infrastructure repair.

“That figure is just a snapshot in time,” he said, of the current fund balance. “Without any context, it doesn’t tell you anything.”

He said that Harrisburg receives most of its tax revenue in the first half of the year and spends much of it down by year-end, which is his expectation this year.

Last week, Williams told TheBurg that she also supported paying off the debt using the city’s savings, a position she reiterated on Tuesday night. Williams also said previously that city Controller Charlie DeBrunner would make a presentation on the debt repayment plan at Tuesday’s meeting, but he did not do so.

Council members did not say when or exactly how they may move to pay off the debt. Tuesday’s meeting was the last one before their summer hiatus. City Council is not slated to return to session for about seven weeks.

This story has been updated to include comment from Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

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Harrisburg City Council approves two development projects, including tiny homes for veterans

July 6, 2021 | by Maddie Gittens

Rendering of the tiny home village for veterans.

At a final legislative meeting before taking a summer break, Harrisburg City Council on Tuesday approved two development projects.

A village of tiny homes for veterans on S. Front Street can move forward, along with a mixed-use office and apartment building on N. Cameron Street.

The tiny home village received a vote of 6-1, with council member Shamaine Daniels voting against it.

The project was proposed by nonprofit Veterans Outreach of Pennsylvania, which plans to build 15 tiny houses and a community center at 1103 S. Front Street to provide temporary housing and support services for homeless veterans.

At the council meeting, some residents expressed concern with the site of the project, saying that it was prone to flooding.

However, representatives with the nonprofit said that, while the area is in the 500-year floodplain, they plan to build the houses a few feet off of the ground.

Another development proposal for the conversion of a long-abandoned building into office and apartment space on Cameron Street got the go-ahead from council in a 5-2 vote. Council President Wanda Williams and council member Danielle Bowers voted in opposition.

Bowers explained that she would not vote in affirmation of the project because developer Harrisburg Commercial Interiors would not commit to participating in the city’s affordable housing program.

In other council action, Harrisburg will move towards ending what has been a long process in dealing with artifacts purchased by former Mayor Steve Reed. In 2015, many collectibles and artifacts were seized from Reed’s home and storage units, many that were bought with public money.

Council approved a resolution to work with Cordier Auctions & Appraisals, as well as Reed’s estate, to auction off the remaining items and split the funds between the city, estate and auction company.

Also on the topic of Harrisburg history, council approved the adoption of updated Historic District Design and Preservation Guidelines which lay out the rules for homeowners when making changes and repairs to their properties.

Council also voted unanimously to appoint David West as the Director of Public Works. He takes the place of former director Aaron Johnson, who recently retired.

Lastly, council member Ausha Green said that the city will be releasing information and applications for the Citizen’s Law Enforcement Advisory Committee this week. Council voted to create the board in Nov. 2020 in hopes of increasing police accountability.

Council will take a summer hiatus and will return on Aug. 24.

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Harrisburg debt refinancing plan in doubt as mayor, council president disagree over proposal

July 2, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg’s MLK Jr. City Government Center

Harrisburg’s debt refinancing plan appears to be in jeopardy, as the city’s mayor and City Council president are at loggerheads over a path forward.

Council President Wanda Williams told TheBurg that she does not support Mayor Eric Papenfuse’s proposal to refinance some of Harrisburg’s general obligation bonds at a lower interest rate.

“We’re not doing the debt [refinancing],” she said, following Tuesday’s council meeting. “We’re cancelling the debt [refinancing].”

Early last month, council introduced two bills that would enable the proposed refinancing. Since then, Williams has pulled discussion of the bills from the council’s meeting agenda.

Williams told TheBurg that, instead of the refinancing, she supports paying off Harrisburg’s debt in full, a proposal that, she said, city Controller Charlie DeBrunner would present at this Tuesday’s legislative session.

She stated that the city currently has an accumulated savings of $37 million, which would cover the debt and still retain $13 million in the bank.

“We can totally pay off the debt,” said Williams, who is also the Democratic nominee for the city’s next mayor. “We should pay it off and be done with [bond insurer] Ambac. We would still have money in reserve.”

In a later interview on Thursday, Papenfuse disputed Williams’ figures and her approach.

“While we’re happy to debate exactly how much cash to put into the deal, we don’t have enough cash to do the whole thing,” he said.

Under Papenfuse’s plan, the city would use cash reserves to retire bonds issued in 2005 under former Mayor Steve Reed that financed an upgrade to the city-owned baseball stadium on City Island.

Ambac, he said, is providing the city an incentive to pay off that debt, which stands at $5.1 million. Council, he added, is still on board with that portion of the plan.

The city then would reissue about $25 million in new bonds to refinance debt originally incurred in 1997, which the city defaulted on nearly a decade ago during its financial crisis. The city needs to begin paying back that debt next year.

Papenfuse said that he wants to refinance that debt now to lock in a lower interest rate, which, he said, would be about half the current rate of 6.75%. The city then would pay off those bonds over a 10-year period, saving some $10 million over the course of the loan compared to the current, higher interest rate, he said.

The city’s cost to refinance the debt, mostly through hiring legal and financial professionals, is about $400,000, he said.

With a refinancing plan in place, Papenfuse said that he believed the city would be able to get a credit rating—perhaps even investment grade—by the credit agencies and, therefore, again have access to the credit market. The city has been locked out of the credit market, and so has been unable to borrow money, for more than a decade.

The city also plans to exit Act 47, the state’s program for financially distressed municipalities, which Harrisburg entered in 2010, Papenfuse said.

“The question is—why aren’t we able to take advantage of historically low interest rates to refinance the rest of this?” he said. “And what is the implication of not refinancing it to re-establishing the city’s credit rating?”

Papenfuse said that he didn’t know the details of Williams’ and DeBrunner’s alternative proposal. However, he emphasized that the city does not have enough cash on hand to retire its debt in full, plus maintain an acceptable cash reserve of 17%, which, for Harrisburg, amounts to $11.3 million.

The city does expect to receive $48.8 million from the federal “American Rescue Plan Act.” However, Papenfuse said that that money explicitly cannot be used to retire debt. He wants to use those funds to rebuild the city’s two pools, plus launch a guaranteed income trial program in the city.

Until recently, Papenfuse said that he felt that council members were on board with his refinancing plan, as, in May, they approved funding to hire the legal and financial professionals needed to execute the restructuring.

“Why are we veering away from what was a consensus approach to the city’s recovery plan without any real debate or discussion?” he said. “This was all part of the bright future for the city.”

Maddie Gittens contributed to this story.

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Harrisburg Zoning Board weighs three apartment projects, approves one

June 22, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

Three apartment projects met very different fates on Monday night, as Harrisburg’s zoning board considered building proposals in Midtown, Allison Hill and Uptown.

At the beginning of the meeting, Thomas Leonard, chair of the city’s Zoning Hearing Board, stated that Seven Bridges Property Development had withdrawn its application for the construction of two small apartment buildings in Midtown.

Last October, the Harrisburg-based builder unveiled plans to construct a nine-unit building at Calder and N. 4^th streets and a 12-unit building a block away at Calder and Marion streets on property owned by the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority.

The developer was originally scheduled to make its case for zoning relief last November, but requested a series of continuances from month to month. It finally withdrew its application entirely for the two-building project, according to the city.

Seven Bridges could not be reached immediately for comment.

Next, the board heard the continuation of a case from May—a proposal to convert a blighted, 11,500-square-foot industrial building on Allison Hill into a 12-unit apartment building.

Philadelphia-based Radon Construction wants to renovate and construct one-bedroom units in the former Church of God/Central Publishing House at 100 N. 13^th St., a building that has been abandoned for decades. However, its proposal has been met with concern by some neighbors, mostly over issues of parking.

A rendering of the proposed apartment building (Chris Dawson Architects)

Originally, owner Gregory Radon proposed 12 parking spaces, two fewer than mandated by the zoning code. City building setback and landscaping requirements further reduced the number of parking spaces to 10.

At the virtual meeting on Monday night, Loretta Barbee-Dare, president of the Summit Terrace Neighborhood Association, asked why more parking couldn’t be provided on empty lots at the rear of the building on Linden Street. Those lots conveyed with Radon’s $135,000 building purchase from CPenn Patriot Properties in January 2020.

“With nine parcels, how can you not find more parking for your tenants?” asked Barbee-Dare, who advocated for 15 total parking spaces.

After much discussion, the board approved zoning relief of three parking spaces, indicating a configuration with 11 total spaces, with the understanding that the project’s site civil engineer will try to carve out additional parking in its final design.

“If there’s the opportunity to squeeze in more space on these lots, they will,” said the project’s architect, Chris Dawson.

With zoning approval, the project’s land development plan now must be approved by the city’s Planning Commission and City Council, before construction can begin.

Parking also was a key issue in the final case on Monday night, a proposal by Harrisburg-based D&F Realty Holdings to convert a 16,500-square-foot building at 423 Division St. into an apartment building.

The 65-year-old building long housed Congregation Chisuk Emuna, but the synagogue was heavily damaged in a 2009 fire. In 2012, it was sold to the Ahmadiya Movement in Islam, but has remained boarded up and blighted. D&F Realty bought the building in May for $110,000, according to Dauphin County.

A developer wants to turn the former Chisuk Emuna synagogue into an apartment building.

Originally, D&F proposed a 24-unit apartment building, which met with objections from both the city Planning Bureau and the Planning Commission, as the city’s zoning code only allows 11 units by right for a building of its size.

D&F has now scaled back its proposal to 18 units, which Deputy Planning Director David Clapsaddle said that the city could support.

The project also has no parking on site, but D&F has proposed entering into an agreement for parking with the Scottish Rite Cathedral, which is located about two blocks away.

“We think the 18 units and the parking with the Scottish Rite Temple really heads us in the right direction,” said Clapsaddle, who added that the city wants to encourage adaptive reuse of Harrisburg’s older institutional buildings.

Speaking on behalf of D&F, Dale Hair of Lemoyne-based KD3 Design Studio, said that 18 units were needed for the project to be financially viable, as the blighted, fire-damaged building needs major restoration.

“We’re trying to look to convert this property that has been sitting there for over 10 years in dilapidated condition and get it back on the tax roles, too, “ Hair said. “There is a need for housing, as we know, in this Uptown neighborhood.”

He added that D&F hadn’t yet entered into negotiations with Scottish Rite for parking, but planned to do so.

Nonetheless, numerous neighbors voiced objections to the project, on both density and parking grounds.

“I like the idea of Scottish Rite Cathedral providing parking,” said neighbor Sarah Chambers. “That seems like a good compromise, but it is concerning. What are they going to do when they don’t want to walk over the two blocks to park at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, and they want to park closer to the building?”

In the end, Hair asked for a continuance until the July meeting. He said that he would present more financial information on the project to justify the 18 units at that time, and, in the interim, would work towards an agreement with Scottish Rite for parking.

If zoning relief is granted, the project next would need to have its building plan approved by both the city Planning Commission and City Council.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

June 11, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley Gittens

The future Menaker Apartments in downtown Harrisburg

We love weeks that are capped off with a new Burg Podcast, and we hope that you do, too. Besides a fresh podcast, we have a full week of news coverage for you, listed and linked below.

Dauphin County has a new commissioner: long-time chief clerk Chad Saylor. Our online story broke the news that he is replacing former commission chair Jeff Haste, who resigned to pursue a private sector opportunity.

Father’s Day is coming up, which means you may be preparing a special meal. In her monthly column, our food writer Rosemary has the perfect grilled dish, with an Italian twist.

Gardening classes were available free last week to Harrisburg residents. According to our online story, participants learned about many aspects of gardening, including composting, recycling and sustainable living.

Harrisburg City Council approved several development projects last week, including the conversion of the former Salvation Army building to apartments. Our news story summarizes their recent actions.

Harrisburg Mural Festival would be nearly impossible without its small army of volunteers. Our June magazine feature tells their story as organizer Sprocket Mural Works kicks off the 2021 festival.

Home sales were strong once again in the Harrisburg area. We have the latest facts and figures in our online news story.

Menaker Apartments reached a milestone this past week, with interior construction starting. The event was marked by a small celebration for the project that will include 28 new downtown units, our news story reported.

Outdoor dining surged in popularity during last year’s pandemic summer. Now, even as the pandemic wanes, diners want more outdoor options, and restaurants are doing their best to satisfy their hunger, according to our magazine story.

Sara Bozich has the skinny on weekend events in and around Harrisburg in her weekly blog. Once the rain pulls out on Friday, great weather is forecast for all the eats and events around town.

Seven Summits have been climbed by only a handful of women in the world. In our magazine story, find out about a local climber who is nearly halfway toward her goal.

TheBurg Podcast returns for its June edition, with host Karen Hendricks expanding upon several stories from the current issue of the magazine. In addition, our editor returns with his “Most Harrisburg Thing.”

The Thousand Steps Trail is one of the most unique hiking experiences in central Pennsylvania. Our magazine story tells how it came to be and how its popularity now presents a unique challenge.

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Midtown, Allison Hill projects get go-aheads from Harrisburg City Council

June 8, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

A rendering of “The Lofts in Midtown”

Several development projects in Harrisburg received their final city approvals on Tuesday, allowing them to begin.

During a virtual legislative session, Harrisburg City Council approved the land development plan for conversion of the former Salvation Army building in Midtown to a 16-unit, market-rate apartment building.

The project, by Wormleysburg-based Integrated Development Partners, will convert the 10,920-square-foot building at Green and Cumberland streets to one- and two-bedroom units. A paved lot across the street will provide parking for the project.

“The project does have ample parking,” said council member Dave Madsen. “There will be 16 apartments total and about 35 parking spaces for those units.”

The project, called the Lofts in Midtown, previously had cleared both the city Planning Commission and Zoning Hearing Board.

Council member Danielle Bowers was the sole vote against the project, objecting to the fact that all units would be market-rate. In April, the city approved a package of bills to incentivize the construction of affordable housing in Harrisburg.

“The applicant has no interest in participating in the city’s affordable housing program,” she said.

City Solicitor Neil Grover added that the project began the city application process before those ordinances were passed, which typically would exempt it from legislation approved later.

The building, built in 1954, has been empty since late 2019, when the Salvation Army relocated to its current location on the 500-block of S. 29^th Street.

Council also approved a development project to construct six town homes on Allison Hill at Hummel and Kittatinny streets. Tri-County HDC plans to demolish a building currently on the property and construct affordable housing.

The project received a $500,000 state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant.

The project is part of the South Allison Hill Safety Plan, a partnership between several nonprofit organizations that aim to make the neighborhood safer.

Gary Lenker of Tri-County said previously that he hopes to break ground on the project late this summer.

In addition, council unanimously approved the transition of Monroe Street, between Verbeke and Herr streets, from a two-way street to one-way. This was done at the request of the Harrisburg School District, which hopes to improve the flow of traffic in the area of the Downey School.

Lastly, council authorized city Engineer Wayne Martin, and the city grant manager, Rebecca Vollmer, to act as the city’s authorized representatives for the Multimodal Transportation Fund Grant for the “Courthouse Connection” project.

Harrisburg has received a $700,000 grant from the state Department of Community and Economic Development for the project, which would extend the existing Urban Meadow walkway on Boyd Street from Fulton to N. 6th streets, near where the federal courthouse is being built. The project also would add 50 angled parking spaces on Reily Street between Logan and Fulton streets.

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Wanda Williams narrowly captures Democratic nod for Harrisburg mayor; city council, school board nominees also chosen

May 19, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley Gittens

Wanda Williams, right, celebrates as she secures the Democratic nomination for Harrisburg mayor, with state Democratic Committee person Alex Reber (left).

Harrisburg soon will have a new mayor, as City Council President Wanda Williams narrowly defeated the two-term incumbent for the Democratic nomination on Tuesday.

With all 28 precincts reporting, Williams won by just 56 votes, capturing 1,776 votes compared to Mayor Eric Papenfuse’s 1,720 votes.

Two other challengers also ran strong. Businessman Dave Schankweiler won 1,329 votes, and former City Council member Otto Banks took 1,237. The fifth candidate, Kevyn Knox, won 66.

“To the residents of this city, this is their victory,” Williams said after the final votes came in just before 11:30 p.m.

“I’m surprised, but we worked so hard,” she added. “It was a good campaign, and we were putting the right message out there.”

Williams, a longtime council member, pledged to work closely with council, which often has had a contentious relationship with Harrisburg’s mayors, as well as on behalf of city residents.

“It’s just a wonderful feeling knowing that I now have the responsibility to make decisions for the residents,” she said.

Wanda Williams speaks with the press following her primary victory.

After the final results came in, Papenfuse called to congratulate her and promised a “smooth and seamless transition.”

To become mayor, Williams still needs to win the general election race in November. On the Republican side, city resident Timothy Rowbottom won that party’s nomination running unopposed, tallying 366 votes.

Harrisburg is overwhelmingly Democratic in party registration, so Williams will go into the general election in a comparatively strong position.

For City Council, Harrisburg voters nominated Democratic incumbents Ausha Green and Shamaine Daniels, as well as challengers Ralph Rodriguez and Jocelyn Rawls. The four candidates will almost certainly win four-year council seats in the November general election, as no one competed for the Republican nomination.

Harrisburg also had a competitive primary race for school board director.

In that race, Democratic incumbents Danielle Robinson and Brian Carter were the top vote-getters for four, four-year seats, followed by challengers Roslyn Copeland and Jaime Johnsen. On the Republican side, Ezra Match ran unopposed, so will appear on the November ballot. He had cross-filed for both parties, but failed to get the Democratic nod.

Terricia Radcliff captured the Democratic nomination for the only two-year seat on the board, running unopposed. No Republicans ran in that race.

Harrisburg’s city controller position was also on the ballot. In that race, Democratic incumbent Charlie DeBrunner ran unopposed and faces no Republican opposition in the November election.

To view all the election returns, visit the Dauphin County elections website.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Wednesday to reflect updated vote totals.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

April 16, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley Gittens

Midtown Cinema is reopening to the public.

Tonight is 3rd in the Burg, and a special one at that. The Broad Street Market will participate for the first time this year, staying open late on Friday with select vendors and live music. Head out and enjoy what the city has to offer, but not before catching up on this past week’s news, listed and linked, below.

TheBurg took home a number of awards in the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association Foundation’s annual advertising contest. See what ads placed in the top spots, in our online story.

Harrisburg City Council rolled out a new affordable housing program on Tuesday, our reporting found. The program seeks to incentivize affordable development by providing benefits like tax abatement and zoning relief. Council also approved a large apartment building and parking garage project for Midtown.

Dauphin County’s elections office moved to a new, larger building in Swatara Township, our online story reported. Officials say the building is four times the size of the former space in the county’s administration building and will increase their capacity to process mail-in ballots.

Gamut Theatre is back to offering in-person performances, our columnist writes. They are welcoming back audiences for “2 by Strindberg,” a mashup of two of August Strindberg’s one-act plays: “The Stronger” and “The Outcast.”

Harrisburg’s eviction moratorium was extended for another 30 days, through mid-May. The declaration protects those who can’t pay rent due to the pandemic, our online story reported.

Home sales were up in March, starting spring off strong in the Harrisburg area, our online story reported. Overall, sales totaled 612 houses last month, compared to 568 units in March 2020, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors.

Midtown Cinema is welcoming back movie-goers for first-run films, starting this weekend, our online story reported. The theater is operating at a limited capacity and still offering private screenings.

Sara Bozich has plenty of spring fun lined up for your weekend. Peruse her Weekend Roundup for upcoming events.

Small businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic, but that’s not the full story. The past year actually brought business growth to the city. Read about how some of these new business owners have fared in our magazine story.

Stone Gables Estate in Elizabethtown is hosting a two-day reenactment of President Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train, our magazine story reported. Re-enactors and lecturers will roam the grounds, giving demos, giving wagon rides, doing drills in the encampments, and demonstrating what life was like in 1865.

Our wine columnist Steve Julianna tackles the Noble white wines just in time for the summer. If the warmer weather has you craving a fresh, light taste, look no further.

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Harrisburg creates affordable housing incentive program, approves large apartment building in Midtown

April 13, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Rendering of the approved Midtown residential and commercial building

Harrisburg City Council approved several new affordable housing measures on Tuesday, in addition to a major new apartment and parking project.

At a virtual legislative session, council passed a package of bills aimed at incentivizing affordable housing development and approved a large project that includes residential and commercial space, as well as a new parking garage.

The new affordable housing program establishes incentives for developers, including tax abatement, zoning relief and an easier street vacation application process.

In order to receive the benefits, developers must provide at least 20% of their units as affordable housing for low-income families, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The price to rent any of these affordable units must not exceed 30% of a household’s monthly income.

“The goal is to really bridge the gap between our residents and the developers,” council member Danielle Bowers said at a previous work session. “If we set this threshold too high, it’s not realistic for our developers to meet. If we set it too low, it’s not really affordable for our residents.”

Bowers said that Harrisburg’s 20% threshold is higher than many surrounding municipalities.

Developers can also receive parking requirement relief if 25% of the building’s units are rented at an affordable rate.

If a developer receives a certificate of qualification and then does not continue to provide affordable housing, they could have their certificate revoked and may be fined up to $1,000, according to the new ordinance.

Council hopes developers like Philadelphia-area businessman Kevin Baird will participate in this program.

While at a previous work session, Baird wouldn’t make any promises to participate, council did approve his land development plan for an 85-unit apartment building, including a 500-space parking garage, grocery store, office and retail space.

The building will be constructed on the one-acre property surrounded by Boyd, N. 5th, Reily and Fulton streets.

Council passed the land development plan with amendments that requires Baird to conduct outreach to local contractors for bidding opportunities and to schools for internship and apprenticeship opportunities.

Baird said they plan to break ground in July or August of this year and have the parking garage portion of the project almost completed by late summer of 2022.

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