With City Council defunding economic development positions amid mayoral lawsuits, experts will discuss Wednesday whether the ICA holds the key to reviving downtown.
From left, Todd Vanderwoude, Laura Beltrán Figueroa, Kevin Burrell and Richard Farr participate in the latest PennLive Harrisburg Downtown Development Roundtable. It was moderated by PennLive's Outreach and Opinion Editor Joyce Davis, right.
PennLive continues its forum series on Harrisburg’s economic development with a roundtable at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, that will be streamed live to our Facebook and YouTube channels. The forum will include Ryan Unger, president and CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC; Sheila Dow-Ford, Harrisburg resident and Executive Director of Impact Harrisburg, which has provided millions of dollars of grants to small businesses in the city; and Doug Hill, chair of the board of theJoyce M. Davis, PennLive’s Outreach and Opinion Editor, will moderate the discussion. ICA is a public authority of the state charged with helping the city manage its finances following its emergence from state fiscal receivership in 2014. PennLive’s roundtable will focus on the role of the ICA in helping Harrisburg develop and implement a financial plan to revitalize the city’s struggling downtown. It also will explore next steps following recent meetings of a coalition of government, business and community leaders focused on helping to address the city’s economic malaise. PennLive’s forum on revitalizing Harrisburg’s downtown addresses the decline of the downtown and what people can do to give it the boost that Lancaster has received. August 18, 2025. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.comThe roundtable is a continuation of discussions begun last year with a public forum at Harrisburg University to help the community better understand the challenges facing Pennsylvania’s capital city, with shuttered businesses, failing schools, and a poverty rate of almost 30 percent. Add to that a city council embroiled in dueling lawsuits with Mayor Wanda Williams, who has just been inaugurated for another 4-year term.Gloria Martin-Roberts, interim director of building and housing development, remains in her role, albeit at a reduced salary. The position is mostly funded through federal allocations, but some object to Martin-Roberts contiinuing as interim director without the council’s up or down vote. PennLive has called for the state to step in again to mediate and help save its capital city from political infighting that has become a key obstacle to its economic vitality. Bring your thoughtful comments and questions to PennLive’s next roundtable on the ICA and Harrisburg’s downtown development.
Harrisburg-Downtown-Development Section:/Opinion
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Harrisburg’s Hussein Al-Tharfi makes his college football pickThe Cougars' stalwart will head to a new state this coming fall to continue his football career.
Read more »
Demolition of former Harrisburg Hospital nearly complete; lab construction to begin this yearThe Harrisburg State Hospital property will house multiple state agencies in a 300,000-square-foot facility, with contractor solicitations expected early this year and more than half the required demolitions completed.
Read more »
RFK Jr. to rally in Harrisburg after unveiling new nutrition guidelines; protest plannedU.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will hold a rally in Harrisburg Wednesday.
Read more »
Man charged with attempted homicide after Dauphin County stabbing: policeA Harrisburg man has been charged after a stabbing last weekend that left one person hospitalized.
Read more »
Man who fired at cops at busy Harrisburg intersection pleads guiltyJacob Bruce Bucher III dodged return gunfire from cops in 2024. Now, he dodged a trial and has a sentencing date.
Read more »
Harrisburg shelters brace for increased demand as bitter cold grips regionAs bitter cold continues to impact the region, many are cranking up the heat, while others are turning to shelters for warmth.Across the city of Harrisburg, she
Read more »