"The river is the city's biggest asset," David Schankweiler told TheBurg on October 7. He chairs the Harrisburg Green Alliance, the new nonprofit conservancy picked to lead the riverfront piece of the state's downtown plan. "There's a lot of work that could be done to make it a more user-friendly and beautiful park."
Gov. Josh Shapiro released "Harrisburg Works for ALL of Us" on September 28. The Governor's office describes it as $64 million in new public and private investment, including $22.7 million in new Commonwealth funding. In the press it reads as a list of grants. If you live in Midtown, Shipoke or Downtown, though, most of what you'll actually notice is in a few blocks along the Susquehanna: Riverfront Park, the Walnut Street Bridge, Front Street and City Island. None of it runs on one shared schedule. Each project depends on something different, and that decides when it shows up.
The First Change Is on Forster Street, Not the River
The first change you can see falls outside the three state-endorsed riverfront projects. Schankweiler said HGA is working on the city's entrances along 2nd Street and North Front Street. It is also redoing the medians on State, Forster and Verbeke streets, outside the three state-endorsed projects. "If you go down Forster Street right now, you'll see we're already clearing the medians to replant them," he said.
That matters because of how the riverfront money works. The group that is replanting medians this month is the same one that has to raise millions before the park work can start.
Three Riverfront Projects Waiting on One Fundraising Match
HGA's state award covers three projects: relighting the Walnut Street Bridge, building new micro-parks along Riverfront Park, and reworking the Sunken Garden. The state is paying through a reimbursement grant. That means HGA, which only formed this year, has to raise $2.25 million itself before it can draw the state's $2.25 million. The state's fact sheet also lists the Riverfront Corridor Project at $2.25 million. PennLive gave a different figure: $2.5 million in state money that would unlock another $2 million in local funds.
Here is what's planned, based on what Schankweiler described:
- Micro-parks: more landscaping around the benched platforms along the river, swings for adults, and features for children. HGA and its landscape architects are still choosing the exact sites.
- Sunken Garden: a design based on the original City Beautiful plan for the space. The shrubs around it come out, an entrance opens from Front Street, and a performance pavilion goes in with lawn seating, a water feature and new plantings.
- Walnut Street Bridge: energy-efficient lights that can change color. Schankweiler said the bridge was last outlined in lights about 15 years ago, and the city often had trouble replacing those bulbs.
HGA wants "shovels in the ground" on all three in spring 2027. Its first annual gala is set for February. So the riverfront projects depend on fundraising more than on permits, and the gala comes before the target start date.
The plan also points at the river in ways that don't have budgets yet. TheBurg listed its short-term goals as making better use of City Island, planning a permanent riverfront amphitheater, and improving access to public restrooms. City Island gets $150,000 from a Recreation and Conservation Planning Grant for a master plan. That pays for planning, not construction. WITF reported that the Riverfront Park stage would become a permanent summer fixture for more concerts, though it gave no budget or timeline.
Front Street Needs a New Owner Before It Can Change
The Sunken Garden's new entrance would open onto Front Street, which is the street the city can't yet redesign. Front Street belongs to the state. Shapiro said he supports Harrisburg taking it over so the city can add traffic lights and traffic calming. He pointed to the pedestrian deaths that have happened on the corridor.
On September 29, TheBurg reported that the city was petitioning PennDOT for ownership and planned to send a formal letter that week. The ideas under discussion include a traffic light at Vaughn Street, possibly removing a lane north of Division Street, raised crosswalks and speed cushions. On October 7, CBS 21 reported that PennDOT supports the transfer and the intersection updates. It also reported that state permission would still be needed for new traffic-control devices, and that the city wasn't commenting until the petition was further along.
One Front Street project was in motion before the plan came out. In July, City Council approved applying for a $2 million DCED grant for a roundabout at Front and Division. The application also covers moving crosswalks, crosswalk lighting and ADA ramps.
The bridge relighting has a companion on land. PennDOT is putting $1 million into designated bike lanes and buffer space along Walnut Street, according to PennLive, and the state's fact sheet gives no completion date. If both happen, Walnut Street changes at both ends: new lights on the bridge over the river and new lanes on the street leading into downtown.
What's Already Free When You Park, and What Isn't
Parking got the most attention at the announcement, and most of what's been said about it needs correcting. ABC27 reported a state proposal for free parking after 5 p.m. on weekdays and one free Saturday each month, and said it needs approval from the General Assembly. TheBurg described free parking after 5 p.m. as something already in place that would continue.
The current rules are narrower than either report suggests:
- Park Harrisburg enforces meters from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Sundays and listed holidays are free.
- The free 5 to 7 p.m. window applies only to marked Downtown Improvement District street spaces. The city's parking FAQ says it doesn't cover garages.
- At River Street Garage, two hours or less costs $12. Entry after 5 p.m. costs $5 any day, and entry after 10 p.m. costs $10 on Fridays and Saturdays. Park Harrisburg also still lists a $5 Saturday rate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Costs went up this year. Off-street rates rose on February 1, 2026. PennLive reported that the per-session transaction fee went from 35 cents to 99 cents on April 1, 2026, which makes a two-hour meter session at $4 an hour cost $8.99. The free Saturday is still a proposal. Until the legislature acts, the closest thing to a weekend discount is the $5 Saturday garage rate.
The One Project With a Firm Date
Only one funded project has both an approval and a completion target. The state is putting $11 million into turning vacant office space at 333 Market Street into a 138-room Courtyard by Marriott. Harristown Enterprises is the developer. TheBurg reported that the lower floors would include a lobby restaurant, a bar and an outdoor patio. According to PennLive, the state was a major tenant in the 22-story building and didn't renew its lease in March. The hotel would use the parking garage already on the property.
On October 7, the Harrisburg City Planning Commission approved the land-development plan to convert ten floors of the building, WGAL reported. The opening is targeted for fall 2028.
Ranked by What Each Project Still Needs
Put together, the projects line up by how close each one is to being finished:
- Forster, State and Verbeke street medians: underway now, with HGA clearing Forster Street.
- 333 Market Street hotel: approved October 7, targeting fall 2028.
- Riverfront micro-parks, Sunken Garden, Walnut Street Bridge lights: waiting on HGA's matching funds, with work targeted for spring 2027.
- Walnut Street bike lanes: funded at $1 million, with no published completion date.
- Front Street traffic calming: depends on a petition to PennDOT that is still in progress.
- One free Saturday a month: depends on the General Assembly.
- City Island and a permanent amphitheater: still at the planning stage.
The Broad Street Market's brick building also gets $2.25 million in the plan, though the market isn't downtown. The latest change you can see there is the courtyard, which reopened in early September with new pavers and temporary patio seating after six months closed.
Front Street will still host the city's regular events while the ownership question plays out. The John Harris-Simon Cameron Mansion at 219 South Front Street has a haunted-history event on October 23 at 7:30 p.m. The city's Holiday Parade runs Saturday, November 21, at 10 a.m. on Front and 2nd streets from Market to North, with the theme "A Season of Sharing."
At Team Becker Realtors, we follow projects like the 333 Market Street hotel and the Front Street petition because they change what a block near the river will feel like in 2027 and 2028. If you own a home in Midtown, Shipoke or Downtown and want to know how these projects could affect what it's worth, we're happy to walk through it with you. Get Your Home's Value.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
