NEWS INFORMATION FROM |
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THE OFFICE OF MAYOR STEPHEN R. REED |
FOR IMMEDIATE USE |
MAJOR NEW SOUTHERN GATEWAY PLAN UNVEILED BY MAYOR; PROJECT EXPANDS DOWNTOWN AND EASES TRAFFIC CONGESTIONDowntown Harrisburg would be expanded and commuter traffic congestion substantially reduced as part of the major new Southern Gateway redevelopment project, Mayor Stephen R. Reed announced today as he unveiled plans for what could be the one of the largest urban renewal initiatives in state history. The Southern Gateway project was first launched in 2000 to extend S. 3rd Street from Chestnut to Paxton Street, and is now being expanded to include office, retail and residential development. Reed said the Southern Gateway project initially involved the construction of new roadways providing access from Interstate 83 to the downtown, with S. Third Street extended to Paxton Street to provide another point in access to the down- town. Further study of the project has revealed the potential for significant additional new commercial and residential development in the project area, including including 3.1 million sq. ft. of office space, 250,000 sq. ft. of retail space and 500,000 sq. ft. of residential space. At least 6,500 new jobs and over 4,000 new parking spaces would be created by the project, which will likely involve over $1 billion in new construction. The Mayor said the expanded project scope is contingent upon the construction of a massive new “plinth”, or underground structure that would allow for construction above it. The plinth would include underground access corridors for S. 2nd and S. 3rd Streets into the downtown, and levels of parking for as many as 4,000 vehicles. New development would occur above the plinth, dramatically expanding the downtown and providing the space for the envisioned construction of new commercial and residential structures. Reed said plinths are currently in use in many cities around the world, and most notably in the U.S. in the City of Atlanta, Georgia, as part of the Atlantic Station. Plinths are more frequently used in European cities, where developable land is more scarce. “This is unquestionably the largest and most comprehensive redevelopment plan ever conceived for downtown Harrisburg, and may be one of the largest such projects ever proposed in the state,” said Mayor Reed. “It involves the complete transformation of dozens of acres of currently inaccessible downtown land and provides two magnificent new entranceways into Pennsylvania’s Capital City. It will substantially add to the city’s taxbase, provide thousands of new jobs at new and expanded businesses, and allow for parking and other infrastructure development on a scale never before seen in the city. “The project essentially doubles the size of the city’s downtown, with the transportation and other infrastructure to fully support it. It addresses not only traffic flow issues but achieves many other major public policy goals, including answering the question of where additional downtown development can occur without tearing down existing older and historic structures.” “It is situated close to the main line of the planned Regional Rail Transit System, thus allowing intermodal means of access, and it offers highly visible sites that provide an alternative to the proliferation of the unchecked sprawl that is choking the region’s highways and destroying our precious open space.” “This is a long-range project that may take as long as 25 years to fully realize, but it is a signature effort that defines and benefits Harrisburg for well into the 21st Century and beyond.” The Mayor said the expanded Southern Gateway project area encompasses approximately 35 acres and is bounded by Chestnut Street to the north, Paxton Street to the south, S. 2nd Street on the west, and the Harrisburg Transportation Center and railroad lines on the east. Much of the area is currently vacant and underutilized because of its inaccessibility and location within the 100-year floodplain, which would be mitigated by the construction of the plinth. Reed said planning on the transportation aspect of the project has been underway for nearly 8 years, with the complete redesign of I-83’s access into the downtown at its heart. The $75 million project is being funded primarily by federal transportation funds and includes the extension of S. 3rd Street to Paxton Street, the construction of new bridging over the existing rail lines, and the realignment of roadways and interstate access ramps to direct traffic onto the new 3rd Street entrance into downtown. Other than the existing roadway enhancement aspect of the project, no design or funding estimates are currently available. The City will seek federal and state funding for planning and design work on the newly expanded development aspects of the project, and in recent weeks has begun briefing federal and state officials on the proposed plan. A combination of public and private investment funding will be sought for the project. |
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