Olde Uptown Harrisburg and Midtown’s Revitalization

A few weeks ago I commented on a redevelopment effort taking place in Midtown Harrisburg and was really surprised by the responses of Beyond Second members. I decided to see firsthand the revitalization effort taking place, but that didn’t sway my opinion–I still believe there’s a better approach to rebuilding Midtown Harrisburg.

Yes, the new buildings look nicer than the distressed homes that inhabited the land before them (Sadly, the alternate brick coloring hides the architecturally-starved cookie cutter appearance of these buildings), but simply replacing what’s old with what’s essentially the same–a series of row homes–doesn’t combat the problem of urban blight. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if the previous developers believed an overhaul was the solution to crime and decay, too. Sadly, I see no evidence that these buildings won’t suffer the same fate as their predecessors.

Replacing entire neighborhoods of old homes with new homes eliminates diversity, which is essential to city living. Brand new homes alienate families and homeowners (often the previous residents) who cannot afford such new, state-of-the-art living. This consequently forces these lower-income families to migrate to other parts of the city. Because these families are more concerned with “getting out of the slums” than correcting their environment, the revitalization process is inevitably forced to recur somewhere else.

Harrisburg needs more diversification. For starters, it needs commercial zoning mixed with residential zoning. This creates foot traffic, which lends itself to natural surveillance. This foot traffic–people carrying their groceries home, grabbing some java at the coffee shop, visiting the art gallery, etc. generates potential witnesses to street occurrences and creates natural crime deterrents. Furthermore, the mixture of commercial and residential in the same area will attract people seeking the urban lifestyle, something that these current row homes and the surrounding suburbs can’t provide.

Another form of diversification can come from a mixture of new and older, refurbished homes. After visiting the site, I grew concerned for the buildings across the street, as “WCI Partners Coming Soon” signs made me assume that a wrecking ball was due for them, too. Fortunately, from what I’ve read off of their WCI Partners site, they intend to restore 60+ buildings in the surrounding area. This is definitely a step in the right direction, as it reinforces architectural diversity and heritage in the neighborhood. Having older homes and landmarks often encourages owners to take pride/care for their homes, and permits homeowners of a wider income range to reside in the same neighborhood.

I realize that I’m not entirely familiar with all of the details regarding Midtown’s revitalization (the Powers & Associates Midtown Master Plan only paints broad strokes) and that mixed zoning is probably more expensive to develop than Euclidean zoning, but I’m confident that more of the same isn’t the solution.

It’s good to hear about the planned addition of a public park adjacent to the Evangelical Press Building. I’m also eager to see what becomes of the Midtown Cinema area on Riley Street, as I’ve read it’s being reinvisioned as more of a commercial marketplace. Lastly, I’d also love to see a business incubator (like Murata) forcing small businesses into Harrisburg and hopefully proving firsthand the benefits of a city-based business compared to a suburban one. I guess time will tell.