Commissioners, historic group press for transparency after Broad Street Market design appears in local press

Multiple planning commissioners and representatives of Historic Harrisburg told the Planning Commission on Nov. 6 they were concerned about outreach and stakeholder engagement after a local news article reported a design had been selected for Broad Street Market work.

Jeff (planning bureau staff) said he had no substantive update from the administration about next steps and had only had preliminary conversations with the selected architecture firm about conceptual site and building ideas. Commissioners asked staff to investigate and report back; Commissioner McKissick said he had seen the news coverage and asked staff to look into the process and community outreach.

Commissioner McKissick and others cited contract language from the city's requests for proposals for construction management and architecture, which call for coordination with city departments, agencies and community representatives and periodic progress reports. One commissioner attributed a $20,000,000 figure to press reporting and contrasted that with an insurance company estimate of about $6,000,000 to restore the historic brick building — both figures presented in the meeting as quotes or reported estimates, not as planning bureau statements.

Christopher Ziro of the Historic Harrisburg Association told the commission the group’s hope “that the city will continue to do its outreach and its due diligence in connecting with the community” and asked whether Historic Harrisburg had been contacted; he said he had not been contacted to his knowledge. A representative from the mayor’s office, identified in the meeting as Tirzah Whisner, said she would relay concerns to the mayor's office and communications team and that the administration intended to be transparent and involve stakeholders, though she said she was not authorized to make policy commitments at the meeting.

Commissioners asked whether the Broad Street Market Alliance and other stakeholders had been engaged; Commissioner Jordan and others said they expected earlier engagement. Commissioners requested that planning staff follow up with the mayor's office and provide an update to the commission about outreach, projected scope and funding sources.

No formal action or vote was taken on the Broad Street Market at this meeting; commissioners requested additional information and transparency from the administration and asked for a staff report to the commission.