State Delegation, Williams’ Administration, ICA and CREDC Partner to Usher Resources to Major Downtown Planning Effort. ICA-Awarded Funding Just a Prelude to Revitalization Planning Investments Targeted for Downtown in 2026
HARRISBURG, PA — December 22, 2025 — The new year will bring with it new momentum in ongoing efforts to revitalize Harrisburg City’s downtown. The Capital Region Economic Development Corporation, backed by State Senator Patty Kim, Representatives Dave Madsen and Nate Davidson, the Harrisburg ICA, and Mayor Wanda Williams, announced the first in what will be a series of financial investments targeted at downtown revitalization in 2026.
The first such investment, a recently announced $50,000 seed grant from the Harrisburg ICA to CREDC, will be used to engage the Pennsylvania Downtown Center (PDC), the only statewide nonprofit dedicated solely to the revitalization of the commonwealth’s core communities, to assist in public engagement, planning, and convening as the starting point for a larger downtown revitalization plan. Additional major funding secured by the state delegation will supplement the ICA grant and is anticipated to be announced in early 2026. Funding will be targeted towards a thorough and actionable downtown revitalization plan, like the recent City of Pittsburgh effort, which generated over $600 million in downtown investments.
The downtown plan is the first step in a broader, city-wide economic development plan. PDC recently facilitated training and capacity building in Allison Hill as part of the FHLBank Pittsburgh Blueprint Communities® initiative, is currently working in the SouthSide Arts District in Bethlehem, and has previously worked in other PA communities such as Erie, Wilkes-Barre, and Allentown.
“PDC engages local community leaders and volunteers, to advance the sense of place, quality of life and economic vitality of the commonwealth’s downtowns, traditional neighborhood business districts and nearby residential areas,” said PDC’s Executive Director, Julie Fitzpatrick. “As an organization who has been around since 1987 and headquartered in the city for over 25 years, we believe we are well positioned to be the partner with CREDC for this initiative.”
“This funding allows us to begin doing what revitalization requires most—bringing people together around a shared vision,” said Ryan Unger, President & CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC. “We’re grateful for the trust placed in us by the Mayor, the ICA, and our legislative delegation. With their leadership and the community’s engagement, we are confident this work will lay the foundation for a strong new chapter in downtown Harrisburg.”
“Over the last six months, while working on a state budget that was unfortunately delayed, and the resources that come with it to support the downtown, our delegation and partners put a tremendous amount of legwork into personally meeting with and pulling together stakeholders that are ready to get to work, from business owners to developers to the Mayor to the Governor and First Lady themselves, ” said State Senator Patty Kim. “As we finalize the details on a significant amount of additional planning dollars we have secured, we look forward to announcing a downtown planning process that addresses both immediate and long-term priorities for Harrisburg City.
“Downtown is the right place to begin this work because it is the front door to our Capital City—but it is not the end of the story,” said Mayor Wanda R.D. Williams.“As we invest in downtown revitalization, we are doing so with every neighborhood and every district in mind. This effort is about creating momentum that strengthens the entire city, connects our communities, and ensures that progress downtown translates into opportunity citywide. We are starting here, together, with a clear vision for where Harrisburg is going next.” Mayor Wanda R.D. Williams.
“We have the goodwill. We have the support of the Governor, the ICA, the business community, developers, and many more that we have worked hard to bring together,” said State Representative Nate Davidson. “We can replicate the successes seen elsewhere in 2026. We just need to finalize a plan, which I am confident we will do soon.”
“The City of Harrisburg and CREDC continue to have our full support and commitment to target resources to turning around downtown Harrisburg,” said State Representative Dave Madsen. “But with that support comes a responsibility to coalesce around a unified planning effort and make it happen. We thank the ICA, CREDC, and Harrisburg City for taking this first step.”