NEWS INFORMATION FROM

THE OFFICE OF MAYOR STEPHEN R. REED
City of Harrisburg
King City Government Center
Harrisburg, PA 17101-1678
Telephone: 717.255.3040

FOR IMMEDIATE USE
12 February 2004

COMMONWEALTH & CITY SEEK HOTEL DEVELOPER FOR FARM SHOW COMPLEX

Harrisburg, PA—The City of Harrisburg is pleased to announce a partnership with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to initiate an important local economic development project at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex.

The Commonwealth’s Department of General Services has issued a solicitation for proposals (SFP) to prospective developers for the construction of a new hotel on state-owned land at the Farm Show Complex, in the City of Harrisburg. The proposed hotel will serve exhibitors and visitors to the complex and other nearby state and academic institutions, as well as travelers to the region.

“We are delighted to see the process for selecting a hotel developer moving forward,” said Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed. “This is an important project for Pennsylvania’s Capital City because of its synergistic impact upon the surrounding area, and it makes the Farm Show that much more viable for additional business. We urge proposers to think boldly and creatively in preparing their submissions.”

Mayor Reed and the city have worked closely with the Commonwealth’s Departments of General Services and Agriculture to advance the project, and city and state officials will collectively review the proposals. Submissions are due by 3:00 p.m. on May 26, 2004.

A special pre-proposal conference will be held on Wednesday, March 17, at 1:30 p.m. in the Farm Show Complex’s VIP room to better inform interested proposers. City and state officials will be on hand to respond to questions from proposers and provide tours of the property. The review committee anticipates that the comprehensive proposals will also include a market analysis for the type of facility being considered. Proposers have the flexibility to suggest the development location on the complex property, and specific hotel amenities such as the number of rooms, food service facilities and parking plans.

Proposals must specify where the development will be on the property, and negotiations will take place with the successful proposer to determine whether the parcel of state land will be sold or long-term leased. A suggested location is at the northeast corner of the complex near the Cameron Street and Industrial Road intersection. Other vacant land or surface parking areas on the grounds of the complex may also be considered potential sites for the hotel, including the prospect of a hotel connected to the complex facility.

Located in north Harrisburg, the ninety acre Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex encompasses seventeen acres of indoor exhibition space and is one of the largest meeting, convention and exhibition facilities in the state and country. Annually, over one hundred twenty-five events encompassing two hundred eighty event days are held at the complex, attracting in excess of one million visitors. Interstates 81 and 83 are approximately one mile from the site, and also nearby are Harrisburg Area Community College, the Wildwood Conference Center, and headquarters facilities for the PA State Employees Credit Union, the PA Department of Agriculture, State Police, State Game Commission and numerous other major businesses and industries.

“We are pleased to partner with local government to bring this long-awaited economic development project to the City of Harrisburg,” said Department of General Services Secretary Donald T. Cunningham, Jr. “We look forward to selecting the proposal that delivers the greatest value for the Commonwealth and best fits the City’s needs.”

Interested developers can download a copy of the SFP at www.dgs.state.pa.us by clicking on the Department’s Real Estate link, or they may contact Erin Murphy at (717) 783.5028, or by email at ermurphy@state.pa.us for more information.

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