Downtown Harrisburg Aims for Revival Through Strategic Vision and Community Collaboration

• Asia Tabb
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  Asia Tabb is the Host and Producer for WITF’s The Spark.
  
  She began her start in radio when she joined legendary radio/ host producer, Doc Christian. She worked closely with Doc for her role on “The Gospel Express, on WHOV 88.1 FM and was a host for “Unrestricted Praise” at Praise FM.
  
  Previously she was an anchor in Shreveport, Louisiana at KTAL/KMSS. Asia also worked as a Multi-Media Journalist at WHP-TV here in Harrisburg, PA.
  
  Asia got her break into news at KTVO in Ottumwa, Ia. While the 2020 caucuses were gearing up. Asia followed many candidates through their campaign trail from Senator Cory Booker, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, and 46th President of the United States Joe Biden.
  
  Asia was born and raised in Norfolk, Va. She graduated from Old Dominion University in 2018 with a major in Communications.
  
  Asia is extremely friendly so don’t be afraid to say hi if you see her out and about.

The Pennsylvania state capitol building and Soldier's Grove in Harrisburg on May 13, 2024. (Jeremy Long - WITF)

Aired; June 9th, 2025.

Listen to the podcast to hear the full interview. 

Harrisburg is charting a bold course for revitalizing its downtown core—one that blends short-term wins with a long-term vision rooted in community input, economic development, and local identity.

“This is going to be a little bit like moving an ocean liner,” said Ryan Unger, President and CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and Capital Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC). “We’ve had a downtown for a long time and there’s certainly a lot of needs, but there’s definitely a lot of assets too. We’re excited about the opportunity.”

Unger said the revitalization effort is being designed in two parallel tracks: one focused on immediate actions to re-energize the business district and the other on long-term planning involving the city, county, state leaders, and the community at large.

“We fully recognize that downtown Harrisburg is the front door for many people visiting the region,” Unger explained. “For businesses looking to attract talent, it’s critically important to our regional economy.”

Justin Browning, owner of several well-known downtown spots including JB Lovedraft’s Micropub, Nocturnal, and Sawyers, has had a front-row seat to the changes over the past three decades.

“For a very long time, going on 20 years, it was a mecca for dining and nightlife,” Browning said. “Over the past five years or so, at least since COVID, it’s been dwindling. I think it maybe has lost that identity.”

Browning’s personal goal? “To help rebuild downtown into a destination space, especially for tourism.”

That means creating spaces people actually want to be in. His team has recently revamped venues to bring back live music, introduced arcade-style entertainment to encourage social interaction, and even opened a country-and-western-themed bar to meet an unmet niche.

The Chamber is also studying what other successful cities are doing—and how they’re doing it.

“I’m a big believer in R&D—rip off and deploy,” Unger said with a laugh. “But what’s just as important as the ideas is the process. Communities that succeed bring public and private leadership together. Very rarely do things just happen.”

One challenge Harrisburg faces is that its downtown has historically been built around office workers—not residents.

“There’s not a ton of residents downtown,” said Unger. “So how are we going to replace foot traffic to drive commerce going forward?”

With more people working remotely and state office buildings underused, revitalizing foot traffic will require creative alternatives—live events, culture, nightlife, and possibly new residential development.

That, however, will take capital.

“Converting office buildings for residential is a big lift,” Unger acknowledged. “It’s going to require significant private investment and thoughtful prioritization.”