TheBurg News - Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1196532
8 | theburgnews.com | 01.20 so noteD FLTBYS LLC has purchased a long-time restaurant building across the street from Midtown Cinema, with plans to turn it into a skate shop and recording studio. New York- based recording artist KOTA the Friend is behind the new concept for the building at 263 Reily St., Harrisburg. Harrisburg will provide waste and recycling collection for Steelton through June 2024 under a new agreement that both municipalities approved last month. Harrisburg's Public Works Department began providing sanitation services for the neighboring borough last July after Steelton did not renew its contract with the private hauler, Republic Services. Janeen M. Latin was named last month as the new president/ CEO of UCP Central PA, which provides programs and services for people with disabilities and special needs. Latin has been with the organization for nearly 25 years, most recently as COO. She replaces Judith McCowan, who resigned the post in early December. LettUsKnow is slated to open early this month in the ground-floor retail space at the Bogg on Cranberry in downtown Harrisburg. is will be the second location for the York-based soup, salad and sandwich company, which specializes in healthier eating options. Renovations FoR miDtoWn cinema Harrisburg's Midtown Cinema soon will embark on a major renovation that will make over the building's façade, along with substantial changes to the interior. Cinema owner Lift Development is expected to begin work in February following the theater's annual Academy Awards celebration, with the project wrapping up in time for the Harrisburg Jewish Film Festival in May, said Stuart Landon, the cinema's director of community engagement. "Our owners are looking to see what 's next for us," Landon said. "Six years ago, Lift made a big investment in the theater, moving us over to digital and improving the movie-going experience. is is the next step for us." e changes will feature a sleek, modern exterior look designed by Midtown resident Rich Gribble, an architect with Camp Hill-based ByDesign Consultants. e façade will feature a mostly glass exterior topped by a new marquee and new fiber cement board panels. On the east side, a wood-and-metal trellis will extend the building's footprint, with picnic tables underneath for outside seating. e design, Landon said, gives a nod to the look of old- time movie film. "It's very subtle, nothing too heavy-handed," he said. Inside, the lobby and concession areas will be reimagined, improving the flow for patrons, and the three theaters will get new soundproofing and possibly new seating, said Landon. e restrooms may also be renovated, he said. "It'll be very different, but still warm, with the same feeling that people love now," he said. Midtown Cinema's building dates back to 1940, when it debuted as the Acme Self-Service Market, one of the Harrisburg area's first supermarkets. It replaced the Reily School building on the site at Reily and Susquehanna streets. e cinema opened in the building in 2001. Landon said that the cinema will remain operating during the renovations, but with an "adjusted schedule," since construction work may affect theater use and screening times. "We're really excited about this," Landon said. "e building will better reflect the organization we are and what we want to be." home sales DoWn, pRices up Home prices rose overall but lower inventory depressed sales activity in the Harrisburg area in November. e Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR) stated that the median price of a home rose 3.4 percent last month compared to November 2018. Sales volume, though, fell 4.9 percent as listing inventory dropped 15.5 percent. In Dauphin County, the median sales price of a house increased to $165,000 from $156,000 in the year-ago period and sales also increased, totaling 271 units versus 259 the prior November. Cumberland County last month saw sales drop to 235 units from 277 in November 2018, and the median sales price fell to $197,000 from $205,000 a year ago, GHAR said. In Perry County, sales inched up to 33 units versus 31 in November 2018, and the median price was $188,000, a decrease of $1,000. In its press release, GHAR stated that, "the number of sales was restrained by the lack of inventory." neW school supeRintenDent e Harrisburg school district is making a change in its top leadership, as the acting superintendent is stepping down. Dr. John George announced last month that he will leave his post on Jan. 1, replaced as acting superintendent by Chris Celmer, formerly the assistant acting superintendent. "[Celmer] has been here, on site everyday," said George, who will continue to act as an advisor to the district. "He has, for all practical purposes, already been serving as superintendent and I, more or less, have been serving as an advisor." e district receiver, Dr. Janet Samuels, affirmed that she approved Celmer's promotion. Celmer and George have worked together for about a decade, first at the Berks County Intermediate Unit and then at the Reading school district. George brought Celmer to Harrisburg as his second-in-command under Samuels, who was appointed school district receiver in June. George said that he planned to serve full-time in his current post as executive director of the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit until September, when he would retire from that job to lead the Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units. George and Celmer both said that they've worked to stabilize the district's finances, hire competent personnel, instill a solid governing structure and make academic reforms since they arrived in late June. Going forward, the district will focus particularly on academic achievement, they said. "I'm excited about the opportunity, and I'm very confident that we'll continue to make great strides in the Harrisburg school district," Celmer said. In his final public statement, George again took swipes at two entities that he's criticized in the recent past: the former leadership of the district, which he described as having a "perverse self-interest," and PA House Speaker Mike Turzai, who has proposed legislation to give Harrisburg students vouchers to attend private schools. "Harrisburg school district will be devastated for generations if Speaker Turzai's ill-conceived voucher bill becomes law," George said. "On the other hand, with proper governance and leadership, and the support and patience of elected officials, community members, parents and faculty, I foresee much better days ahead for the Harrisburg school district." • Bartine St., 923: St. Webb to Wyco Investments LLC, $80,000 • Bellevue Rd., 2028: K. Feucht to D. Bencosme, $51,000 • Berryhill St., 2032: B. Clemente to D. Mann, $40,000 • Boas St., 255 & 1831 Park St.: A. & A. McBarnett to ree Bridges Holdings LLC, $156,000 • Boas St., 1947: W. & F. ompson to T. Smith, $74,500 • Brookwood St., 1929: C. Frank Properties to Inoma Properties East Shore LLC, $44,729 • Catherine St., 1525: W. & P. Hinnant to D. McKeon, $54,900 • Chestnut St., 1810: J. Phillips & B. Rice to CR Property Group LLC, $33,600 • Division St., 503: D. Grossman to M. Grossman, $88,000 • Fulton St., 1629: W. Snader to A. Drake, $124,000 • Graham St., 500: K. Mussomeli to R. Goad, $129,900 • Holly St., 1840: Capital Properties LLC to G. Brown, $39,900 • Holly St., 1915: E. & C. Smith to A. Ramsey, $70,000 • Jefferson St., 2355: R. & P. Porter to Da Xing Cheng Inc., $32,900 • Jefferson St., 2613: Wilmington Trust NA Trustee to R. Garced, $45,000 • Kensington St., 2314: W. Sieruk to J. Regalado, $40,000 • Kensington St., 2435: BSR Rental Trust to A. & M. Padua, $64,000 • Kensington St., 2335: End Properties to J. Collier, $54,000 • Lexington St., 2735: R. Guzman & J. Castillo to Invicta Investments LLC, $55,000 Harrisburg property sales for November 2019, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate. changing hanDs: sponsoReD By Ray Davis • Market St., 2015: L. Baer to T. Evans, $300,000 • N. 2nd St., 1319: A Black to S. Musser, $116,000 • N. 2nd St., 1327 & 1329: St. Kermes to E. Telfer, $127,000 • N. 2nd St., 2001: J. Benson & F. Felbaum to Capozzi & Ehring Realty LLC, $155,000 • N. 2nd St., 2243: CPenn Properties Old Uptown to D. Olmsted, $160,000 • N. 2nd St., 2245: CPenn Properties Old Uptown to D. Olmsted, $173,900 • N. 2nd St., 3016: D. Marcheski & L. Boykin to P. Bernd, $190,000 • N. 3rd St., 1618: J. King Jr. to B. Kurama & J. Jobarteh, $98,000 • N. 5th St., 2455: Integrity Investors LLC to J. & J. Jones, $44,00 • N. 5th St., 3131: PA Deals LLC & PDL Properties LLC to Wylie & Wylie Enterprise LLC, $72,900 • N. 6th St., 2013: Condor Ventures to L. Christopher, $58,500 • N. 16th St., 1300: B. Potter to R. Grullon, $66,000 • N. 17th St., 77: J. Menjivar to A. & C. Munoz, $50,000 • N. Front St., 1525, Unit 606: J. & A. Scarnati to K. & S. Kramer, $112,000 • N. Front St., 1525, Unit 607: J. Rensch to M. & D. Mahoney, $114,000 • N. Front St., 2837, Unit 301: D. Soybell & S. Kelleher to M. Mull, $258,000 • N. Front St., 2837: Unit 302: D. Soybell & S. Kelleher to S. MacDonald & M. Warner, $130,000 • Penn St., 1610: L. Long to K. Bueti, $165,275 • Penn St., 1826: S. Jenakavich to A. Virant, $147,250 • Penn St., 2218: G. Neff to B. Henderson, $50,900 • Reily St., 263: Cool2Zap Properties LLC to FLTBYS LLC, $194,500 • Rudy Rd., 2460: N. Kim to DPM Development LLC, $57,000 • Rumson Dr., 2828: A. Ott to C. Hinman, $76,000 • Schuylkill St., 636: R. & T. Speece to Breaking the Chainz Inc., $33,000 • S. 19th St., 16: F. & E. Badman to J. Monegro & Residential Mortgage Services, $50,000 • S. 24th St., 704: Valley Real Estate Holdings LLC to C. Allen, $33,000 • S. 27th St., 802: H. Earhart to J. & P. Calla, $41,500 • S. Cameron St., 400: Brittany Capital to Yellowstone Investment Partners LLC, $760,000 • State St., 1302: A. Chambers Jr. to TKO Rental Properties LLC, $36,000 • Swatara St., 1627: J. Rodriguez to T. Pickren, $58,000 • Swatara St., 2331: D. & J. Soulier to J. Dennis, $134,900 • Wyatt Rd., 308: A. & M. Johnston to K. Peterson, $96,000

