Duncannon, PA Designated An Appalachian Trail Community

Image via Wikipedia

The borough of Duncannon, Pa. located in Perry County, lies on the Appalachian Trail and at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Juniata Rivers.  This tiny town of 1,522 people, 15 miles north of Harrisburg, is making the most of having the Appalachian Trail running down its main street.  Taking advantage of natural surrounding is a tool for economic development.  Nature-based Tourism also known as Ecotourism is a great way for a town like Duncannon to revitalize itself.

A dedicated group of residents has made Duncannon a Trail Town destination for hikers, paddlers and outdoor enthusiasts by hosting events during the year to promote the borough’s natural surroundings.

The next big event Duncannon is gearing up for is Saving Our Community From Natural Deficit Disorder.  The town festival will be held on June 2, 2012.  Duncannon’s Appalachian Trail Community Advisory Committee, comprised of local officials, Trail Angels, Trail to Every Classroom teachers, business owners, and representatives of non-profit organizations and Trail clubs are working together to make this event happen.  Duncannon is being designated as an Appalachian Trail Community, which will only enhance Duncannon’s ability to promote itself as a destination.

To learn more about Duncannon and the Appalachian Trail, click here: http://duncannonat.blogspot.com/

Dauphin County Officials Unveil $5.4M Solar Farm

Image via Wikipedia

Nearly three years after the project was conceived, Dauphin County commissioners today ceremoniously flipped the switch on a 1-megawatt solar farm in Middle Paxton Township.

The $5.4 million project, installed by Media-based InfraSource Services Inc., consists of 4,340 solar panels that will produce about 1.4 million kilowatts of electricity per year…

To read the rest of the story, click here: http://centralpennbusiness.com/article/20111003/CPBJ01/111009985&source=RSS?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Harrisburg’s Market Street Corridor Redevelopment Under Way?

…For a section of Market Street between Harrisburg‘s central business district and Cameron Street, idle could soon turn to active for an area littered with vacant properties.

This month brought the first stirring in the rebirth of the corridor lined with several old commercial and industrial buildings, including the former news and business offices of The Patriot-News Co. and the U.S. Postal Service’s soon-to-be vacated Keystone branch, both in the 800 block. An affiliate of Blue Bell-based developer Equilibrium Equities Inc. announced plans to redevelop the post office‘s 11-acre site…

To read the entire article from the Central Penn Business Journal, click here:  http://www.centralpennbusiness.com/article/20110826/FRONTPAGE/110829904/On-the-mend?

Harrisburg’s West Shore Communities Focusing On Curb Appeal

Image via Wikipedia

Several suburban Harrisburg communities, across the river in Cumberland County, are trying to make their downtown’s more attractive to shoppers, motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists by completing major streetscape projects in their downtowns.

Lemoyne is trying to become a destination rather than a “drive-through” community by making their downtown attractive and welcoming to shoppers.  Phase Two of their streetscape improvements will start in the fall of 2012. The new project will extend existing improvements made in Phase One and focus on safety and appearance.

Wormleysburg has a plan in place, but it is on hold due to the economy.

Camp Hill also approved a plan but placed it on hold due to a sewer project priority.

West Fairview, in East Pennsboro Township, will have their streetscape project begin in mid-August.

New Cumberland is seeking a block grant to extend their existing streetscape improvements.

Dillsburg completed a streetscape project last fall,

Carlisle recently added bike lanes and trails.

Mechanicsburg used a grant to make sidewalk and crosswalk improvements near several schools.

New Kingston, in Silver Spring Township, is also working on a streetscape plan.

Harrisburg’s Allision Hill Neighborhood Getting Community Art Garden

On the corner of Mulberry and Crescent Streets in Allison Hill is a vacant lot where two blighted homes were demolished by the city.  Community group Danzante, an Allison Hill based community art music and dance center is adopting this vacant lot from the city for $1.00 through Harrisburg’s Adopt-A-Block program.

Volunteers from well beyond the Harrisburg area are coming to Allison Hill and helping reclaim this vacant land to beautify it and give hope to Allison Hill residents.  Mosaic art will decorate the path leading to the “Treasure Garden”.

Danzante has been a part of Allison Hill since 1978.  The 501(c)3 organization is looking for volunteers to help with the project or people to make donations toward the completion of this project.  The Danzante Community Center is on the opposite corner from the Art Garden.  The group hopes to create a beautiful and safe community gathering place.

To learn more about Danzante, check out their website here:  http://danzante.org/

To volunteer or make a contribution of materials or money, call (717) 232-2615

 

Two Key Midtown Harrisburg Redevelopment Projects Receive State Funding

Image via Wikipedia

Two crucial projects were approved that will help continue the transformation of Midtown Harrisburg into an arts/cultural/entertainment district.  The Susquehanna Art Museum was approved for a $5 million grant to transform a vacant bank building into a state of the art museum for Pennsylvania’s capital city.  The arts bring revitalization and economic development!

The second project, approved a day later, is one of my most favorite kinds of adaptive reuse scenarios.  Take an old and empty commercial building, add commercial space on the first floor and transform the top floors into apartments or townhouses.  The Furlow Building will have the top five floors repurposed into 20-24 one-bedroom apartments for professionals.  This building is in a KOZ and renters will be eligible for tax abatement.  The bottom floor will be used for commercial tenants.  The project developer received a $2.5 million matching grant from the state to make this happen.

These two projects represent an investment (by the state) of $7.5 million into Midtown Harrisburg.  A new Federal Courthouse is slated to be built in Midtown and will represent a significant monetary investment.  It will also serve as a vehicle to draw more professional people (with discretionary income) into Midtown. 

Midtown is Harrisburg’s arts destination, the site of the 3^rd in the Burg monthly event along with galleries and restaurants. Harrisburg Area Community College also has a Midtown campus.

Two Mixed-Use Projects In Cumberland County Receive DCED Funding

In downtown Newville, a former bank and a Lutheran Church are being developed into a mixed-use commercial and residential project.  The Cumberland/Perry Housing and Community Partnership received $460,000 from the Department of Community and Economic Development toward this project, which will help fund the $1.75 million renovation.  The project will feature commercial space on the first floor and nine apartments on the upper two floors.  The idea behind projects like this is to increase foot traffic in the downtown business district and add to the tax base.

In Carlisle, the Cumberland/Perry Housing and Community Partnership received $248,000 from the DCED toward a $400,000 renovation project in the 100 block of High Street.  This project will also feature first floor commercial space and upper floor residential space.  Carlisle has undertaken a project to reduce traffic in the downtown by making streets one-way and adding bike lanes.  The hope is to create a more pedestrian friendly atmosphere.  Carlisle is a walkable community and these improvements should help attract downtown residents.

The DECD’s Housing and Redevelopment Assistance Program has received zero funding in the proposed 2011-2012 budget.

Two Harrisburg Area Companies Make Fortune 500 List

Image via Wikipedia

The 2011 Fortune 500 List was released today and includes two Harrisburg area companies.  The Rite Aid drug store chain, based in East Pennsboro Township (Cumberland County) was ranked number 100.  Hershey Co., based in Derry Township (Dauphin County) was ranked number 402.  The rankings are based on total sales.

Walmart held the number one spot again this year.

Harrisburg Area Youth Help Clean Up Allison Hill Neighborhood

Harrisburg’s Allison Hill neighborhood got a facelift on Friday from hundreds of area high school students who participated in a day of caring.  Students cleaned up trash, removed graffiti, planted flowers and added mulch to help clean up blight in this neighborhood.  Yesterday was also National Youth Volunteer Day and this event coincided with that effort.

We give two Roy’s Rants thumbs up to those student volunteers who made a difference yesterday!

New Federal Courthouse In Midtown Harrisburg To Be Green

The new federal courthouse, to be built in Midtown Harrisburg, will be an economic boon to the neighborhood and hopefully kick development into high gear.  Designers hope the building will achieve a gold-level rating from the U.S. Green Building Council! Solar power, geothermal energy, HVAC systems and green building practices are all being considered for the new courthouse.  Other buildings in the area already include such technologies.

Construction could begin in 2013.

To read the entire article from PennLive.com:

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/04/green_ideas_proposed_for_new_f.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed