Tag Archives: Jeremiah Chamberlin

Midtown Cinema renovation passes muster with Harrisburg’s historic review panel

January 7, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Artist’s rendering of Midtown Cinema’s proposed new exterior

Midtown Cinema is a step closer to a major makeover, as the city’s historic review board has given the project its blessing.

On Monday night, the Harrisburg Architectural Review Board (HARB) unanimously approved plans by owner Lift Development for a substantial renovation of the arthouse theater’s façade.

“We’re very pleased with this result,” said Lift Development principal John Tierney, following the vote.

Tierney said that he expects work to begin next month following the cinema’s annual Academy Awards gala. Construction is expected to take about four months, concluding with the opening of the Harrisburg Jewish Film Festival in June.

The façade will feature a mostly glass exterior topped by a new marquee and new fiber cement board panels. On the east side, a trellis will extend the building’s footprint, with picnic tables underneath for outside seating.

Originally, the trellis was expected to be a mix of metal and wood. However, on Monday, Tierney said that it may be exclusively wood due to higher-than-expected price quotes for the metal component.

The 1940-era building was originally a grocery store and later housed a blood plasma center. It opened as Midtown Cinema in 2001.

HARB had no quibble with the modern-style design, and the city does not consider the building to contribute to the historic nature of the district, according to Frank Grumbine, Harrisburg’s historic preservation specialist and archivist.

“Overall, this project makes [the building] a higher overall quality,” said HARB member Jeremiah Chamberlin.

Several members, though, requested preservation of the existing mid-century-style sign that reads, “Reily. Midtown Center.”

Architect Rich Gribble of Camp Hill-based ByDesign Consultants said that they had a plan for the sign.

“We’d like to take that sign and put it into the new lobby, as opposed to installing it outside, since it’s technically not the name of the cinema,” he said.

Tierney later said that, as part of the renovation, they plan to remove the drop ceiling, opening up the lobby closer to the roofline, which would create enough space to hang the large sign inside.

The cinema plans to remain open during the renovation, though construction work may limit the availability of all three screens and could affect show times.

Midtown Cinema is located at 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com.

Renewed Hope: Historic Jackson Hotel set for new owner; restoration planned.

October 26, 2018 | by Lawrance Binda

The historic Jackson Hotel at 1006 N. 6th St. in Harrisburg

One of Harrisburg’s most endangered historic properties has renewed hope today, as a local contractor has agreed to buy the building and take on the ambitious restoration.

Developer Matt Long said that he expects to close next week on the purchase of the former Jackson Hotel on the 1000-block of N. 6^th Street. He then plans to empty out the large quantity of rubble inside the building and stabilize it for winter.

“It probably will take us a month to pull everything out of it,” Long said. “Then we need to stabilize the foundation.”

Earlier this year, the city condemned the circa-1884, Second Empire mansion, which served for decades as the Jackson Hotel, run by hotelier German Jackson. Starting in the 1920s, Jackson ran the hotel and rooming house to serve a primarily African-American clientele, including many black celebrities, who were denied service in Harrisburg’s whites-only establishments.

Jackson, who died in 1993, willed the building to his friend Dave Kegris, owner of the Jackson House restaurant next door. But the building became caught up in a prolonged legal battle over Jackson’s estate and sat empty for years.

Recently, several Harrisburg residents have bought the building to try to save it, but the restoration has proven to be too extensive and expensive. A few years ago, much of the roof caved in, the interior staircase collapsed and the floors pancaked, leaving a large pile of debris inside.

The current owner, Jeremiah Chamberlin, said that he met Long recently while Long’s company, Harrisburg Commercial Interiors, was working on another challenging restoration—the dilapidated commercial buildings at the corner of North and Susquehanna streets in Harrisburg.

“I saw the work he was doing, and it’s quality work,” Chamberlin said, who described their meeting as “kismet.” “So, I decided to pass it on to someone else who is capable and can do a good job.”

Long said that his team will begin clearing out the Jackson Hotel soon after the sale, which is expected to close on Nov. 2.

After the building is emptied out and stabilized, Long’s company will construct a completely new interior and roof, he said. He said that he plans to build an open floor plan that can accommodate a variety of uses.

He hopes to save as much of the facade as possible, he said, including the large brick exterior wall that features a mural of prominent African Americans who once stayed at the hotel or who are locally famous.

For the project, Long has engaged structural engineer Ed Davis of Schuylkill Haven-based Miller Brothers Construction. They also worked together on the North Street project.

“We applaud this very encouraging step,” said David Morrison, executive director of Historic Harrisburg Association. “The Jackson House has been on our ‘Preservation Priorities’ list since 2000.”

July News Digest

July 31, 2018 | by Lawrance Binda and Lizzy Hardison

Report: Tax Hike Possible

Real estate taxes in Harrisburg could increase by 105 percent over the next three years, if suggestions in a financial recovery plan submitted to city officials come to pass.

The state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) last month released Harrisburg’s Act 47 exit plan, a report intended to guide the city through the next three years in the state financial oversight program.

The plan, which was prepared by Harrisburg’s Act 47 coordinator Marita Kelley, calls for Harrisburg to restructure its revenue sources to align with tax rates set forth in the state code.

Act 47 has granted Harrisburg extraordinary taxing power that generates $11 million in revenue each year. The city doubled its earned income tax (EIT) rate in 2012 and tripled its local services tax (LST) in 2016.

Unless state laws change, Harrisburg would lose that revenue when it exits Act 47 in 2022.

To avoid a fiscal cliff, Kelley suggested that the city gradually surrender its extraordinary taxing authority and replace its EIT and LST revenue with real estate tax revenue over the next three years.

The exit plan calls for a complete reversal of the LST and EIT hikes by 2021. Simultaneously, Harrisburg would levy 20-percent real estate tax hikes for two consecutive years, followed by a 42 percent raise in 2021.

Harrisburg property owners pay taxes to three separate taxing jurisdictions: the city, the school district and Dauphin County. The hikes would only affect the city property tax.

Meanwhile, under the plan, bills for the city’s EIT and LST would decrease. Kelley recommends reducing the EIT by .5 percent in 2019 and 2020, offsetting the 1 percent hike that City Council levied in 2015. The plan also calls for the city to reduce its LST by $52 for the next two years, bringing it down to a $52 annual, flat rate by 2022.

The astronomical real estate tax hikes still wouldn’t bring in as much revenue as the current LST and EIT rates. Budget projections in the exit plan call on the city to spend more than $13 million from its fund balance to mitigate annual deficits.

The plan makes clear that Harrisburg can’t afford any new expenditures. Kelley outlined initiatives the city could make to curb spending, such as paying down debt obligations, renegotiating existing loans, adopting financial management policies to improve the city’s credit rating, and developing a five-year capital improvement plan to prioritize its infrastructure improvement projects.

Harrisburg does have two paths to avoid the real estate tax hikes. It could adopt a Home Rule charter, which would allow it to write its own tax code, though Mayor Eric Papenfuse last month seemed to reject that path.

The city also can ask the legislature to let it levy its current LST and EIT tax rates in perpetuity. City officials have been lobbying lawmakers for months in hopes of securing legislative change.

If the legislature does pass special tax provisions for Harrisburg when it reconvenes in September, the city could exit Act 47 and maintain its current taxing authority.

If the state fails to act, the city would enter its 2019 budget cycle under the assumptions set forth in DCED’s recovery plan.

Papenfuse denounced the report’s findings, calling them “state-assisted suicide.” Local officials vowed to fight any move to significantly raise Harrisburg’s property tax.

For its part, DCED later clarified that it sees real estate hikes as a last resort.

“The recovery coordinator believes the significant property tax proposed in the Act 47 Exit Plan should be considered as a last option,” according to a statement from the department. “As stated in the Exit Plan, the city should first explore reducing costs and renegotiating deals, entering into a home rule charter and negotiating with the state legislature to extend the deadline for collecting the LST and EIT.”

Council Passes Sanitation, Funding Measures

Harrisburg City Council passed new sanitation laws and disbursed more than $2 million in federal grant funds last month before adjourning for summer recess.

Over the course of a four-hour meeting, council made sweeping changes to laws governing trash and recycling collection violations in the city. The city’s new sanitation code establishes harsher fines and new enforcement powers.

Despite the lobbying of the city treasurer, council members rejected a provision that would have inaugurated annual trash billing. The city will continue to send homeowners and businesses monthly bills for trash services.

Under the new ordinance, owners of vacant properties will no longer be billed for trash services at those parcels. Council added an amendment requiring all vacant property owners to apply for a vacant property exemption.

The hallmark of the new sanitation code is a new fine and enforcement structure, aimed at curbing illegal trash disposal across the city.

Under the new ordinance, serious offenses—including illegal dumping, accumulation of trash exceeding 1,000 pounds, improper waste disposal and failure to register as a private trash hauler—are considered category 1 violations, punishable by a $1,000 fine or up to 90 days in jail.

Category 2 violations include failure to bag waste, obstruction of streets and sidewalks or interference with enforcement and will be met with fines starting at $100. Fines will increase up to $500 for each subsequent offense.

The ordinance also permits Public Works to designate enforcement officers to patrol public streets for violations, and it authorizes police officers to issue citations and enforce the ordinance.

Council last month also voted to disburse $2 million in funds from the Community Development Block Grant. More than a dozen local nonprofits and city departments will receive grants ranging from $5,000 to $300,000. These include:

Christian Recovery Aftercare Ministries (C.R.A.M.): $40,000
TLC Work Based Training: $45,000
A Miracle 4 Sure: $50,000
Latino Hispanic Community Center: $25,000
Fair Housing Council: $25,000
PPL/IN HOUSE: $20,000
Shades of Greatness: $15,000
Heinz-Menaker Senior Center: $25,000
Neighborhood Dispute Settlement: $5,000
TriCounty HDC: $250,000
Habitat for Humanity: $100,000
Housing Rehabilitation Programs (city-run): $321,642

In addition, more than $600,000 of the $2 million grant will go to debt service, and $400,000 will reimburse the city for CDBG administration.

Council also approved a new, five-year labor contract with the city’s firefighters, which will lock in 2-percent annual wage increases and establish a new policy to increase retention. Lastly, council passed a resolution reestablishing Harrisburg’s Environmental Advocacy Council, a seven-member body that will be filled by appointments by council and the mayor’s office.

City OKs 2 Buildings for Demo

Another slice of historic Harrisburg seems fated for the wrecking ball, as a long-time property owner has received permission to raze two small downtown buildings.

By a 4-1 count, the Harrisburg Architectural Review Board (HARB) last month voted to allow retired area attorney Gilbert Petrina to demolish 512 and 514 N. 2nd St., buildings that he has owned for at least 35 years.

Petrina’s son, Gilbert Petrina Jr., attended the meeting, saying that his father was too ill to attend.

“My goal is to get these down as quickly as possible,” the younger Petrina said. “They’re a blight. They’re a hazard.”

Several board members pointed out that the properties were blighted only because they had been neglected for so long by the owner.

“I’m disappointed the properties have reached this point,” said member Jeremiah Chamberlin. “Ten years ago, they would have been restorable.”

Petrina said that, someday, he’d like to build a new structure on the site. Until then, he proposed using the lots for parking, hoping that revenue would help offset the cost of the demolition.

However, Assistant City Solicitor Tiffanie Baldock said the city could not allow additional commercial parking because doing so would violate its agreement with Park Harrisburg/SP+, which runs the parking system under a long-term lease with the city.

Petrina, who lives in Virginia, said he still would proceed with the demolition and reiterated that, someday, he hoped to build on the site, though he currently lacked a plan to do so.

So Noted

Mark Kropilak was named last month as the new chief executive officer of Capital Region Water, which provides water and sewer service to much of the Harrisburg area. Kropilak, who has worked both for private water technology companies and in a regulated utility, replaces Shannon Gority, who resigned the post late last year.

Patricia Whitehead-Myers was appointed to the Harrisburg school board last month. Myers, who served previously on the board, replaced Percel Eiland, who resigned his two-year board seat. In other school district news, Director Tyrell Spradley resigned his seat after just five months on the board.

Penn State Health has announced that it plans to build a new, 108-bed, acute-care hospital on 44 acres in the Wentworth Corporate Center in Hampden Township. Construction of the 300,000-square-foot, three-story building is slated to begin in early 2019, according to Penn State Health. It will be located directly across I-81 from UPMC Pinnacle’s West Shore Hospital.

Rob Lesher resigned last month after more than two years as the executive director of the Dauphin County Library System. Karen Cullings, the library’s director of community relations, will assume the position of interim executive director while a national search is conducted to find a replacement, according to DCLS.

TLC Work-Based Training last month held a groundbreaking for a 20-unit affordable apartment complex, the Harrisburg Uptown Building (HUB) and the HUB Veteran Housing Complex. The project at 5th and Kelker streets is TLC’s first major undertaking as a property developer.

Changing Hands

Adrian St., 2425: M. Washington & J. Holmes to S. & V. Heckman, $61,000

Adrian St., 2436: PA Deals LLC to R. Buehner, $63,900

Allison Ct., 7: Flipside Home Renewal LLC to D. Wallace, $92,500

Berryhill St., 1143: FEI Company to Vich Development LLC, $1,250,000

Boas St., 235: Weichert Workforce Mobility Inc. to D. Kergick & A. McHugh, $177,000

Carlisle St., 308 & 318: R. Jackson to Pop’s House Inc., $285,000

Chestnut St., 1621: R. & L. Ravenel to B. & L. Young, $30,000

Delaware St., 263: M. Dupree to Wells Fargo Bank NA, $76,747

Derry St., 1152: J. Vogelsong to M. Pena & T. Edison, $40,000

Derry St., 2712: D. Diehl to A. Lorenzo, $102,000

Emerald Ct., 2447: Z. Akbar to S. Waheed to D. Ritter, $83,000

Emerald St., 311: J. Yeatter to H. Santiago Andino, $73,500

Grand St., 912: Summerhill Partners LP to D. & M. MacIntyre, $65,000

Green St., 1003: E. & J. Ireland to M. & C. Kwolek, $96,500

Green St., 1632: C. Frater & R. Valentine to F. & C. DiPeri, $130,000

Green St., 3216: P. Wong to M. Zeeshan & S. Patel, $67,000

Harris St., 416: T. Woodyard to M. Riegel, $104,500

Herr St., 112: C. Chandler to K. Kundratic, $118,500

Hillside Rd., 301: J. Harget to R. & L. Wood, $199,500

Hoffman St., 3114: W. & D. Kersey to R. Pereira Chakka, $95,000

Kensington St., 2101: HT Properties LLC to R. Ramos, $68,000

Kensington St., 2138: 2014 LIMG Real Estate Fund LLC to T. Pitts, $64,000

Logan St., 1719: C. Leman to D. Hemperly, $126,500

Maclay St., 248: D. Bowermaster to S. Melville, $53,500

Manada St., 1914: W. Fischer to T. Pitts, $55,000

Mercer St., 2442: P. & B. Huepenbecker to Lynn & Ryan Investment Properties LLC, $34,000

North St., 262: TJC East Properties LLC to Spuntina LLC, $235,000

N. Front St., 325 & 327: Pars Real Estate LLC to Askay Properties LLC, $505,000

N. Front St., 1007, 1115: Industries for Pennsylvania to WCI Partners LP, $452,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 411: A. Hoffman to J. & E. Badeaux, $195,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 507: T. & P. Avant to S. Kolesar, $100,000

N. 2^nd St., 815: Bricker Boys Partnership to J. Ehring, $120,000

N. 2^nd St., 1208: T. Chang to A. Calvano, $110,000

N. 2^nd St., 1301: J. Schlegel to H. Rothrock, $99,800

N. 2^nd St., 1915: C. Benkovic to Apple Tree Community Development Co., $110,000

N. 2^nd St., 2241: K. Shubert & L. Christopher to E. & S. Lawrence, $179,900

N. 2^nd St., 2719: W. & C. Gosnell to J. MacDonald, $212,000

N. 2^nd St., 3225: A. Dillon & C. & D. Kenes to M. Letterman, $104,000

N. 4^th St., 2545: P. Roebuck to C. Plaines, $56,970

N. 5^th St., 3000: J. & E. MacDonald to M. Evans, $120,000

N. 5^th St., 3205: D. Schade to J. Rodriguez & I. Ramos, $105,000

Paxton St., 1630: S. Selimovic to C. Bruno, $33,000

Penn St., 1701: J. Allen to J. Chrisemer, $130,400

Penn St., 1927: WCI Partners LP to A. Griffith, $135,000

Pennwood Rd., 3120: J. Mohler & J. Suter to C. Brubaker, $133,000

Pine St., 116: Metro Bank Property Management Inc. to River and Pine LLC, $1,200,000

Pine St., 124 and 111 Barbara St.: Keystone Service Systems to River and Pine LLC, $1,000,000

Reily St., 209: J. Pamula to E. Fry, $137,000

Rudy Rd., 2459: J. Archie to A. Burno, $46,500

Rumson Rd., 2920: W. Quezada & M. Cedeno to W. & D. Illanes, $30,000

S. 13^th St., 348: R. Eisner & T. Lippi to M. Ortega, $47,500

S. 16^th St., 340: B. & R. Van Wyk to C. Okegue, $94,900

S. 24^th St., 608: R. Lawson to D. & A. Hoyt, $145,000

S. Cameron St., 1058: JWM Associates LP to MSJC Inc., $268,000

S. Front St., 711 & Hanna St., L2A, L3A: P. Moore to S. & D. Moffett, $193,000

State St., 1342: M. Lamereaux to R. Miles, $43,000

State St., 1410: R. & A. Sharp to S. Kochis, $78,000

State St., 1626: Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. Trustee to Harrisburg Homes Investment LLC, $34,344

State St., 1800 & 1802: CNC Realty Group LLC to Harrisburg Electricians Joint Apprenticeship & Training Trust Fund, $400,000

Swatara St., 1947: N. Williams to M. & T. Price & J. Seigle, $99,900

Verbeke St., 202: D. Michael to B. Hamilton, $96,000

Verbeke St., 234: J. Dixon to M. & M. Mumper, $178,000

Woodbine St., 226: Bank of New York Mellon Trustee to Axxess Creations LLC, $41,900

Another Loss: Long-time owner gets OK to demo 2 blighted buildings in downtown Harrisburg

July 3, 2018 | by Lawrance Binda

HARB last night gave permission to raze these two buildings in downtown Harrisburg.

Another slice of historic Harrisburg seems fated for the wrecking ball, as a long-time property owner has received permission to raze two small downtown buildings.

By a 4-1 count, the Harrisburg Architectural Review Board (HARB) last night voted to allow retired area attorney Gilbert Petrina to demolish 512 and 514 N. 2^nd St., a commercial building and an apartment building, respectively, that he has owned for at least 35 years.

Petrina’s son, Gilbert Petrina Jr., attended the meeting, saying that his father, who is in his 80s, was too ill to attend.

The younger Petrina told the board that he and his father wished to tear down the buildings, following receipt of a city condemnation notice for the long-vacant properties.

“My goal is to get these down as quickly as possible,” Petrina said. “They’re a blight. They’re a hazard.”

Several board members pointed out that the properties were blighted only because they had been neglected for so long by the owner.

“I’m disappointed the properties have reached this point,” said member Jeremiah Chamberlin. “Ten years ago, they would have been restorable.”

Chamberlin, who lives nearby, pointed out that, over the years, several people had tried to buy the buildings in order to save them, but Petrina was not responsive to those overtures.

“I don’t know why my dad held onto them,” the younger Petrina said.

Indeed, the buildings are in terrible shape, with broken windows, boarded-up back ends and a distinct lean.

Attorney Jeffrey Clark, who owns the building next door, said he fears the buildings could collapse, damaging his property.

“The building is a complete blight,” he said of 512 N. 2^nd St., a late 19^th-century, two-story, 1,500-square-foot commercial building. “It’s a fire hazard, it’s a safety hazard, and it’s an aesthetic nightmare.”

The second property, a three-story, circa-1920 apartment building, larger at about 2,000 square feet, seems to be in slightly better condition.

Petrina said that, someday, he’d like to build a new structure on the site. Until then, he proposed using the lots for parking and said that he already had interest from the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, which occupies the historic Gannett Fleming building on the opposite corner. He said he hoped that parking revenue would help offset the cost of the demolition.

That proposal led to pushback from both residents and the city.

Several members of the neighborhood group, Capitol Area Neighbors, were in attendance, and they objected to any proposal for another surface parking lot.

“When we get more temporary parking, people get used to it and keep it as temporary parking,” said member Kathy Speaker MacNett. “I don’t want more property to become parking.”

Assistant city Solicitor Tiffanie Baldock said the city could not allow additional commercial parking in that area anyway because doing so would violate its agreement with Park Harrisburg/SP+, which runs the parking system under a long-term lease with the city.

“From the city’s position, a temporary parking lot would not be possible,” she said.

Nonetheless, Petrina, who lives in Virginia, said he still would proceed with the demolition and reiterated that, someday, he hoped to build on the site, though he lacks a plan to do so. He said that he wanted to start demolition as quickly as possible and told his engineer, who attended the meeting, to solicit bids.

“I just need it down flat, and we can go forward from there,” he said.

Recovery Zone? Daystar briefs neighborhood, prepares for zoning battle, with plan to move downtown.

April 26, 2018 | by Lawrance Binda

Daystar Center for Spiritual Recovery hopes to move into this building at 123 Forster St., Harrisburg.

An Allison Hill-based halfway house is hoping to locate to downtown Harrisburg, proposing to convert an historic mansion to a 40-bed facility for recovering substance abusers.

Daystar Center for Spiritual Recovery held a community meeting on Wednesday night to outline its plans for 123 Forster St., a facility that would house as many as 40 men taking part in its residential treatment program.

Executive Director Fern Wilcox addressed about 30 neighbors, attempting to ease anxiety over issues such as safety, trash and loitering.

“We do what we need to do to always be a positive force in the community,” she told the room of concerned residents.

Daystar, a faith-based recovery program of the United Methodist Church, currently runs a 25-bed residential treatment facility from three attached townhouses on the 100-block of N. 18^th Street. However, growing demand for its publicly funded services exceeds it ability to provide them from its current location, according to the organization.

“There’s enough of a need that there needs to be more beds, and Daystar is there to fit that need,” said Jeffrey McCombie, Daystar’s attorney.

The circa-1930 building was built as a private residence on Front Street, gaining some notoriety in the 1950s, when it was moved about 100 feet to its current location as Forster Street was widened. It now backs up to the parking lot of the East Shore YMCA.

Most recently, it housed Justice Works Youth Care, as well as offices for the Harrisburg-area YMCA, with an apartment on the top floor. The current owner, Pittsburgh-based HEIT Holdings, bought it in 2014 and now has it on the market for $675,000.

Daystar wishes to buy the 11,690-square-foot building and undertake a six-month renovation to turn it into a residential treatment center. However, the sale is contingent on zoning approval from the city.

To that point, Daystar and the city’s Planning Bureau currently disagree over the zoning status of the Forster Street building. Daystar believes it should be able to operate its facility there by right, with no additional zoning approval needed. Therefore, it’s appealing the bureau’s decision that requires it to obtain a variance in order to open.

At Wednesday’s meeting, residents did not question the need for Daystar’s services, given the opioid epidemic. But many expressed worry about the facility’s possible impact on the neighborhood. These concerns ranged from potential increases in crime to men congregating and smoking outside, especially since the building is fully exposed on three sides and has no yard space.

Daystar representatives attempted to ease these worries, saying that their clients are fully screened, closely supervised and choose to be in the program. Clients also must hold down jobs and demonstrate a desire to improve their lives, Daystar said.

“Our clients work in the community,” said Ronald Sloane, the program director for spiritual recovery. “We help clients integrate back into society after treatment.”

Nonetheless, several residents raised questions after Wilcox mentioned that the Allison Hill facility has had problems with drug dealers targeting clients.

“We are inundated on Allison Hill,” she said. “They cannot walk one block without being asked for drugs.”

Wilcox said that she hoped that the new facility would prove to be a safer environment, but some residents feared that the drug dealers might follow Daystar, exacerbating an existing problem downtown.

“I’m not supportive,” Jeremiah Chamberlin, who owns an apartment building and lives nearby, said following the meeting. “I don’t that believe that the neighborhood has the resources to deal with it.”

Wilcox told residents that there have been very few problems at the Allison Hill facility, and a check of police records seemed to bear that out. According to a city police source, there have been just a few calls to the facility over the past two years, “none serious.”

For many years, Marsha Banks has run her nonprofit, Amiracle4sure, directly across the street from Daystar’s Allison Hill facility. She said that she has experienced no major problems with Daystar, with the possible exception of men, including staff members, frequently gathering outside to smoke.

“Back in the day, they used to have better supervision,” she said. “But, for the most part, I feel they’ve had a good impression on the neighborhood.”

That said—she believes Daystar residents could be more active, and once were, in offering to help around the neighborhood.

“The old administration used to run a tighter ship,” she said.

In addition to a safer environment, Daystar wants to move downtown because of better proximity to public transportation, as residents don’t have cars, and, especially, to jobs, said staff members.

“They’re here because they want to change their lives,” Sloane said. “Our level of care offers them a chance to come here and develop life skills so they cannot be a burden on society.”

Daystar is scheduled to appear before the Harrisburg Planning Commission on May 2 and the Zoning Hearing Board on May 9, in city hall. Learn more about Daystar at www.daystarrecovery.com.

Disclosure: Lawrance Binda, TheBurg’s editor-in-chief and article author, lives near the proposed facility.

Brush with Greatness: African-American history mural planned for side of Jackson Hotel.

June 6, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda

The old Jackson Hotel in Harrisburg, including, at the right, the wall where a mural is planned.

A new mural will celebrate Harrisburg’s African-American history, adorning the side of a building that once hosted such luminaries as Louis Armstrong and Pearl Bailey.

Sprocket Mural Works announced the project yesterday for the former Jackson Hotel and Rooming House on the 1000-block of N. 6^th Street, a building that, decades ago, catered primarily to a black clientele refused service in the city’s major, segregated hotels.

“It will be an African-American historic mural, playing off the history itself,” said Sprocket co-founder Jeff Copus.

The Jackson Hotel painting is one of 10 murals that will be created during the Harrisburg Mural Festival, which Sprocket is organizing for the first 10 days of September.

Copus last night told the Harrisburg Architectural Review Board (HARB) that the mural will feature people who stayed at the hotel, possibly including entertainers like Armstrong, Bailey, Cab Callaway and Ella Fitzgerald. It may also incorporate images of important Harrisburg figures such as Ephraim Slaughter, an escaped slave who fought in the Civil War and later settled in the city.

In August, Sprocket will seek public input for the mural design, Copus said.

Sprocket is commissioning artist Cesar Viveros to paint the mural. Locally, Viveros is best known as the artist-in-residence who helped design and lead the creation of the Mulberry Street Bridge murals.

HARB voted 4-2 to support the mural, the two “no” votes from members who wanted more input into the actual mural design. While HARB must approve a mural project within the historic district, the details of the painting are beyond its purview.

As the building’s owner, HARB member Jeremiah Chamberlin abstained from the vote. Chamberlin bought the building about 18 months ago, hoping to save it from further deterioration. It has been unoccupied for almost 20 years since the death of long-time owner German Jackson, who bequeathed it Dave Kegris, owner of the Jackson House restaurant next door. Kegris eventually sold it to Kerry and Lessa Helm, who then sold it to Chamberlin.

Ted Hanson, a long-time resident of the Old Fox Ridge neighborhood, wanted assurances that Chamberlin would begin work to stabilize and restore the building.

“My concern is that the building is in serious distress,” Hanson told the HARB board. “I am very concerned if stability doesn’t happen very quickly, you’ll be painting a mural on a crumbling property.”

Chamberlin assured Hanson that he would begin work on the building “within the next couple of weeks.”

“I have no desire to see my investment lost either,” Chamberlin said.

Hanson also was concerned that the mural might impede development of the vacant lots next door, as new construction could block the view of the mural. Copus said that Sprocket would not stand in the way of the development of the empty lots at N. 6^th and Herr streets, which are owned by the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority and by Bethel AME Church, a historically black congregation that lost its church to an arson fire in 1995.

“Hopefully, this will generate interest in that underutilized lot,” Copus said.

Click here for more information on the Harrisburg Mural Festival.

Author: Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg in the Balance: 6 candidates vie for 4 seats on City Council.

April 28, 2017 | by Danielle Roth

What would you like your city to look like a few years from now?

This month, you’ll have your say, as seven Democratic candidates vie for four, four-year seats on Harrisburg City Council. Successful candidates will need to address some very important issues over the coming years—from finances and taxes to issues of development and justice.

Therefore, we asked the candidates—incumbents Ben Allatt, Shamaine Daniels and Wanda Williams and challengers Jeremiah Chamberlin, Ausha Green, Angela Kirkland and Dave Madsen—to explain their goals by answering one question.

We printed the candidate responses in full, editing lightly for grammar and, in some cases, word count. The primary election is May 16. So, please learn about the candidates by reading about their positions and maybe even attending a debate or two.

Candidate responses are listed in alphabetical order.

Q: What do you think is the greatest challenge Harrisburg faces, and how would you address this issue if elected to Harrisburg City Council?

Ben Allatt (incumbent): Harrisburg’s greatest challenge is that it remains in a state of financial insecurity. This has a direct impact on our ability to meet the current and future needs of the community. Our city has an obligation to provide adequate public safety, maintain and update an aging infrastructure, manage blight and so much more. Harrisburg has come a long way from when it first entered state receivership under Act 47 but remains a work in progress.

I would like to continue building on the work I have already done by:

Passing the Debt Policy and General Fund Balance Policy I have introduced. This is a collaborative effort between the administration, the controller’s office and myself and will ensure that Harrisburg never participates in high-risk borrowing ever again.
Advocating for Harrisburg’s interest at the state level to give Harrisburg the ability to become self-sustaining by:
- Addressing the high percentage of tax-exempt property in the community; the state represents 42 percent of the property but contributes $5 million (currently 8 percent of the city’s revenue).
- Lobbying for tax reform that will enable our city to thrive without giving deference to select localities.
- Reforming the Act 47 process to allow struggling municipalities to fully recover and come out of Act 47 with a clean bill of health.
Building on our current process of identifying both the needs and the priorities within in the city’s capital improvement plan. Harrisburg just introduced its first capital improvement plan and this was initiated upon my request. This is a significant step to help reverse years of avoidance and neglect.

These steps can help Harrisburg continue down a path of sustainability and long-term viability while addressing the needs of all the residents of our community.

Q: What do you think is the greatest challenge Harrisburg faces, and how would you address this issue if elected to Harrisburg City Council?

Jeremiah Chamberlin: The single greatest challenge that Harrisburg faces is continued financial health. Without a sound financial base, we cannot address other pressing issues such as crime or crumbling infrastructure. Swift action must be taken to address the expiration of Act 47. If not, Harrisburg will face increased taxes and drastic cuts in already stretched services.

When I am elected to council, I will work to bring Harrisburg under home rule, work to remove roadblocks for business, work to increase home ownership and grow the city’s population.   

Home rule will allow citizens greater authority on how our government is run and how revenue is generated. Holding property taxes and home values steady for current residents makes it possible to grow our tax base.  

While I appreciate the hard work that the current administration has accomplished, we must make it easier to start businesses within the city and remove restrictions on businesses that are no longer relevant.  

The Harrisburg region is growing; the city needs to capture its share of new residents. There is a lack of affordable housing and a glut of vacant and blighted homes. Often, blighted and vacant homes are owned by speculators, making it difficult for those who would like to renovate and invest in our neighborhoods to purchase affordable properties. I will work to develop policies that will encourage redevelopment.

Q: What do you think is the greatest challenge Harrisburg faces, and how would you address this issue if elected to Harrisburg City Council?

Shamaine Daniels (incumbent): Harrisburg faces many challenges: high poverty rates, lack of affordable habitable housing, a stagnant job creating environment and the pressure to provide services to many with a very small tax base. I have worked for the last four years to try to ensure more affordable, habitable housing for residents. An unhealthy housing stock shortens life expectancy for residents; reduces equity for owners that could be used for college tuition or for small business loans to open businesses; and deters good landlords from investing here. You cannot compete fairly as a good landlord when your competition is saturated with slumlords. Our lack of habitable, affordable housing is the greatest challenge to the economic development of Harrisburg’s residents.

But the truth is that none of Harrisburg’s challenges could be overcome by leadership that lacks integrity. Over the last four years we have seen leadership continue to rely on Reed-era accounting practices to artificially inflate budgets; contracting gimmicks that favor campaign donors and supporters; department directors misrepresenting data ensuring their continued employment with this administration. We saw the statement that Harrisburg’s housing code standards were higher than the Housing Authority’s only to confirm, after the death of a worker, that our standards are in fact lower, something that council members and the administration knew because they had both codes, but both ignored because integrity takes work.

I will continue to research issues before council, ask the questions other council members are afraid to ask. The decisions I make will continue to be based on verifiable information. I will continue to identify solutions to our problems. When residents identify a problem, I will not pretend it doesn’t exist, and in spite of the bullying, I will remain unbossed.

Q: What do you think is the greatest challenge Harrisburg faces, and how would you address this issue if elected to Harrisburg City Council?

Ausha Green: One of the greatest challenges currently facing the City of Harrisburg is efficiently resolving the City’s financial recovery for the best interest of all the citizens of Harrisburg. I plan to achieve this by incentivizing home ownership in the city through encouraging programs to help citizens purchase and repair vacant properties in the city. This will not only put these vacant properties back on the tax roll and increase revenue, it will also beautify the city and address the blight that our city faces. Most importantly, it gives the citizens of the city a chance to invest in the city they love. I believe it will also reduce the crime rate in the city by creating more cohesive long-term communities of homeowners. Doing this will not only create immediate revenue over the coming years; it will work as a long-term revenue stream for the city.

I will also collaborate with the business community to encourage revitalizing vacant commercial properties instead of looking to build new properties outside the city. It is important to encourage the revitalization and re-use of vacant commercial buildings by potential businesses because this encourages them to move within city limits and put existing infrastructure back to use.

It is important that we emphasize our diverse population here in Harrisburg and work to bring in new businesses and build existing businesses to fulfill the needs of this diverse population. As a member of the City Council, I would ensure that we reach out and give all the citizens and businesses of the city a chance to give input and shape the future of Harrisburg.

Q: What do you think is the greatest challenge Harrisburg faces, and how would you address this issue if elected to Harrisburg City Council?

Angela Kirkland:

*On April 25, Angela Kirkland suspended her campaign for City Council. Due to print deadlines, we still ran her response in our May issue. We are running her answer here to stay consistent with the May issue of the magazine.

Harrisburg’s greatest challenge is its segregation and willingness to embrace the alienation and displacement of people of color. I find the disparities in overall conditions between certain neighborhoods to be untenable. Local publications and institutions indulge in white liberal hand-wringing on these issues while at the same time failing to adequately represent people of color on their staffs and in their pages, and promoting businesses and events in areas that are majority-white. It’s distressing, yet understandable, to see and hear such apathy from some people of color here about local politics. A common opinion is that elected officials here don’t care, don’t listen, don’t even pretend to serve them beyond a campaign.

I recently learned about transactional vs. transformational organizing. Transactional has an agenda already in place, aiming for signatures and votes. Transformational, on the other hand, is about creating long-term relationships and long-term change through individualized outreach.

Whether or not I am elected to council, my mission is to serve the people that need me most—those from the blocks that would have birthed me had Harrisburg been my hometown. As an activist who still has much room for improvement, I admit that I have not yet done my fair share of reaching out to fellow black people and other people of color in this city. But I am changing that. I will make sure as many people as possible know me and my dedication to uplifting them and making a more level playing field for all as a result. What exactly that looks like, I have yet to detail. That comes from building relationships and ensuring that there is trust in me to be an advocate who is truly on their side.

Q: What do you think is the greatest challenge Harrisburg faces, and how will you address this issue if elected to Harrisburg City Council?

Dave Madsen: The greatest challenge Harrisburg faces is getting more young people to raise their families in the city.

When I’m knocking on doors in the community, one of the hardest things to hear is when a young family says they’re planning to move because of high taxes and the state of our schools. While school board is primarily charged with the school district, there are things council can do to make young people want to raise a family here. If elected to council, I will make sure our tax dollars go toward improving our infrastructure, public safety and the image of our city.

We need to revitalize our city and make every neighborhood an attractive place for families. Some of our neighborhoods need council’s serious attention. Blight and trash deter people from buying homes and investing in our neighborhoods. We need families moving into these neighborhoods, not absentee landlords who prey on low-income renters and don’t invest in our city.

Public safety should be a top priority. I want to modernize our police and fire departments and make sure they have a diverse staff and adequate funding. We need police officers walking the beat and interacting with residents as members of the community, not just responding to emergencies. Regular foot patrols would not only deter crime, but it would build a sense of trust between the police and the community.

Our city’s aging infrastructure needs serious work. I will push to provide efficient, safe and reliable infrastructure in all communities. I will explore investing further in Riverfront Park, the Greenbelt and Reservoir Park, and other important community areas that provide a safe environment for youth and families.

I believe focusing on these initiatives would make Harrisburg not only an attractive place for young people to raise families, but a place that better meets the needs of community members from all walks of life who call our city home.

Q: What do you think is the greatest challenge Harrisburg faces, and how would you address this issue if elected to Harrisburg City Council?

Wanda Williams (incumbent): The greatest challenge facing the City of Harrisburg is the ability to have continuous revenue forthcoming.   

With the city presently under Act 47, the courts have granted Harrisburg the authority to increase the local service tax (LST) and the earned income tax (EIT).

Prior to the court order, the city received $2 million per year from the LST. With the increase, the revenue has tripled to $6 million. The EIT percentage was at 1 percent with .5 percent going to the Harrisburg School District. Revenues were $3.5 million to $4 million per year. The increase of this tax generates $7.5 million to $8 million for the city.

The City of Harrisburg is attempting to be self-sufficient and, although it generates revenue from sanitation, parking, incinerator, taxes and fees, Harrisburg has not reached that goal. It is crucial for the city to continue the increased revenues from the LST and EIT to maintain financial stability. Without the increases, the city would lose between $11.5 million to $13 million in revenues and place the City of Harrisburg back in the same financial debacle.

During the budget hearings, the administration requested to hire a lobbyist for the city. The Pennsylvania Municipal League presently lobbies for the city, but an additional lobbyist would be beneficial.

That individual would need to advocate and attempt to influence our legislators at the state Capitol to allow the city to extend the increase of the LST and EIT.

Harrisburg is like all other municipalities under Act 47 that are facing and experiencing financial challenges. Also, like Harrisburg, cities are looking for the means to keep their revenues stable while providing the best services possible to their residents without placing the burden of increased taxes.

Author: Danielle Roth

Take Your Pick: Harrisburg City Council and Mayoral candidates to debate, participate in forums

April 24, 2017 | by Danielle Roth

Residents may have read about candidates’ stances, watched their videos and perhaps even met them going door to door.

Starting this week, Harrisburg residents will be able to see and hear candidates, maybe even ask them questions, at a series of debates, forums and meet-and-greets. The action starts Wednesday and runs almost to the primary itself, which is May 16.

Five Democratic candidates are running mayor: challengers Lewis Butts, Jr., Anthony Harrell, Jennie Jenkins, Gloria Martin-Roberts and incumbent Eric Papenfuse.

Seven Democratic candidates are competing for four, four-year seats on City Council: incumbents Ben Allatt, Shamaine Daniels and Wanda Williams and challengers Jeremiah Chamberlin, Ausha Green, Angela Kirkland and Dave Madsen.

On the ballot for Harrisburg school board are incumbents Judd Pittman, Danielle Robinson and James Thompson and challengers Brian Carter, Carrie Fowler, Richard Soto, Gerald Welch and Cory Williams. Newcomer Percel Eiland is the only candidate running for the board’s sole two-year seat.

All events are free. The PennLive/CBS21 event at HACC requires an RSVP. Some event coordinators allow participants to email questions to the moderators ahead of time.

Friends of Midtown: Meet the City Council Candidates Night
Wednesday, April 26, 6 to 9 p.m.
Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (H*MAC)
1110 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg
Submit a question ahead of time to: [email protected].

Candidate Forum, hosted by NAACP
Thursday, April 27, 6 p.m.
Girl Scout Building
350 Hale St., Harrisburg

Meet the Candidates Night, hosted by Capital Region Stonewall Democrats
Thursday, April 27, 6 to 9 p.m.
Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (H*MAC)
1110 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg
Candidates from York, Dauphin, Lebanon, Lancaster and Cumberland counties will share their platforms. Mayoral candidates will attend this event following the 6 p.m. NAACP forum.

Harrisburg Mayoral Debate, sponsored by CBS21 and PennLive
Tuesday, May 2, 7 to 8 p.m.
HACC Midtown Campus, 2^nd Floor
1500 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg
Submit questions to John Micek at [email protected] or Christine Vendel at [email protected]
RSVP here

Harrisburg Mayoral Debate, sponsored by Harrisburg Young Professionals and The Hill Society
Tuesday, May 9, 5 to 8 p.m., Reception at 6:30 p.m., Debate at 7 p.m.
Hilton Harrisburg
1 N. 2^nd St., Harrisburg

Harrisburg Mayoral Community Townhall Debate, sponsored by ABC27
Thursday, May 11, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (H*MAC)
1110 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg

Story was updated at 8:45 p.m. Monday to correct inaccuracies with dates and sponsorships.

Author: Danielle Roth

And They’re Off: The race is on for Harrisburg mayor, council, school board.

March 7, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda

Five candidates for mayor, seven candidates for City Council, and 10 candidates for school board.

Harrisburg voters will have three very competitive local races to consider come the May 16 primary, as the deadline passed today for candidates to submit nominating petitions.

The roster of candidates doesn’t offer many surprises, as most had already announced for office or indicated an interest in running.

For mayor, incumbent Eric Papenfuse will face off against former council President Gloria Martin-Roberts, former city police officer Jennie Jenkins, newcomer Anthony Thomas Harrell and old foe Lewis Butts in the Democratic primary. No Republicans submitted petitions to run.

Notably, two candidates who stated an interest in the race did not submit petitions for the primary: former state Assembly candidate Gina Roberson and former council candidate Chris Siennick, who has indicated that he may run as an independent in the general election in November.

For council, three incumbent Democrats filed for four, four-year seats: Wanda Williams, Shamaine Daniels and Ben Allatt. They will face four challengers: former council candidate Jeremiah Chamberlin, school board member Ausha Green, activist Angela Kirkland and Dauphin County Young Democrats leader Dave Madsen. No candidates filed to run on the Republican side.

The Democratic roster for four, four-year seats on the school board includes incumbents Judd Pittman, Danielle Robinson and James Thompson and challengers Brian Carter, Carrie Fowler, Edward Saterstad, Richard Soto, Gerald Welch and Cory Williams. Newcomer Percel Eiland is the only candidate running for the board’s sole two-year seat. Thompson also filed on the Republican side, the only school board candidate to do so.

Incumbent city Treasurer Dan Miller and incumbent city Controller Charlie DeBrunner are running unopposed in the Democratic primary. There is no Republican challenger for either office.

This election cycle, magisterial district judge races also attracted a lot of interest from candidates.

For District 12-1-02, incumbent Justice Barbara Pianka will face off against challengers Joshua Feldman and Marcellus Taylor on the Democratic side. Pianka and Feldman also submitted petitions for the Republican nomination.

For District 12-1-04, Justice David O’Leary will take on challengers Beverly Johnson, Ryan Sanders and former city Treasurer Tyrell Spradley

District 12-1-05 is an open seat, as longtime Justice George Zozos decided not to seek re-election. The candidates for this seat include Harrisburg City Councilwoman Destini Hodges, former Councilman Kelly Summerford, Hanif Johnson and Claude Phipps, who also filed on the Republican side.

Because Harrisburg is overwhelmingly Democratic, the primary is typically the most significant election in selecting the city’s office-holders.

Author: Lawrance Binda

December News Digest

December 30, 2015 | by Lawrance Binda

2016 Budget Passed

Harrisburg City Council last month passed the city’s 2016 spending plan, a $60.7 million budget crafted by the city administration

Council voted 5-2 in favor of the budget, though council President Wanda Williams said the spending plan would be reopened and reconsidered in January, once three new council members take their seats.

Two public hearings will precede a vote on a revised budget, she said.

As passed last month, the budget adds 36 new positions, half in a newly created Neighborhood Services division, which would be funded out of city trash bills. Besides sanitation, the new division absorbs many functions previously funded by taxes, including some road and parks maintenance.

The administration also has proposed tripling the local services tax (LST) to $3 per week per worker. The Commonwealth Court must first approve the hike, which then must be sanctioned by council.

The LST is a tax on people who have jobs in the city and earn more than an annual threshold income, which is proposed to be about $24,000. While it does affect some city residents, most of the burden falls on commuters, a point made repeatedly last month by Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

Council members Brad Koplinski and Sandra Reid were the lone votes against the spending plan. Both said they believed the budget contained excess spending and objected to any increase in the LST.

It was the final meeting for Koplinski and Reid, as well as for three-term Councilwoman Susan Brown-Wilson. Reid and Brown-Wilson did not seek re-election last year, while Koplinski lost his seat in the Democratic primary.

This month, three new council members will be sworn into office: Cornelius Johnson, Westburn Majors and Destini Hodges.

TRAN OK’d

For a third straight year, Harrisburg is issuing a tax and revenue anticipation note, a form of short-term borrowing meant to cover a potential budget shortfall.

City Council voted unanimously last month to enter into an agreement with M&T Bank for the $4.5 million TRAN, which carries an interest rate of 2.53 percent and includes a $5,000 nonrefundable fee. Any drawdown on the loan must be repaid by June 30.

Municipal finances are typically tight for the first three months of the year, until the city begins to receive property tax revenue in March. Harrisburg entered into similar loan agreements in 2014 and 2015, but never had to tap them for funds.

City officials, however, said they were more concerned this year due to the state budget deadlock. At press time, the legislature still had not passed a budget, meaning that the state’s $5 million annual contribution to the city for emergency services had not been agreed to or paid.

Streetlight Project Launched

Harrisburg last month officially launched its citywide streetlight project, which will replace all 6,100 existing streetlights with new LED bulbs.

The $3.7 million project, the largest of its kind in Pennsylvania, should be completed by April.

Officials said the project would cut the city’s electric bill by two-thirds, saving more than $500,000 per year, and that the project would pay for itself in about six years. The savings are guaranteed under a contract with The Efficiency Network, a Pittsburgh-based company managing the upgrade.

The bulk of the project cost is being paid with a $3.2 million loan from M&T Bank. The city is seeking a grant from Impact Harrisburg, a nascent nonprofit promoting infrastructure improvement and economic development, which would allow it to pay off the bank loan early if awarded.

Part of the cost is also being paid by a $500,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority and a $30,000 donation from Lighten Up Harrisburg, an organization that raises money to improve city lighting through an annual 5K run.

State Rebukes Fraud Charge

The state agency overseeing Harrisburg’s financial recovery has sharply critiqued public accusations of fraud by Mayor Eric Papenfuse in a private letter, calling them “unsubstantiated” and “categorically untrue.”

Dennis M. Davin, secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development, wrote that his agency was “distressed” by Papenfuse’s claims that consultants had intentionally misrepresented how much money the city would get from its parking system.

“The team dedicated to supporting the City of Harrisburg’s recovery efforts is committed to providing the highest level of professional assistance,” Davin wrote in the letter, which TheBurg obtained through an open records request. “Given this fact, we take any allegations of fraud very seriously.”

Davin signed the letter in his role as chairman of the Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority, a funding arm of his department that issued $286 million in bonds to finance the 2013 lease of the city’s parking system.

Papenfuse made his remarks at the authority’s Oct. 21 board meeting, when he addressed shortfalls in the so-called “waterfall” payments that provide critical money to the city out of overall parking revenues. The mayor suggested that professionals working on the lease had knowingly misrepresented the amount of money the system would produce.

“Frankly, I believe that these numbers of waterfall payments were inflated simply to make the numbers work for the Strong Plan, which means that essentially a fraud was perpetrated on you and us and the residents of the city,” Papenfuse said.

Papenfuse told the board that annual parking revenues to the city were around $1 million short. He said that as a result the city would have to raise taxes, and he urged the board to “hold somebody accountable” for the incorrect projections.

New School Board President

A divided Harrisburg school board last month elected Danielle Robinson as its new president.

Robinson was elected by a 4-3 vote, eking past James Thompson, who will remain vice president.

The board needed to seat a new president after the sudden resignation of former President Jennifer Smallwood, who was just re-elected in November. At press time, the board had not yet selected a replacement for Smallwood.

HDID Reauthorized

The Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District has been reauthorized for another two years.

The Harrisburg City Council voted to reauthorize the nonprofit through Dec. 31, 2017, countering the wishes of HDID officials, who had sought a five-year extension.

Since forming in 2000, the HDID has had three, five-year renewals. However, the city administration supported just a two-year extension this time so that it could more quickly assess HDID’s progress in making downtown cleaner, more attractive and more supportive of businesses.

Most of HDID’s $780,000 annual budget derives from a tax on commercial properties within the district, which covers a 25-block area of downtown Harrisburg from State Street to just south of Harrisburg Hospital.

In a public hearing in October, HDID officials staunchly defended their record of helping to keep downtown attractive and safe, even though some business owners said it should expand its mission to include areas like parking and promotion.

“Two years, five years, 10 years—it doesn’t matter,” said HDID Executive Director Todd VanderWoude following the council vote. “We’ll just keep on rolling.”

Jackson Hotel Sells

The historic Jackson Hotel has new ownership, as former City Council candidate Jeremiah Chamberlin last month bought the dilapidated property with plans to restore it.

Chamberlin purchased the three-story building on the 1000-block of N. 6^th Street in Harrisburg for $4,000 from Kerry and Lessa Helm, who had bought it earlier in the year from Dave and Diana Kegris.

For many years, German Jackson operated a hotel from the property, catering primarily to African-American visitors who were shut out of the city’s whites-only establishments.

Jackson willed the property to Kegris, who opened the Jackson House restaurant next door. Kegris, though, could not find funds to restore the large, Gothic-style main building, which became increasingly run down.

So Noted

GK Visual soon will move into a new home in the Old Fox Ridge neighborhood of Midtown Harrisburg, allowing the visual production company to grow and expand capacity. Owner Nate Kresge said his company bought the 7,000-square-foot building at 933 Rose St. last month. The building triples the company’s space from its current location in Uptown Harrisburg.

Harristown Enterprises has purchased the building housing one of Harrisburg’s oldest businesses, Walker’s Art & Framing. Under its acquisition wing, Dewberry LLC, Harristown bought the building for $350,000 from the Walker family, who will continue to run the 58-year-old business at 25 S. 3^rd St., said Harristown President and CEO Brad Jones. Harristown needed the building to complete its acquisition of a five-townhouse row, which will now be renovated with commercial space on the ground floors and apartments above, Jones said. Harristown also is renovating a six-story brick building across the street, converting the long-time office space to 15 high-end, one-bedroom apartments.

Amma Jo LLC opened a showroom location last month in Strawberry Square at 320 Market St. Run by Amma Johnson, Ammo Jo focuses on designer handbags and accessories. It serves as a fulfillment center and also features special in-store retail events. For more information, visit www.shopammajo.com.

Keystone K9, a “one-stop pet service,” debuted last month at 931 N. 7^th St. in Harrisburg. In addition to a doggie daycare, Keystone K9 offers training, grooming and boarding. More information can be found at www.keystone-k9.com.

Phyllo Greek Cuisine opened last month in the stone building of the Broad Street Market. Run by mother Anna Ntzanis and her daughter, Katerina, the stand offers a menu of Greek food staples, such as pastitsio, moussaka and spanakopita. The Ntzanis family has long run Harrisburg’s Midtown Tavern.

Capital Area Transit last month began new bus service between Harrisburg/Steelton and the Allen Road warehouses in Carlisle. The new Route C allows workers to connect to jobs in the growing warehouse complex, which houses several major employers.

Changing Hands

Calder St., 122 & 1332 N. 2^nd St.: R. & C. Horst to Bitner Rentals LLC, $600,000

Conoy St., 117: N. Woods to Mannjeim LLC, $40,000

Edward St., 240: E. Pappas to C. Messinger, $205,000

Fulton St., 1400: PA Deals LLC to Heller Investments LLC, $110,000

Green St., 1928: M. & S. Young to J. Hardie & T. Craven, $207,000

Green St., 1935: N. Williams to R. Holder, $212,000

Hale Ave., 375: M. & V. Cecka to RDR Property Management LLC, $50,000

Kensington St., 2318: M. & V. Cecka to RDR Property Management LLC, $45,000

Lewis St., 245: Secretary of Housing & Urban Development & Michaelson, Connor & Boul to M. Sheehan, $47,011

Market St., 1435: K. Quenzer to J. & M. Fitzgibbon, $33,000

North St., 239: K. Sheetz to D. McClellan, $225,000

N. 2^nd St., 935: C. Group to Zecharya International Inc., $50,000

N. 2^nd St., 2135: PA Deals LLC to Heller Investments LLC, $96,400

N. 2^nd St., 2743: US Bank National Association to A. McGinley, $60,000

N. 2^nd St., 3107: S. Howell & F. Nedermeyer to P. Bernd, $114,900

N. 3^rd St., 3221: PA Deals LLC to G. & J. Modi, $145,000

N. 4^th St., 1629: GWD Capitol Heights LP to E. Harrington, $97,000

N. 5^th St., 1628, L159: M. Saavedra to Braemar Properties LLC, $111,387

N. 5^th St., 2552: M. Haubert to D. Mallek & W. Sarris, $99,900

N. 15^th St., 183 & 185: N. Gorzynski to S. & D. Fenton & Exit Realty Capital Area Property Management, $56,935

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 313: K. Schiebel to M. Hadginske, M. Pasick & A. Steel, $89,000

N. Summit St., 28: JSD Properties LLC to L. Pitts, $32,318

Rudy Rd., 2323: O. Saleh to S. Oberlin & R. Delumen, $145,000

Rumson Dr., 310: R. & P. Giordano to E. Allen, $79,000

S. 2^nd St., 304: K. Harrison to R. & C. Trimnell, $49,000

S. 3^rd St., 25: D. & J. Walker to Dewberry LLC, $350,000

S. 17^th St., 1038: C. & S. Vazquez to C. Nguyen, $66,000

S. 19^th St., 21; 2042 N. 4^th St.; 228 Boas St.; & 1901 Forster St.: R. Shokes & Shokes Enterprises LLC to JDP 2014 LLC, $327,000

S. 25^th St., 602: M. & V. Cecka to RDR Property Management LLC, $50,000

S. 27^th St., 737: N. Shrawder to R. Reyes, $80,000

S. Front St., 801: Wells Fargo Bank NA to M. Boyer, $66,000

Susquehanna St., 1606: F. Cadmus to S. Christ, $95,000

Harrisburg property sales for November 2015, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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