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After thousands of people responded to a public survey about how to improve downtown Harrisburg, organizers are now looking to narrow down ideas during a series of public workshops. Around 20 people attended a Thursday afternoon event focused on how the quality of life can be improved in downtown Harrisburg. Attendees tossed around ideas about what’s missing from the capitol city and areas for improvement, like parking and a lack of grocery stores. “We want residents to play a big role in this. This is their community,” said Ryan Unger, CEO and president of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and Capital Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC). “But we also know that downtown hosts a lot of visitors, a lot of workers, a lot of businesses and business owners, and we want them all to take part in this because we want a downtown that meets all their needs.” Thursday’s meetings, which were organized by CREDC and led by members of the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, was the first of six planned in June. READ MORE | How can downtown Harrisburg be improved? Chime in during 6 free public workshops It’s all part of the state and citywide efforts to revitalize downtown Harrisburg. What do residents think? During the workshop, attendees broke into three small groups to discuss downtown Harrisburg’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The group CBS 21 joined identified greenery and the river front as strengths, along with a vibrant art scene and historic atmosphere. When it came to weaknesses and threats, the group talked about parking, a lack of food stores, and the occasional fight downtown. CBS 21 also walked around the city and spoke with residents ahead of the workshop to see how they felt. WHP Doris Deardorff has lived in midtown Harrisburg for 13 years. She said she loves how convenient the city is, with arts, dining and the market, but as someone who uses a wheelchair, she does wish more of the historic buildings were accessible. “Most of the restaurants on Restaurant Row have been there since before the ADA, so they’re grandfathered in; they don't have to upgrade,” Deardorff said. “And there are some I'd love to get into, but I can't. There's no ramps.” CBS 21 also spoke to two people who said the noise from e-bikes and business closures were issues they had with quality of life in Harrisburg. Another woman who’s lived in Harrisburg since she was a child said there’s a lot to love about the area, although she’d like to see more affordable housing for seniors. “A lot of people you could get along with easily, no matter what background they're from, so it's pretty much friendly to me,” said Wanda Grier. John Frankford has lived in Harrisburg since December and said when it comes to quality of life, he doesn’t have any complaints. “Parts of town that I, you know, tend to end up walking through–I tend to walk a lot–look pretty nice,” he said. “The river front is really nice.” Another woman visiting the Broad Street Market said she’s from Philadelphia but would love to move to Harrisburg some day. “When I think of Harrisburg and walk up and down, I just think of a hometown, but a city. It's quaint. The people are relatively nice,” said Carla Cain. “If you read statistics, it's an excellent place for retirement. And I'm close to retirement age.” What next? The public is also invited to several more workshops, which are set to take place June 23 and June 25. Public spaces workshops are scheduled for the following dates, times and locations: June 23 – 1 to 3 p.m., Camp Curtin Academy, 2900 N 6th St. June 23 – 6 to 8 p.m., Camp Curtin Academy, 2900 N. 6th St. Economic viability workshops are scheduled for the following dates, times and locations: June 25 – 1 to 3 p.m., Harrisburg High School—SciTech Campus, 215 Market St. June 25 – 6 to 8 p.m., Harrisburg High School—SciTech Campus, 215 Market St. Following the workshops, those involved in the Revitalize Downtown Harrisburg initiative will draft a vision statement and confirm the elements of their strategic plan. Come August, they expect to refine their strategy while identifying priority project investments. READ MORE | $400K pledged to plan revitalization of downtown Harrisburg | How will the money be used? Then, in September, they plan to publicly unveil the Downtown Revitalization Strategy. Unger had the following message for Harrisburg residents when it comes to revitalizing parts of the city. This is your plan. This isn't my plan. This isn't an individual group's plan. This is everyone's or visitors, the residents, the workers, the business owners. And in order to make it that way, you got to participate. You can find more information about the efforts and timeline by clicking here.