TheBurg

16 | The Burg | 06.15 T he developers of the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center see an unfilled niche in the city's entertainment scene. H*MAC partner Michael Giblin sees it when, in his life as a bass player, he tours nationwide with musicians from such revered bands as R.E.M. and Wilco. Lisa White, the Washington, D.C.-based booker brought on to fill the Lazarus-like space, also saw it when she drove down 2nd Street late one night and stopped for young drunks lurching in front of her car. at niche is the responsible, grown-up crowd, hungry for a night out that doesn't end in a drunken blur. White knew that mature types would want "to hang out in Midtown where there are more adult things to do, and more art-related things to do, whether it be visual art or musical art or film." "Every city has their area where the younger people go to just be drunk, and they have other places where people can go who don't want to be part of that, and that's what Midtown Harrisburg is going to be," she says. H*MAC, rescued five times from the sheriff 's sale list, has been restored to life. A financing deal in October 2014 finally provided the infusion to capitalize on the whole, historic building and not just the funky, existing Stage on Herr. Giblin says he became "organically involved" with the project, moving from frequent customer to hands-on partner with John Traynor, Gary Bartlett and Chuck London. Traynor is the British import who wandered off I-81 to check out Harrisburg and fell in love with the possibilities at the former Police Athletic League building at 1110 N. 3rd Street. But the dream collided with the recession, and H*MAC's tribulations were front-page news. Today, the partners are about $4 million into the total $5 million project, and the end is in sight, says Giblin. Here's what to expect in the new, ADA-compliant H*MAC: • Stage on Herr, rebranded as Herr Street Stage, continues hosting fun and up-and-coming acts. Even in the darkest days, the success of this space helped pay the bills. • e spectacular upstairs ballroom becomes the Capital Room. With capacity up to 1,100, it's a configurable venue worthy of hosting name music acts, weddings, galas, fundraisers and dances. • e Kitchen at H*MAC opened May 15, serving fast-casual, but not like Chipotle. ese are "gourmet- ish," PA Preferred, Southern-inspired, chef-prepared dishes, Giblin says. e H*MAC partners signed on the Delaware restaurant consultant behind Troegs Brewing Co.'s breakout tasting room and snack bar to create the concept. H*MaC, risinG Once near extinction, a restored Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center surges back with a casual restaurant, a new performance space and a re-energized mission. By M. DIANe MCCorMICk Dining Room Cafe Courtyard

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