The Harrisburg Area Thread

[danwxman]

Originally Posted by pman

wow, those are some expensive rents as compared to the first project. at least it seems that way to me.

Yea, the rents are definetely on the high-end. But the way they described the apartments, it sounds like they are going to be VERY nice.

[BackToTheCityMouse]

"......The units feature drywall recycled from the building’s old drywall."

OMG They removed existing drywall from the old building and just reused it?

Old drywall can be used to make new drywall by removing the yucky old paper (if this is what the article means, great!), or processed into other stuff for construction and agriculture.

I never take vague comments like 'recycled' at face value in Central PA. I mean, bars and restaurants can still be found out here -- although not in the city of Harrisburg -- that have no running water or refrigeration

[danwxman]

This is causing QUITE a stir in the region:

Target audience
8/28/2009



White and lavender flowers soften the facade, and gas-style electric lanterns flanking the entrance give the white brick building an elegant Old South feel.

The new business looks out of place amid the beat-up warehouses on Harrisburg's south side that thousands drive past daily but few see.

City zoning laws forced owner Josh Kesler and a silent business partner to put Harrisburg's only gentlemen's club in an industrial part of town. But if you look, you can see Savannah's on Hanna from South Cameron Street because of its white brick, maroon canopy and large black letters calling out its name. It's at 1000 Hanna St.

The owners will hold a soft opening Sept. 12 and a grand opening two weeks later. Kesler said he is bringing a new style of entertainment to Central Pennsylvania that will show people that gentlemen's clubs don't have to be seedy. The owners spent more than $1 million of their own money to do it. They are almost finished transforming the 17,000-square-foot former warehouse into what they call an upscale club. The club takes up 9,000 square feet of the space.

"We are casting the net large. We want regular blue-collar guys to feel comfortable, but we have services that cater to an upscale crowd," Kesler said.

There are VIP seating areas, bottle service, a champagne area and an executive lounge for business meetings, Kesler said. There is a VIP entrance, too, so high-profile people can pull into the garage and go up to the executive lounge without going into the club.

Savannah's also will be a limited-menu restaurant and the only gentlemen's club in Central Pennsylvania to sell alcohol. Most other regional gentlemen's clubs don't sell alcohol, but are allowed to, Kesler said. A state law that banned alcohol sales in gentlemen's clubs was overturned in federal court several years ago. However, municipal zoning laws can restrict alcohol sales, Kesler said.

Savannah's has a top-notch sound and light system. It's the same system a famous gentlemen's club in New York City features, Kesler said The club has three stages, two bars and a private dance room. The main stage connects to the biggest bar. The mahogany bars have marble counter tops and there is a fireplace in one seating area. There are exposed brick walls painted white in some sections. Others walls are deep red stenciled with the club's Victorian insignia in black.

In keeping with the upscale theme, Savannah's has a fairly strict dress code. No hats or head wraps will be allowed. Customers cannot wear baggy clothing or loud jewelry, and everyone must wear shirts with sleeves, Kesler said. Savannah's could close the bar at 2 a.m. and stay open through the night, but it won't. It will close when alcohol sales stop, Kesler said.

Savannah's will employ about 100 people. And the club will pay half of its dancers' college tuition if they are in school. Kesler said these are the types of things that help show the owners care and are a viable part of the business community.

But Mayor Stephen R. Reed said he isn't impressed, though he's glad the building was renovated. The owners can call it upscale, but he doesn't consider a gentlemen's club good economic development, even if it is permitted in that part of Harrisburg, he said.

"High-end from what?" Reed replied when asked if being upscale makes a gentlemen's club operation more acceptable.

Randy King, a former Reed spokesman, expressed a different viewpoint. Now a business consult with Harrisburg's Triad Strategies, King said in an e-mail he would recommend Savannah's to clients if it is run like a high-end establishment and only if visiting businesspeople expressed interest in adult entertainment.

Depending on a client's moral code, a business consultant runs the risk of alienating the client by even suggesting it without being asked, he said. King said he doesn't think higher-profile people will frequent the club.

"It simply isn't the kind of venue that public figures will want to be seen in, regardless of whether it is upscale or not. Especially in this era of gotcha news reporting and far stricter lobbying reporting requirements," King said. "While there will always be a market for this in certain demographic groups, it is not something that can or should be expected to engender widespread appeal or patronage."

King also is chairman of the Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau. In that capacity, he said a club like Savannah's will help dispel certain stereotypes about the midstate.

"There have long been complaints by visitors that the area needs this type of entertainment facility, with the absence of such only serving to reinforce perceptions of our region as being unsophisticated and ultra-conservative," King said.

Savannah's will be open from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week. Six months or so after its grand opening, Kesler said, he expects the club to open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Savannah's will feature adult film star Sunny Leone during its grand opening weekend, Sept. 24-26.

Source: Target audience - Central Penn Business Journal

[danwxman]

I like this:

Capital Area Transit gets $3.4M for hybrid buses
By Jim T. Ryan

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded Capital Area Transit (CAT) a $3.4 million grant from economic-stimulus money to buy five diesel-electric hybrid buses, according to the department.

Once the money is obligated, it will take about 20 months for the buses to arrive from California-based bus manufacturer Gillig Corp., said James Hoffer, CAT's executive director. Standard delivery is about 18 months, he said, but the company has seen increased work from the stimulus.

The 40-foot hybrid buses will have a fuel efficiency of 15 miles per gallon, an improvement from 5 mpg for a standard diesel bus, he said.

Harrisburg-based CAT, which provides public transportation in Dauphin and Cumberland counties, has applied for a second grant from the Federal Transit Administration to buy six more hybrid buses.

The grants are funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the economic stimulus package President Barack Obama signed in February.

Source: In brief: Capital Area Transit gets $3.4M for hybrid buses - Central Penn Business Journal

[BackToTheCityMouse]

Thanks for posting the article about Savannah's. Perfect fit for Harrisburg (ie, more night life). No one should be shocked. This is what the business traveler to Harrisburg is looking for...and I think a lot of the small town honchos with money to burn would brave the 'dangers' of the city to visit Savannah's as well. A big step up from US11/15 culture corridor

[danwxman]

Harrisburg is full of potential -- let's start playing it up
By Patriot-News Op-Ed
November 11, 2009, 6:47AM
by Ryan Riley
This time of year reminds me of a major milestone — the purchase of my first home.
It was just a year ago that I moved into the old uptown section of Harrisburg. Since then, there have been countless trips to hardware stores and furniture outlets and more weekend projects than I care to remember.
Urban homeownership has proved to be a satisfying experience. Central Pennsylvania would be hard-pressed to find more resources all concentrated in one area. Primary accessibility to the downtown, Riverfront Park, Restaurant Row, the shops in midtown and countless other businesses and services all serve as great assets to the residential community.
Living in the city also allows me to live greener — living in smaller historic homes in walkable neighborhoods is one of the most environmentally conscious and sustainable ways to live.
Additionally, whether it’s kayaking down the Susquehanna River, biking or running alongside it or walking to work or the Broad Street Market, city living makes everyone more active and civically engaged.
From my window, I see on a daily basis homes being renovated, including some that were once vacant or inhabited by drug dealers. The city is experiencing an influx of young professionals and downsizing retirees that now call Harrisburg home.
At the same time, there seems to be a void of families. It is unfortunate that when some couples choose to expand their family, they leave the city. A deterrent for family migration into the city might be the reputation of the city school system and/or mounting crime and safety concerns.
Urban public education does not have to equate failure: Pittsburgh public schools are among the best in the nation and there is no reason the Harrisburg School District cannot model their success.


A block of new townhouses at the 1900 block of Green Street, Wednesday, May 7, 2008, in uptown Harrisburg. GARY DWIGHT MILLER, The Patriot-News

The recent creation of the Public Safety Advisory Committee in the city offers great potential for a new approach of communication between city officials and Harrisburg neighborhoods concerned with crime.
If every Harrisburg resident took a stake in the great things going on in our neighborhoods it would only serve to enhance the quality of our community. So in a sense, by promoting Harrisburg and city living, we also promote ourselves.
If we speak negatively about Harrisburg and city living, then we devalue ourselves and the potential of our great community.
When vacationing in other cities — I literally feel pride as I walk their downtowns. That same pride can come to Harrisburg — it is simply a matter of choice.
I am not a central Pennsylvanian by birth — but increasingly, Harrisburg is becoming more of a home than a place to live. This city has dedicated people who are vested in its success. The Harrisburg Young Professionals organization, of which I am a member, is just one example of a group of more than 700 educated, talented and civic-minded individuals making Harrisburg a better place to live, work and play. HYP has been a successful tool for the city in recruiting young people to move here after college.
Attracting an educated, middle-income population back to the city is key to revitalizing the city but also good for the region. Data show that metropolitan areas thrive when their urban cores are healthy and growing.
In central Pennsylvania, fewer than 25 percent of the population has a college degree — which is just short of the state average. According to a recent survey of 300 HYP members/nonmembers, more than 90 percent hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.

This is a clear indicator of brain gain, and educated households tend to have more disposable income. With strategic encouragement and policy support from local government, this educated base can grow wealth for the entire community by supporting local businesses and expanding the property tax base.
I firmly believe Harrisburg can become great and not by trying to be something we are not or following other cities’ standards but rather carving our own path. This will be the challenge of the next generation of leaders for the city — so let’s get started.

http://media.pennlive.com/editorials...a795_large.jpg

[pman]

is this really true?

Pittsburgh public schools are among the best in the nation