Harristown Development Corporation (HDC) is requesting a TAP program from ULI Philadelphia to help provide a new strategic approach to assist with some rapidly changing conditions in downtown Harrisburg. For 50 years, HDC has been the driving force behind redevelopment in downtown Harrisburg, spending more than $750 million on development projects, renovating under-utilized office space into 250 apartments and owning and/or managing 2.5 million square feet of real estate. HDC is seeking guidance on how to address a situation that is in almost constant flux.

Harrisburg, PA, as the Capital City, formerly boasted as many as 30,000 state employees working daily in downtown offices prior to the pandemic. Now less than 30 percent of those workers are in the office and most who do report to the office are only present a few days per week. Many private sector employees have also dramatically restructured their workforce rules to allow for less “in-office” time. The combination of these factors has led to a dramatic decrease in foot traffic during the day and has strained and/or shuttered many downtown small businesses.  

In addition to the decrease in daytime workforce in the downtown area, Harrisburg is facing additional challenges to its post-pandemic recovery, including negative perception of quality of life, rising costs of parking, and several large office towers with high percentages of vacancy. By the end of 2026, Harrisburg could be looking at over one million square feet of office vacancy. This office vacancy is lowering the overall real estate values and leading to dramatic reassessments, significantly impacting taxable income for all local taxing jurisdictions.  

The goal of this TAP is to provide guidance to HDC as they work with their Board of Directors and stakeholders to prepare a new strategic vision for Downtown Harrisburg. HDC is seeking new ideas and perspectives on how to address the existing conditions affecting downtown Harrisburg, and guidance on the sequencing of short and long-term projects that would contribute to downtown economic growth.

Specific Questions for ULI Panel to Address 

1. How can HDC thoughtfully address the “work from home” situation and create and maintain a vibrant downtown? 
2. What specific uses should HDC focus on for creating downtown vibrancy (i.e. retail, entertainment, food and beverage, arts, etc.)? 
3. How should Harristown utilize and leverage their real estate assets and other resources for a downtown revitalization strategy? 
4. How can HDC increase the rate of conversion of office buildings to apartments over the next five years? How can public or private financing options be leveraged for these conversions? 
5. How can HDC increase stakeholder engagement for the City of Harrisburg and the Downtown?