TheBurg

8 | theburg | 08.17 NeWS sTeelTon redevelopMenT A new development called Renaissance Row soon will begin to rise in downtown Steelton, in part thanks to a tax incentive program. Dauphin County and Steelton officials last month credited property tax abatement for enabling the project, which will feature 80,000 square feet of commercial space and 46 one-and two-bedroom apartments across the street from Steelton Borough Hall. "Providing property tax relief for new construction and renovation can make the difference between making it viable to move forward on a project,'' said county board Chairman Jeff Haste. Philadelphia-based developer Chariot Companies will build Renaissance Row. A second development featuring 12 new townhouses on Adams Street should break ground later this year. All of Steelton is part of a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) program, which provides tax breaks on property improvements for 10 years. Hdid seeks reneWal e Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District last month asked City Council for a five-year reauthorization, a plan that would expand the district to State Street. Executive Director Todd Vander Woude outlined a few recent activities by the group, including last year's "Dino- Mite Summer" public art project, this year's "Discover the Ducks Downtown," the St. Patrick's Day parade, several new murals, more bike racks, brightly painted planters and a new safety substation. "Our focus is making downtown clean, safe and beautiful," said Vander Woude, who received a generally positive reaction from council. In 2015, council refused to grant a full, five-year term, offering only two years with instructions to become more visible and active. Back then, some council members said that HDID wasn't doing enough to attract people downtown. Getting firm council support is particularly important this year, as the HDID is seeking to expand its northern boundary from Pine Street to State Street, bringing 58 more properties into the district and upping the organization's annual budget by $40,000 to $820,000. Each commercial property is assessed a 1.75 mil surcharge on its city property taxes to cover the cost of HDID services, which also include cleaning, safety and beautification measures. Property owners within the proposed district have 45 days from last month's council hearing to vote against the district. Forty percent of properties within the boundary must vote against it for reauthorization to be defeated. CiTy payMenT resTored Harrisburg will receive its full state funding after all, as the legislature passed a budget re-inserting a $5 million payment to the city. The $32 billion state budget for 2017-18 includes full funding of the "Capitol fire protection" line item, a type of payment in lieu of taxes that the city counts on to help fund emergency services. Gov. Tom Wolf included the payment in his proposed budget in February, but it was later stripped out by the state Senate. Over the decades, this annual payment has ranged widely from nothing to the current $5 million, an amount decided upon while the city was under state receivership. However, the money is not guaranteed, meaning that Harrisburg isn't certain it will receive the funds until the always-fraught state budget is passed. e money lands in the city's general fund, but Harrisburg officials say it offers compensation for services that the city provides to about 30,000 state workers. e state pays no property taxes on its massive holdings in the city, which include some 50 state-owned buildings on about 42 percent of the city's land. rioT Gear deBaTed Harrisburg City Council last month left for summer break without voting on a plan that would supply the city's police with new protective gear. Council members said they would take up the matter once more after they returned from hiatus in late August and, in the interim, urged police to engage with residents to discuss the issue. e Police Bureau is seeking to transfer $65,000 from unspent personnel funds to purchase 30 "top to toe" protective suits. e bureau's current gear is old and inadequate, police say. Some city residents have urged council not to approve the transfer, saying that so-called "riot suits" would escalate tense situations. Police, though, say that protests, particularly at the state Capitol, have become more frequent and more violent, and that officers need the equipment for personal protection. ColleGe plans Move To CiTy Hall Eastern University announced last month that it would like to move its satellite campus into the basement of Harrisburg city hall. "I want to be in the city," said Wesley Bunting, an official with the St. Davids, Pa.-based Christian college, whose satellite campus currently is located in Lower Paxton Township. erefore, the university approached the city with a novel offer. It would spend about $615,000 to fully renovate the mostly empty, worn-out basement of the MLK Jr. City Government Center on N. 2nd Street. e city would be able to use a portion of the space for a new, state-of-the-art emergency operations center. It also would get access to classroom space when not in use and to the lounge, which could be used as a break room. e city would receive the improvements but no monetary rent during the 10-year lease term. If approved by council, the project could start immediately and would take less than a year to complete, Bunting said. "is is a substantial investment in the building with resources that we otherwise would have to draw from somewhere else," Mayor Eric Papenfuse said. Papenfuse said the project also would bring more people downtown, would boost building security, especially after hours, would offer technology upgrades in the building and would help create a "critical mass" of colleges downtown, adding to the existing presence of Harrisburg University, Temple University and Messiah College. HoUsinG FUnds disBUrsed Harrisburg City Council doled out some $1.9 million in federal housing funds last month, but not before making tweaks to the administration's proposal. Council provided $25,000 to the Heinz-Menaker Senior Center from the city's portion of annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, a program of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. e city administration had denied funding for the center, saying its application scored too low to merit a grant. To make room for the Heinz-Menaker grant, $15,000 was taken from a proposed allocation for the city's Police Bureau, which still will receive $90,000 to help pay for a new community policing van and a police cadet program. Another $10,000 was taken from the city's Department of Community and Economic Development, which still will receive about $43,000 to cover unreimbursed costs related to the sinkhole project on S. 14th Street. Like last year, the greatest single amount of money, $562,248, went to repay federal loans the city backed during the Reed administration for several development projects, including the disastrous Capitol View Commerce Center project. Other CDBG recipients included: • City Housing Rehabilitation Programs: $330,000 • Tri-County HDC: $150,000 • City Emergency Demolition: $120,000 • Harrisburg Fire Bureau: $51,686 • Habitat for Humanity Greater Harrisburg Area: $30,000 • Rebuilding Together: $15,000 • Christian Aftercare Recovery Ministries: $25,000 • A Miracle 4 Sure: $25,000 • Latino Hispanic American Community Center: $25,000 • Fair Housing Council: $25,000 • Mid Penn Legal Services: $15,000 • Neighborhood Dispute Settlement: $3,900 While the city undertook the annual process of distributing CDBG money, funding is not assured as the Trump administration has threatened to end the program. neW GroCery sTore If you've been hungering for an urban-style grocery store in Harrisburg, your wait is almost over. In a few months, Provisions will open in Strawberry Square, emphasizing natural, organic and locally produced goods, mostly sold in bulk. Provisions will occupy 2,350 square feet of space next to Fresa Bistro with a storefront entrance on N. 3rd Street, said Brad Jones, CEO of Harristown Enterprises, which owns Strawberry Square. "You're going to be able to get fresh food that you can shop daily for," said Jones, who described the market as a "locally grown Trader Joe's." Jones expects the build-out of the space to begin immediately, with the store opening in mid-October. Provisions is the brainchild of Shaun Donovan, the owner of the online grocery store Appalachian Organics, and Adam Porter, co-owner of the co-working space, StartUp Harrisburg.

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