Tag Archives: Midtown Harrisburg

New mural caps off renovation of Harrisburg’s “Carpets & Draperies” building

August 15, 2022 | by Karen Hendricks

A new mural from Sprocket Mural Works adorns the renovated “Carpets & Draperies” building.

A soaring, three-story mural in Midtown Harrisburg is complete and ready for public viewing, the latest creation by the nonprofit Sprocket Mural Works.

Painted by Harrisburg artist Tara Chickey, the mural caps off the renovation of the historic “Carpets & Draperies” building, located at 1507 N. 3rd St.

“Using her signature color palette, which is bright and cheery, Tara Chickey’s mural is all about color and shapes, and the way they interplay with each other,” said Meg Caruso, Sprocket’s president and co-founder. “I think it’s important to appreciate art that’s more loose and colorful, which makes this mural stand out from the entire 3rd Street mural corridor.”

The mural, titled “We Are Connected by Rope Bridges,” marks the 15th mural located directly along a mural-dense, mile-long stretch of N. 3rd St. in Midtown Harrisburg, forming the backbone of the Harrisburg Mural Trail, which extends into the Capitol district and Allison Hill neighborhood in Harrisburg, as well as into the neighboring boroughs of Steelton and Penbrook.

“What Sprocket has done on 3rd Street has had a major influence on the streetscape—it’s made a big impact on how Harrisburg feels—and right away, I knew I wanted this building to be part of that,” said building owner Nathaniel Foote, who will soon move into the fully renovated building’s top floor. He’s also leasing four additional apartments, as well as retail space to Broad Street Market bakery vendor, Raising the Bar.

According to Foote, the “Carpets & Draperies” building—known by the remaining portion of its original signage—is the former Gerber’s Department Store, which opened its doors exactly a century ago, in October of 1922.

“This building used to be a showpiece,” said Foote, whose legal firm, Andreozzi & Foote, sponsored the mural’s creation. “It symbolizes what Midtown used to be, 100 years ago, and the potential it still has 100 years later—and the mural is a big part of that.”

The three-story mural, in progress last month

Although the building was vacant for at least 15 years, Chickey added murals to its front windows during Sprocket’s first full-length summer festival in 2017. Those murals were removed during renovations, so Caruso said it only made sense to invite Chickey back to create new artwork, in a full-circle moment.

Additionally, the building has special meaning for Chickey, who had one of her first art exhibits there, in the early 2000s—during which she met her now-husband. Their daughter’s artwork inspired Chickey’s mural design.

“I think murals make a city—make it more welcoming and inspiring,” Chickey said. “So, I’m happy to be part of that legacy by bringing some joyful color to the city.”

This is Chickey’s largest mural to date, and she admits the size and scope of the project was intimidating at first.

“My paintings are always very intuitive and atmospheric, so it was a bit of a challenge to see if I could translate that into a bigger scale,” Chickey said.

She described the process of becoming OSHA lift-certified in order to paint from the ground level, up to the top of the third floor, as “pretty wild at first.”

“We Are Connected by Rope Bridges” is Chickey’s second full-scale Sprocket mural. She previously painted a mural depicting birds in flight, behind 333 Market St., at 28 S. Dewberry St., during the fall of 2020. Chickey serves as art director at Harrisburg gallery, restaurant and brewery destination The Millworks and is a former Central Dauphin High School art teacher.

Sprocket organizes a biennial mural festival (occurring every other summer). The 2021 Harrisburg Mural Festival added 10 mural projects to the city landscape. The Carpets & Draperies mural was to have been part of that celebration, but construction delays factored into the timing.

This fall, Sprocket is coordinating with the nonprofit Parliament Arts Organization to produce two murals in the city of York.

See For Yourself

The public can enjoy Sprocket’s murals in several ways:

A downloadable PDF map, plus an interactive Google map, are available on the organization’s website, sprocketmuralworks.com.
Visit Hershey & Harrisburg created an interactive mobile passport, “The Murals & More Trail,” available on their website, visithersheyharrisburg.org/trails/murals.
Sprocket will be offering guided mural tours during the Art Association of Harrisburg’s 34th Gallery Walk, Sept. 11.

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New developers, new plan for dozens of Midtown Harrisburg lots

August 27, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

This city-owned lot at N. 4th and Calder streets is the future site of townhouses under a new development plan for the MarketPlace neighborhood.

There’s a new plan for a broad swath of Midtown Harrisburg, as the city’s redevelopment agency has selected a developer for dozens of long-empty lots.

In a meeting on Friday, the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority chose the city-based development team of Chris and Erica Bryce and Harrisburg Commercial Interiors (HCI) to complete the unfinished MarketPlace development, consisting of 67 lots sprinkled between Reily Street and the Broad Street Market area.

The unanimous vote gave the developers permission to move ahead with their plan, which includes a mix of single-family townhouses, small apartment buildings and mixed-use commercial space.

“I’m very pleased with this decision,” said Chris Bryce, after the meeting. “I think what happened will be great for the future of Harrisburg.”

Their plan bested a competing proposal by Philadelphia-based Odin Properties and Harrisburg-based RB Development, which likewise was seeking “designated developer” status for the lots.

The authority voted 3-0 for the Bryce/HCI proposal, though members did not state why they made their selection.

After the vote, Ryan Sanders of RB Development declined to comment on the authority’s decision.

Both developers are currently active in the Midtown area.

Last year, the authority selected the Bryces/HCI to develop dozens of vacant lots that are part of the unfinished Capitol Heights project just across Reily Street.

They since have received city permission to begin the first phase of that project, which includes a small apartment building, a community center and townhouses along the 1600-blocks of N. 3^rd and Logan streets. The project should break ground in October, according to Matt Long of HCI.

Just weeks ago, RB Development received zoning board approval for Bethel Village, a low-income senior housing development at N. 6^th and Herr streets. The project is now is in the process of getting its final city approval from City Council.

In their proposal for MarketPlace, the Bryce/HCI development team envisions a total of 104 to 120 housing units, including apartment units and for-sale townhomes. Thirty to 40 will qualify as affordable, bringing the project into compliance with the city’s recently passed affordable housing statute, Long said.

The Bryce/HCI Capitol Heights/MarketPlace plan

The MarketPlace lots have a lengthy history dating back decades, when the city began to clear the area of abandoned and dilapidated buildings.

In 2005, State College-based S&A Homes was chosen to extend the existing townhouse community, but they stopped building in 2009, leaving dozens of lots empty.

Two years ago, the redevelopment authority reacquired the empty lots and chose Harrisburg-based Seven Bridges Development to complete the project, but that company never began construction, leading the authority to seek a new developer.

Long said that he expected the MarketPlace development to start early next year with the townhouse component, with a two-year construction timeframe for the entire project. First, the developers will need to purchase the vacant lots at market rates from the city, Bryce said.

In addition to townhouses and apartments, the project includes some new parking, several green spaces, a dog park and some ground-floor commercial space.

“I can’t wait to put the shovel in the ground,” said Long after the meeting. “I can’t wait to get started.”

Click here to see the Bryce/HCI proposal.

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Restaurant, retail, apartments headed to Harrisburg’s 3rd Street, following bar closures, sales

July 14, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

Two former Harrisburg bars, Third Street Cafe (left) and the Taproom (right), have been sold and are slated for restoration.

Two Midtown bars once targeted for closure by Harrisburg’s mayor have been sold, with plans to create a restaurant, retail space and apartments.

On Tuesday, restaurateur Josh Kesler bought 1400 N. 3^rd St., which most recently housed the Third Street Café, and, before that, the 1400 Club and Club Wanda’s.

Kesler, who owns the Millworks in Midtown and the Watershed Pub in Camp Hill, said that he would like to open a two-floor restaurant/bar, but doesn’t yet have a firm plan for the two-story, 2,500-square-foot space.

“I want to do something cool and creative, something that adds uniqueness to the neighborhood,” said Kesler, who paid $153,000 for the building. “It could be a great asset to the commercial district there.”

He expects to complete the renovation and open in 2022, perhaps with a business partner.

The Third Street Café has been closed since April under terms of a conditional licensing agreement between the owners and the PA Liquor Control Board (see CLA – LID 64506 (1).). The owners since have placed the license into safekeeping, according to their attorney, Chris Wilson.

The co-owners of the Third Street Café, Anthony Paliometros and the heirs of the late Frank Karnouskos, also owned the building next door, 1402 N. 3^rd St., once the home of the Taproom bar.

On Tuesday, Sean Linder and his Bethlehem-based investment group, SJL Rentals LLC, bought that building for $231,000. Paliometros and Karnouskos purchased it in 2016 for $92,000, according to Dauphin County.

Reached by phone, Linder said that he plans to undertake a restoration of the three-story, 4,000-square-foot building, creating five market-rate apartments with commercial space on the first floor. He also plans a small addition in the rear, which would add another 350 square feet of space.

“Midtown is obviously an up-and-coming area,” Linder said, when asked why he was interested in the building. “There’s a lot of great development going on in the city.”

Linder credited Justin Heinly of Midtown Property Management for bringing the property to his attention and mentioned that anyone interested in the first-floor retail space should contact Heinly.

“If there’s any retailer or tenants looking for space, this would be a great opportunity for them,” Linder said.

He said he expects to complete the building renovation by spring 2022.

Notably, in 2015, Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse tried to revoke the business licenses of both bars, claiming that they were “nuisance bars.”

Dave Larche, then the owner of the Taproom, agreed to close his bar and later sold his building to his next-door neighbors, Paliometros and Karnouskos. For their part, Paliometros and Karnouskos repeatedly appealed the city’s business license revocation, eventually winning their case in court.

Alice Anne Schwab, the executive director of the Susquehanna Art Museum, located directly across the street from the bars, said that she looks forward to the renovations of the two buildings.

“We’re super-excited about something positive happening there,” she said. “The proposals I have heard about are really very much in keeping with businesses that are above board and operate with the public interest in mind.”

Kesler said that, in part, he was motivated to make the purchase in order to add to the growing vibrancy of the Midtown commercial district on 3^rd Street, where numerous small businesses have opened recently.

“[The bar] was making walkers feel uncomfortable and affecting the businesses around it,” he said. “I think this a good step for the neighborhood.”

Linder added that he also wanted to ensure that the block retained its architectural character.

“For years, they just let their beautiful buildings deteriorate,” he said. “There’s so much historical integrity there that needs to be preserved.”

This story has been updated.

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Midtown Harrisburg projects get zoning approvals, inch closer to construction

February 23, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

The “Carpets and Draperies” building was one of several projects that received zoning board approval on Monday night.

Several Midtown Harrisburg building projects took steps forward on Monday night, gaining key zoning approvals.

During a four-hour virtual meeting, the city Zoning Hearing Board voted unanimously to approve variances for an apartment building/community center and townhouses in the Capitol Heights neighborhood; an apartment building and parking garage on Reily Street; and the conversion of a dilapidated commercial structure to a small apartment building.

First, the board approved a variance for the “Carpets and Draperies” building on the 1500-block of N. 3^rd Street. A Midtown resident, Nate Foote, wants to convert the blighted, century-old structure to a five-unit apartment building, with commercial space on the ground floor.

Foote has a contract to purchase the 4,800-square-foot building from Schnecksville, Pa.-based Mussani & Matz Co., which has owned it since 2007. However, the purchase is contingent on getting the necessary approvals from the city.

At the meeting, Chuck Heller, a realtor for Camp Hill-based Landmark Commercial Realty, said the building has been on the market for about a decade, with many potentially interested buyers during that time. However, in the end, the building’s blighted condition and daunting rehabilitation costs have deterred offers.

“This is one of my longest listings,” he said. “It’s an amazing building, and there’s been a lot of interest in it, but, once you start digging into it, it’s usually squashed the transaction.”

Board Chair Tom Leonard said that the board had received numerous letters of support for the project from neighbors of the building.

“I think Nate has a great plan in place and will do a great job,” said Doug Neidich, CEO of GreenWorks Development, which owns several properties in the immediate area. “It will be a step forward for the whole Midtown area.”

The project has no off-street parking, but Foote has said that he would lease nearby spaces to satisfy the city’s parking requirement.

Secondly, the board approved a variance and a special exception for the Capitol Heights project, proposed by Harrisburg residents Chris and Erica Bryce, along with Matt Long of Harrisburg Commercial Interiors.

That project envisions building an 18,000-square-foot, three-story apartment building on the 1600-block of N. 3^rd Street. The building would have 12 market rate and affordable units with a 4,180-square-foot community center on the ground floor. The project also includes eight single-family townhomes with built-in garages at the rear of the site facing Logan Street.

The Capitol Heights project includes a new apartment building and community center (left).

Part of the site includes a longstanding community garden, which would be relocated to another part of the property.

“It’s certainly something that will benefit the community as a whole, and I look forward to seeing what you have in store,” said board member Shannon Gority, after she voted for approval.

Lastly, the board approved variances and special exceptions for a seven-story apartment building and parking garage at Reily and Fulton streets, located a block away from the new federal courthouse currently under construction.

This project, by entities called 400 Reily Street Management LLC and KevGar Holdco LLC, proposes an 85-unit apartment building and a 500-space parking garage, with first-floor retail space, which likely would house a grocery store, a restaurant and coffee shop, according to principal Kevin Baird.

The parking garage would serve both the courthouse and the Midtown community, Baird said.

“All roads led to the parking challenge in Midtown, and we all know how much that will be exacerbated by the opening of the federal courthouse in October 2022,” said Baird, describing the origins of the project.

A rendering of the proposed apartment building and parking garage on Reily Street.

Originally, the project included office space, but Baird said that he opted for more apartments because the residential market in Harrisburg is strong, while the office market is weak, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One neighbor objected because, she said, the grocery store, in particular, could lead to parking congestion in the area.

“People are not going to go up into a garage to go to the grocery store,” said the Fulton Street resident. “If I’m just going in for a loaf of bread, I’m not going up into a garage.”

Baird said that shoppers likely would get some free parking time in the garage to encourage its use and that shoppers in other cities often use parking garages to access urban grocery stores.

Approved by the zoning board, each of these projects now needs to have their land development plans approved by City Council before they can begin construction.

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Midtown Harrisburg condo building, potential affordable housing project take steps forward

February 5, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

An exterior rendering of the “The Lofts,” a proposed condo building in Harrisburg

A condo building and a potential affordable housing project in Midtown Harrisburg have both passed important milestones, receiving key zoning approvals from the city.

On Thursday night, the Zoning Hearing Board approved a variance and a special exception for a 16-unit condominium building that a local developer wants to build in the former Salvation Army building at Green and Cumberland streets.

The project, called “The Lofts” by Wormleysburg-based Integrated Development Partners, would include 16 for-sale, market-rate units in the 18,500-square foot building. The proposal includes a 32-space residential parking lot across the street, as well as a small parcel on Penn Street that would be used for guest parking.

“I have talked to several of the adjacent neighbors in the area about the project,” Jonathan Bowser, the company’s managing partner, told zoning board members. “Parking is probably the biggest concern. We do have the 32-parking-space lot on Green Street with which we plan to allot two parking spaces per unit for the 16 residential units that we are proposing.”

Previously, Bowser told TheBurg that his company hopes to break ground in the summer and finish the project in early 2022.

The building has been empty since late 2019, when the Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region moved to a new facility on S. 29^th Street. The property has actually been on the market for several years.

With zoning approval, the project now needs to go through the land development approval process before both the city Planning Commission and City Council.

Near the end of the 3½-hour meeting, which was a continuation of the unfinished January meeting, the zoning board also approved a special exception that may lead to a new affordable housing project.

The Harrisburg Housing Authority received unanimous approval to subdivide its property on the 1300-block of N. 6^th Street. The HHA wants to split the site into three parcels, one for the existing Jackson and Lick apartment buildings and a third for a planned 50-unit building featuring one-, two- and three-bedroom units.

A rendering of the proposed North Sixth Street Lofts (foreground), along N. 6th Street in Harrisburg

Authority attorney Irwin Aronson explained that, when the two existing buildings were constructed in the early 1960s, the lots should have been subdivided but weren’t.

“For reasons as old as I am that I cannot identify, the two buildings were erected on a single lot,” he said. “No one took the time to subdivide them. In recent years, that has shown itself to be a mild impediment or problem for the Harrisburg Housing Authority.”

Aronson stressed that the proposed future development would not reduce existing parking for the cluster of buildings.

The subdivision now also must be approved by City Council. The building itself, tentatively called the “North Sixth Street Lofts,” eventually will need to go through the city’s land development approval process.

If the project is approved, the authority anticipates a yearlong construction period.

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Midtown, downtown projects move forward, as Harrisburg Planning Commission gives approvals

February 4, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

Midtown Redevelopment’s project includes an apartment building with a community center (rendering, left)

Several significant Harrisburg building projects cleared hurdles on Wednesday night, earning approvals from the city Planning Commission.

During a virtual meeting, the commission approved variance and special exceptions for three residential projects in Midtown: an apartment building with eight townhouses; a large apartment building with a parking garage; and a small, boutique apartment building. Several other Midtown and downtown projects received land development plan approval.

First, the commission unanimously approved a zoning variance and special exception for a proposal by Midtown Redevelopment LP to build a 12-unit apartment building, along with a community center, on the 1600-block of N. 3^rd Street.

The project also includes eight single-family townhouses, with built-in garages, at the rear of the site fronting Logan Street.

Most of the discussion centered around the 18,000-square-foot, three-story apartment building, which would include a mix affordable and market-rate units, according to the company’s partners, Chris and Erica Bryce of Harrisburg and Matt Long, owner of Harrisburg Commercial Interiors.

The building would be built on the site of a long-time community garden, land currently owned by the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority. The developers said that they would retain the garden but move it to another area nearby. The project also envisions a 4,180-square-foot community center on the first floor of the apartment building.

Long said that the community center idea originated after discussions with the community last year during a neighborhood presentation.

“One of the most recurring themes was that a community center was lacking in Midtown,” he said. “We want to meet the needs of everyone there.”

The developers currently have set aside nine parking spaces on site for the apartment building, but said they would arrange to have parking for each unit. The Logan Street townhouses would be built with their own garage parking.

“Overall, I’m really pleased with the type of residential housing that is being proposed with this application,” said commissioner Anne Marek. “It’s really nice to see a mixture of not just more apartments but also town home development with the garages.”

A rendering of the proposed town homes on Logan Street.

The project now moves to the city’s Zoning Hearing Board for final approval for the variance and special exception. It also must get land development plan approval from both the Planning Commission and City Council.

“I support this project,” said Rich Gribble, a resident who lives nearby on Harris Street. “It looks really exciting to me. And I hope to come up and be a member of the community center.”

Reily & Fulton

Next, a development partnership led by Philadelphia-area businessman Kevin Baird presented a large proposed project at Reily and Fulton streets.

This project envisions an 85-unit apartment building, a 500-space parking garage and first-floor retail space on property mostly owned by the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority.

Under the current configuration, the building would rise seven stories. The apartment portion would include 20 units per floor: six studios, 11 one-bedroom units and three two-bedroom units.

Baird said that the retail portion would be dominated by a grocery store and could also include a restaurant, a café and office space. He added that the parking garage is needed to serve the new federal courthouse a block away, as well as provide parking for the Midtown community.

A rendering of the proposed apartment building and parking garage at Reily and Fulton streets.

The courthouse, at N. 6^th and Reily streets, is slated for completion in late 2022, but will have scant parking on site. The federal government anticipates needing more than 500 additional spaces to serve the building.

The developers and commissioners had an extensive discussion about parking legalities, as the site sits within the “no compete” zone under the city’s long-term parking asset lease with the commonwealth.

The developer said that it has an “agreement in principal” with the commonwealth and its asset manager, Trimont, on the issue, which would allow the parking garage to proceed.

“It’s just a question of getting all the stakeholders around the table to agree, and working out the final parts of the agreement,” Baird said. “It’s going to get done.”

The commission approved a variance and special exception for the proposal. This project also now will proceed to the zoning board for final approval and, separately, must have its land development plan approved.

“It’s good to see a project of this quality,” said commissioner Vern McKissick. “It’s definitely what’s happening in other cities around the country.”

Carpets & Draperies

Thirdly, the commission approved a variance for the “Carpets and Draperies” building on the 1500-block of N. 3^rd Street. City resident Nate Foote has proposed creating a five-unit apartment building from the long vacant, blighted building.

Foote said that other nearby projects, such as those on the planning commission’s agenda on Wednesday night, inspired him to take on the renovation, as he lives in the neighborhood.

“I saw what was happening at the 3^rd and Reily corridor and thought it would be a terrible tragedy if this building wasn’t brought back to life at the same time those things were happening,” he said.

A rendering of the 1500-block of N. 3rd Street after the proposed renovation of the “Carpets and Draperies” building

The project does not include parking on site. Foote said that he planned to lease parking in the area, which has several nearby surface lots.

With this approval, Foote likewise now must have the variance approved by the Zoning Hearing Board. The commission on Wednesday also approved the project’s land development plan, which must also be approved by City Council.

Foote mentioned that he’s under some time pressure to have the project approved because his sales contract for the building expires next month.

“I think this is a great project,” said commission Chair Joe Alsberry. “We’ve received a lot of support for it.”

Site Plan Approvals

The commission also approved several land development plans by developer Derek Dilks, who plans to convert several small, non-residential buildings to apartments. These are:

* 130 State St., converting an office building to a five-unit apartment building
* 25 N. Front St., converting an office building to an eight-unit apartment building
* 321 N. Front St., converting an office building to a six-unit apartment building
* 260 Boas St., converting the former First United Methodist Church to an eight-unit apartment building

These projects all must be approved by City Council, as well.

Finally, the commission unanimously approved a land development plan to build a mixed-use building downtown at 21 S. 2^nd St. A partnership led by Harristown Development plans a six-story building consisting of retail and office space on the bottom two floors, as well as eight apartment units on the upper floors (see exterior rendering).

This site, currently an empty lot, once housed a small, blighted commercial building that included the Coronet restaurant on the first floor. Harristown razed the building after buying it in 2017.

That project also now must get City Council approval before breaking ground.

“We’re excited about the project,” said Brad Jones, Harristown’s president and CEO. “We’re looking forward to doing this new construction here in the next year or so.”

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Harrisburg resident has apartment plan for Midtown’s “Carpets and Draperies” building

December 28, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A plan is afoot to turn this blighted structure into a small apartment building.

A Harrisburg resident has his eye on one of the last dilapidated commercial buildings in Midtown, with plans to turn it into a small apartment building.

Nathaniel Foote has a contract to buy the former Gerber’s Department Store—also known as the “Carpets and Draperies” building for the sign on the front façade—on the 1500-block of N. 3^rd Street.

His plan calls for a five-unit apartment building, along with first-floor commercial space, in the 4,800-square-foot, three-story brick structure.

“I live in the neighborhood,” he said. “I want to see the property restored.”

Foote is an attorney who owns two duplexes in Midtown and, along with his father, a parking facility. He said that his interest in the building arose simply from walking past it nearly every day, so that eventually he called the listing agent for the property.

“I’m not an out-of-town developer looking to make a buck,” he said, estimating that construction will cost about $500,000. “The cost is substantial given the number of units you can get out of it.”

Schnecksville, Pa.-based Mussani & Matz Co. has owned the century-old building since 2007, but it’s sat empty and increasingly blighted for most of that time. It’s been on the sales market for the last few years.

Six years ago, two Harrisburg residents proposed turning the building into a craft distillery, but that project was abandoned after it failed to gain approval of the city’s Zoning Hearing Board.

Foote said that he’s encouraged by a spate of development proposals for the immediate area. Over the past year, several developers have proposed projects for the Reily Street corridor, but none have broken ground yet.

Foote’s plan calls for all two-bedroom units, which would range in size from 750 to 2,000 square feet, along with a 1,000-square-foot commercial space on the ground floor. He expects that he would live in the largest unit on the third floor.

Rents would range from about $1,000 a month to about $1,400 a month, he said, depending on unit size.

Currently, Foote expects to put the project on the agenda for the city’s Planning Commission and Zoning Hearing Board for their February meetings. If the project gains city approval, he hopes to start construction in March for completion by year-end.

The interior is gutted, so it would need to be completely rebuilt, Foote said. He plans for Harrisburg Commercial Interiors to do the construction.

“It’s basically a big shell right now,” he said.

The notable “Carpets and Draperies” sign would be restored as part of the project, he said.

The building does not have its own off-street parking, but is surrounded by surface parking lots. Foote said that he expects to lease parking spaces from one of the lot owners.

“I think it’s very much in the cards that we will have a solid plan for parking,” he said.

Foote encourages residents to contact him with questions or concerns. His email is footenl@gmail.com.

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Condo building envisioned for former Salvation Army building in Midtown Harrisburg

December 2, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A rendering of the exterior of “The Lofts”

New condominiums appear headed for Midtown, as a Harrisburg-area developer is proposing over a dozen market-rate units in the former Salvation Army building.

Wormleysburg-based Integrated Development Partners has plans to construct 16 efficiency, one-bedroom and two-bedroom condo units in the mid-century brick building located at Cumberland and Green streets, said Jonathan Bowser, a managing partner. The building would be renamed “The Lofts” due to the high ceilings in several of the units, he said.

“It’s a nice building in a nice, historic neighborhood,” Bowser said, when reached by phone. “For us, it’s critically important to keep the character of the building, which maintains the character of the neighborhood.”

The Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region left its long-time home in late 2019 after moving into a new, larger facility on S. 29^th Street. The 18,500-square-foot building has been on the market for many years and includes a small parking lot that fronts Penn Street and another, larger parking lot across on Green Street.

Earlier this year, another developer, Michael Lam, proposed a 25-unit apartment building for the space. However, he bowed out as the coronavirus pandemic hit. His proposal also received substantial pushback from the community, with some residents asserting that his plan was too dense.

Bowser, a former chair of the Broad Street Market board, said that his company pursued the building after Lam dropped out.

“There’s the new courthouse and other plans that I believe are boosting the demand—the need—for housing,” he said. “So, we decided to look into that opportunity.”

In addition, the market for housing in Midtown has improved immensely for both rentals and sales, driven in part by the relocation of people to Harrisburg from larger cities, Bowser said.

The front of the Salvation Army building on Green Street

Right now, the plan, Bowser said, is to build for-sale, market-rate condo units, ranging in size from about 650 square feet to about 1,200 square feet. However, that plan is fluid and could change if the company deemed rental apartments to be a better option, he said.

“There isn’t enough condo product in the walkable downtown or Midtown,” he said. “There aren’t a lot of vacancies there.”

He declined to provide a potential range of sales prices.

The project would retain the parking lot across the street, which includes 32 secure parking spaces for residents. A brick building on that lot probably will be converted to storage units or maybe a gym for residents, he said.

The parking lot for the building

Bowser said that he expects to begin the city approval process in January and hopes to begin construction in the summertime, for delivery in early 2022. His company has a contract on the building pending site plan approval from the city.

Bowser and his partners founded Integrated Development Partners in 2018 after he left as CEO of the Cumberland Area Economic Development Corp., where he served for over six years.

Since then, the company has undertaken numerous new construction and historic conversion projects, including the mixed-used Steel Works revitalization project in Steelton.

“We really like adaptive reuse,” Bowser said. “We (he and his partners) are all born and raised here and want to see our community do well.”

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

October 30, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley

Executive director of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Joe Arthur, will receive a 2020 Catalyst Award.

Our November issue of TheBurg Magazine hit the racks and the web today! Make sure to pick up a copy, but in the meantime, here’s our summary of the past week’s news.

Capital Region Water and Harrisburg began improvement work at 4^th and Dauphin Park, our online story reported. This is the final project of a years-long parks collaboration.

COVID-19 cases continued to spike this past week in PA with an average of 2,134 cases per day. Our weekly report has the numbers for each county.

Dania’s Kitchen opened on 2nd Street during the pandemic, offering Dominican and Puerto Rican cooking to the community. Read our magazine story to learn how owner Damiana Lopez made her way from Puerto Rico to Harrisburg and pursued her passion for cooking.

Dauphin County elections officials gave voters a behind-the-scenes look at what will happen on Election Day. Commissioner Mike Pries discussed new challenges and changes to the process with a majority of residents opting for mail-in ballots, our online story reports.

Our editor encourages people to vote in the 2020 election in his November Editor’s Note. In addition, he highlights the magazine’s focus on shopping local.

The Haldeman Haly House, one of Harrisburg’s top-five most historic buildings, received a visit from restoration expert John Lindtner last week. The Dauphin County Library System hopes to renovate and link the building to its McCormick Riverfront branch next door, our online story reported.

Harrisburg City Council made several more changes to a proposed Citizen’s Law Enforcement Advisory Committee on Tuesday. They also delayed a final vote on the bill to next month, our online story reported.

Harrisburg’s Riverfront Park was named a “2020 Great Public Space” by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association. The association noted the long-term success of the park, calling it a “vital city asset,” our online story reported.

The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra welcomed Matthew Herren as its new executive director in June. After playing cello for HSO and later managing the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, Herren returned to his roots in Harrisburg. Read more in our magazine story.

Housing in Harrisburg is thriving at a time when many big cities are struggling. People from New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., are making their way to central PA! Read more in this month’s magazine article.

Joe Arthur, executive director of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, along with five others, received prestigious Catalyst awards from the Harrisburg Chamber this year. Arthur is being honored for his work to combat hunger during the COVID-19 crisis, our reporting found.

A Midtown Harrisburg Airbnb doubles as an exhibition space for local artists. Dustin Taylor hopes to give guests a “taste” of the region while promoting the artists’ work. Read more in our magazine story.

Sara Bozich has plenty of spooky fun for your Halloween weekend. Even if trick-or-treating is canceled for you, there are plenty of ways to celebrate the holiday.

UPMC Pinnacle is offering free flu shots to Harrisburg school district students in November, according to our online story. Parents and students can receive the vaccine at one of the weekly “Grab and Go” food distribution sites.

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The Painted Word: SAM’s Alice Anne Schwab—the best is yet to come

September 30, 2020 | by Bob MacGinnes

Alice Anne Schwab

The English traditional poem, “Monday’s Child,” attributes, through verse, personality traits that children may possess based on the day of the week they were born, often foretelling the future.

In the poem, “Thursday” shares that the child born on this day “has far to go.” It can be interpreted to mean that a long, successful life lies ahead or that the life destined for them will be a long and fruitful journey. As a Thursday’s child, I can attest to a never-ending road of great adventure.

Little did anyone know on a Thursday in February, in the late 1950s, a little girl was born on Feb. 21, to be exact. The date marked her arrival in Harrisburg. She grew up with a genuine love for art and cooking, among other things. Later, she grew to serve her community as an advisor and advocate. In between, she worked tirelessly as a wife and mother and a friend to many. She holds within her a gift that only a rare few possess, the ability to make the person she is talking to feel like they are the only one in the room.

Alice Anne Schwab, currently the executive director of the Susquehanna Art Museum at the Marty in Midtown Harrisburg, is that person. In high school as a summer intern at the State Museum of Pennsylvania, she realized, by looking through the lens of art, that that perspective would provide her with the knowledge of various cultures in forming a global view.

If art is a thread that has been one of continuity in Alice Anne’s life, the art of cooking runs a close second. In a professional career that has spanned four decades, she has worn many different hats in the private sector. She always embraces the next challenge as a natural progression—an evolutionary step in the process of living.

Adept at learning the art world as a graduate from Bucknell University, Alice Anne assisted John Szoke at his prestigious New York gallery. She then worked in hotel management for hoteliers like Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell of Studio 54 fame, proving to be a quick study. She next received her culinary certificate from the New York Restaurant School and returned to her hometown of Harrisburg in 1990 with the bug to cook and create. However, raising small children was her primary focus for a number of years while she dabbled in catering out of her home. In the ensuing years, as a member of Market Square Presbyterian Church, she was asked to become the director of education, a post she held while taking graduate courses in religion. In the wake of 9/11, Alice Anne’s epiphany came to her “that life is short and to live your dream and give it the best you have.”

That realization led to opening Alice Anne’s Kitchen, which combined a restaurant and catering business, which she ran for two years. As anyone in the food industry would agree, it is an all-consuming line of work. After that chapter, the position of director of education for the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra (HSO) opened up, a role she assumed for the next seven years. This became a great joy in her life as she worked with then-Executive Director Jeff Woodruff.

Accomplishing what she set out to do at the HSO, she acted on the advice of a friend and applied to be executive director of the Susquehanna Art Museum, which was about to enter a new chapter in its freshly minted Midtown locale. It is a position she holds to this day. As the public face to the only dedicated art museum in the area, Alice Anne’s impact on the regional art scene extends well beyond the museum’s doors and within the community at large.

When asked to reveal the three artists that have changed her view of art, she responded without hesitation and with great insight. Frida Kahlo as a woman artist, bold in her persona and paintings; Leonardo da Vinci as a visionary across many disciplines (science, math and art); and lastly, Paul Cezanne, for the beauty and deeper meaning that he brings to the canvas. Alice Anne feels strongly that her mission as the overseer of art at SAM provides the public with the opportunity to have a Cezanne moment.

“If people, who may or may not have any prior interest or training in the visual arts, can gain perspective when they stand in the presence of great art and have clarity where something about life is revealed to them anew, we’ve achieved our goal.”

In a career that has included working for the presidential re-election campaign of Jimmy Carter, Alice Anne Schwab has led an adventure-filled life that has taken her far and wide. Trying to arrive at the essence of Alice Anne is like reaching the final page of a great book. You don’t want it to end. You want it to go on to the next chapter knowing the story will only get better. That is as close as I got, and so is it any wonder that she wrote the next sentence for me with her usual flourish?

“I believe the best is yet to come.”

To be continued…after all, she is a Thursday’s child.

The Susquehanna Art Museum is located at 1401 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.susquehannaartmuseum.org.

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