Architecture for Humanity helping city rebuild, renovate
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Although demolition and clean-up jobs remain the priority now for city residents and businesses caught in the path of the Leap Day tornado, soon planning and rebuilding will begin. For city officials, Friday came with another group offering their expertise in those fields.
Two representatives from Architecture for Humanity - George T. Cain, a Springfield-based architect originally from Harrisburg, and Kristi Pearson, an St. Louis-based interior designer -- met with Harrisburg officials last week including Ron Crank, acting mayor, Bill Summers, fire chief and Rick Mallady, city emergency management coordinator, at City Hall.
Cain, a senior architect with Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc., and Pearson, who works for HOK, brought a professional photographer with them who took pictures while they met with city officials though Cain had already seen the devastation firsthand.
"Thirty minutes after the tornado I got a call from my mom, saying that Harrisburg had been hit by a tornado, but she was okay," recalled Cain who had immediately left for Harrisburg after the call.
Architecture for Humanity brings architects, planners and designers together to offer "design, construction and development services to communities in needs," according to its website whether in earthquake-ravaged Haiti, or American communities such as Biloxi, Miss., hit by Hurricane Katrina.
Friday's meeting wasn't a promise to help Harrisburg, but a feeler put forward by the organization to see if the city wanted such help in the first place.
"[I was told to] go to Harrisburg and ask what are their needs. They have already identified this area as needing help," Cain said.
The more he explained, the more city leaders said yes, they were interested.
"The first thing that comes to [my] mind is the senior citizens building," said Crank referring to the Golden Circle building, the largest public use building damaged or demolished by the tornado.
"Second thing to come to my mind is the memorial for the seven people who died in the tornado," Crank added.
Cain stressed the while the organization can often offer architectural services, its mission also includes planning. That brought up a discussion of the lack of adequate city codes and infrastructure in some parts.
Both Summers and Mallady brought up the problem of water lines and hydrants on the back side of lots out in Country Club Hills as well as the size of the water lines.
"Thereís some inch-and-a-half PVC out there," one of them noted referring to the inadequate water lines. In the case of a fire, the fire department has to take a tanker truck out to provide enough water pressure.
How to fix those sort of problems during the rebuilding came up in the free-wheeling discussion.
If the city could get help outside the disaster zone that could make a big impact as well, the city representatives noted. Summers brought up the City Hall building itself.
"We've got roof problems, brick problems, fascia problems. We don't know what to do," he said.
Mallady asked if they were talking about wish lists the city could use its own emergency operations center.
Cain and Pearson left with plans to report back to the coordinators at Architecture for Humanity to see what help could be provided. When they know more, they will let the city know.
The Harrisburg City Council holds its next regular meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 5.
Architecture for Humanity is on the web at http://www.architectureforhumanity.org.