Business and community leaders gathered at the Hilton Harrisburg on October 26 for the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC’s annual State of the City Address. Supported by Exclusive Platinum Sponsor M&T Bank, the event offered an opportunity to hear directly from Mayor Wanda R.D. Williams, connect with colleagues, and consider the business community’s role in Harrisburg’s future.
Ryan Unger, President & CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC, opened the program by emphasizing the connection between the capital city and the surrounding region.
“Harrisburg’s economic health matters well beyond the city limits,” Unger said. “What happens here affects employers, employees, customers, and communities throughout Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry counties.”
Unger highlighted Harrisburg Works for All of Us, the recently announced downtown revitalization plan. Developed through collaboration among city, county, state, and regional partners, the plan focuses on retaining and growing businesses, increasing downtown living, supporting the workforce, and making downtown more accessible and welcoming.
Community input helped shape that work, beginning with a perception survey that drew more than 4,000 participants and continuing through focus groups, stakeholder conversations, and public workshops. Unger connected that process to the Chamber & CREDC’s core values of being inclusive, collaborative, data driven, and positive.
“The plan is just a starting point,” he said. “Moving it forward will take sustained participation and collaboration from the businesses, organizations, and individuals who have a stake in Harrisburg’s future.”
In her address, Mayor Williams discussed economic development, housing, infrastructure, and city operations. She reported that the city had issued 448 new business licenses so far in 2026 and recognized restaurants and other businesses investing in Harrisburg.
Mayor Williams also discussed downtown investment – including plans for a Marriott hotel at 333 Market Street – and said reconstruction of the Broad Street Market remained on schedule for a July 2027 reopening.
Housing was another focus of this year’s State of the City Address. Mayor Williams said the city had provided $8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to developers expanding affordable housing, alongside support from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. She also described ongoing work with Dauphin County and the Harrisburg School District toward a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) agreement to encourage further development.
The Mayor identified additional infrastructure needs, including street paving, lighting, accessibility improvements, cameras, and demolition of unsafe properties. She also discussed efforts to modernize city systems used for financial processing, licensing, permits, and code enforcement, while acknowledging funding limitations, higher costs, and staffing shortages.
Closing the program, Unger encouraged attendees to turn their interest in Harrisburg into everyday participation: support a downtown business, bring a colleague into the city, and explore where their organizations can contribute as the revitalization plan moves into implementation.
The Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC thanks M&T Bank and all event sponsors, attendees, and partners for supporting a forum that brings the region’s business and civic communities together.
Learn more about Harrisburg Works for All of Us and opportunities to participate at downtownhbg.com.
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ABOUT THE HARRISBURG REGIONAL CHAMBER & CREDC
For 140 years, the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC has served as the region’s catalyst for economic prosperity. The organization combines business, community, and economic development services to enhance the region’s vitality and livability. The Chamber is a five-star accredited chamber through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce- a distinction held by fewer than 1 percent of chambers nationwide. CREDC is the region’s toolbox for economic development. It is the only Certified Economic Development Organization (CEDO) approved by the Commonwealth’s Department of Community and Economic Development to perform economic development activities regionally using Pennsylvania’s funding programs across Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry counties.
