Karns Quality Blog

The Patriot reports:

After three more months of studying locations for a new courthouse to be built in Harrisburg, federal officials [the General Services Administration (GSA)] concluded that rebuilding at Third and Walnut streets, their preferred site, is still the best.

The current courthouse site “best serves the federal government and the community, maximizes investment in the city of Harrisburg and minimizes required local investment,” according to a copy of the study obtained by The Patriot-News.

City officials dispute the findings, saying the locally preferred site at Sixth and Reily streets would save taxpayers at least $31 million. They cite the U.S. General Services Administration’s [GSA] own estimates of temporarily moving workers and demolishing the Ronald Reagan Federal Office Building.

Never fear, fair citizens of Harrisburg, the experts from the GSA are here to do the best thing for our city. To quickly recap the story thus far, Harrisburg could use a new federal court house. The current one is cramped and does not meet public safety standards for federal buildings. After studying their options, the GSA announces their three preferred locations: a historic neighborhood, some of the best low income housing in the city, or two mid-rise housing buildings for the elderly. Not one vacant property was included. It was clear that the GSA was intent on putting a wrecking ball to some fine Harrisburg real estate.

After a coordinated effort by the residents of the historic capitol area neighborhood, the GSA announced that the low income folks were getting the boot. They said it would cost too much to toss out the old folks. Still, they chose not to consider any of the open lots around town.

Enough citizens voiced their concerns about this location to get the GSA to scrap all three ideas and go back to the drawing board. Months later, a new list of potential sites was released. It did include the vacant lot at Sixth and Reily that most residents and the city government favored. However, it also included several blocks of prime downtown real estate with established businesses and offices!

After a thorough expert review, the GSA decided that tearing down one of two privately-owned, developed sites in downtown Harrisburg was the best option for a new courthouse. They were able to propose such ridiculousness through through the magic of eminent domain. Again, enough opposition rose up that a change of plan was necessary.

It became evident that the GSA was intent on tearing something down when they finally resorted to their currently-favored proposal. They determined that their next best option was to tear down the existing building.  A coalition of nearly everyone else, including our Senators Spector and Casey and Representative Holden, agreed that the Sixth and Reily location would better serve the city. Through the work of our elected officials in congress, funding for the new courthouse was frozen until the 6th and Reily site was studied. So the GSA “studied” the location and decided it wasn’t a good idea. They’d rather tear down their existing building and build a new one on top of the steaming pit of wasted resources that would remain when the dust settles. They really think that this is better than using the existing space for alternate purposes and building on the vacant lot in Midtown.

This whole affair has descended into the epic battle of the GSA vs. everybody else who has ever actually walked around in Harrisburg.  In my analysis of these events, one thing has become clear to me: the GSA is intent on tearing something down.  Every “finalist” location that they have selected, in all of the many rounds of deliberation, has involved the destruction of perfectly good real estate in Harrisburg.  In a moment of epiphany, I realized that the only way to reach consensus between the GSA and the people that are really affected by this decision is to offer up a sacrificial lamb.  The GSA wants to tear down a building.  We’ve got plenty of crumbling nasty buildings.  Let’s just give them a building that we don’t actually want to tear down.  That way the GSA can use their wrecking balls, and we can finally build the courthouse.

So who has a nomination for Harrisburg’s worst building?

The GSA is holding a meeting about their latest move 1:00 pm Monday at the HACC Midtown Campus.   I will be present to hear what they have to say, and I will happily share my thoughts here afterward.