TheBurg

26 | THEBURGNEWS.COM | 07.20 A sk Corey Dupree what African Americans can bring to city development, and he says, "I love this question." African-American developers "bring perspective" on the power of development to serve comprehensive needs. "Our objective is to make sure these communities rise from, quote-unquote, 'the rubble,' because the phoenix does rise from the ashes," said Dupree, a partner in the planned transformation of the former Bishop McDevitt High School into an eco-friendly complex. African Americans comprise about half of Harrisburg residents, but they have traditionally "limited ourselves to a minority stake in projects," said developer Ryan Sanders. But now, behind the plans for several high- profile projects are African Americans with ties to the city and commitments to community. In the wake of nationwide protests demanding racial justice—and by extension, equal opportunity—these developers envision impact that goes beyond bricks and mortar. THE PULSE In Harrisburg's Allison Hill, Tarik Casteel is building TLC Cornerstone Renewal, with 50 affordable apartments and townhouses and a community center near N. 15th and Walnut streets. "I picked that area because it's one of the worst areas in the city," said Casteel. "I'm from the community, born and raised in Harrisburg, and I wanted to show that this can happen if you want it to." Casteel is president of TLC Construction & Renovations, and its nonprofit arm, TLC Work-Based Training Program. e nonprofit trains such hard-to- place people as veterans and the formerly incarcerated, hiring them for projects on the construction side. "When you're using these same people in the community, it gives them a sense of pride because they helped build where they live," said Casteel. "When people take pride in where they live and pay taxes, they're not going to tear up where they live because they've got skin in the game." In 2018, Casteel and his aunt, Juanita Edrington- Grant, imprinted the city landscape with the Harrisburg Uptown Building (HUB) with apartments for homeless veterans, plus the adjacent HUB Veteran Housing Campus. It's about taking the reins and ensuring that the builders who build and the people who benefit "look like me," he said. Down in Midtown, Sanders is part of the team behind the planned creation of Jackson Square on N. 6th Street. e partnership, which includes NFL veterans and brothers LeRon and LeSean McCoy, looked at that row of deteriorating buildings with deep roots in Harrisburg's African-American history—including Jackson House, a Green Book-listed rooming house that hosted legends of jazz and sports—and saw "a great opportunity to preserve culture and history." And then back at the top of Allison Hill, Garry Gilliam, Jr., is a partner with Corey Dupree, DeZwaan Dubois and Jordan Hill in e Bridge, a venture planning inner-city eco-villages, starting with the McDevitt campus. e idea emerged, in part, from the time Gilliam, Dupree and Dubois spent as students on the comprehensive Milton Hershey School campus, where they knew that the basics of housing, food, education and security were assured. When those necessities are met—and e Bridge expects to encompass greenhouses, classrooms, workspace and recreational options—then people see hope, said Gilliam. "I don't believe you need to leave Harrisburg for that," he said. "It can be done with mixed-use development, providing resources for those in those communities, and in a way creating a microcosm of Milton Hershey to break generational curses." As the new federal courthouse and state archives accelerate development pressures, the city is working with developers to "make sure that the first thought in new development addresses long-term concerns of the community," said city Planning Director Geoffrey Knight. Diversity among developers brings a fresh perspective to those conversations, Knight said. Many African-American developers have told him they're striving for impact. "It's less of a focus on things that are financially viable," he said. "It's more of a focus on, 'is is my community. is is a project that means more to me than just dollars.'" Gilliam agreed. "We're of the community," he said. "We've got the pulse of the community." NEVER LEAVES YOU Development that expands opportunity in a traditionally neglected or oppressed community kickstarts change from within, Sanders said. African Americans in development also offer role models for younger generations. "If we want them to do more, we have to show them more," Sanders said. Too often, Black youth see only athletics or THE NEW DEVELOPERS In Harrisburg, African American builders are revitalizing neighborhoods, cultivating community. BY M. DIANE MCCORMICK PHOTOS BY DANI FRESH Corey Dupree BUSINESS

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