Downtown Marketing and Development

Insights and observations on the redevelopment and revitalization of post-industrial towns on the Route 422 Corridor in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

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Housing as a Tool in Downtown Development

Many of the towns that seek to revitalize are the victims of poor housing stock in the downtown. Poor housing stock in the downtown sometimes limits the options for revitalization. I have always looked at the downtown housing stock and occupancy as a barometer of how a town will do in their revitalization efforts.

Preserving Historic Resources in Revitalization

One of the ways that Main Street programs seek to revitalize is through the historic restoration of the downtown. Classified as the "Design” point of the Main Street four points, restoration of the downtown is a key element. The historic downtown could be the cornerstone for marketing efforts in the revitalization project.

Why Does It Take So Long?

Many frustrations occur with delays in projects and progress in the downtown. It seems like it always takes a long time to get anything done. The problem is a function of the process and how the process is processed.

Working as a private sector representative to a public sector process is sometimes confusing and drawn out. A Main Street Manager is sometimes confronted with issues that never seem to go away because it just takes too long to get things done. The problem is not one thing but can be a number of things, and how they relate to the process.

Planning for a Main Street Manager in a New Fiscal Reality

When government money becomes tight, as it has in recently, requests for funding need to be more competitive. The key to submitting a reasonable application relies on doing your homework on the front end. There cannot be any loose ends and there cannot be any holes in the funding application.

The key to a competitive application is a good plan. How are good plans developed? They are developed through stakeholder participation and talent. Many times, I am asked to help a town get some money for a project or an idea and I run into the same problem … not a strong plan.

The End of Main Street as We Know it

The Commonwealth funded Main Street program is about to come to an end. Say goodbye to the Main Street program and say hello to Keystone Communities. The proposed new program will offer fewer dollars for downtown revitalization as the Department of Economic and Community Development (DCED) budget contracts. The proposed new program is a one-year program that is designed to get people started in downtown development. 

Main Street Manager and Business Recruitment

One of the goals important to board members of a Main Street program is business recruitment. I know that many board members feel that the culmination and result of the main street effort should be to bring in more new stores to the downtown. Recruiting makes your town more vital and helps to diversify the business mix. This is a good goal but it is not an easy goal to attain. 

Revitalization and Government Budgets

Many remember the days when main street projects were plentiful and many boroughs in the region were participants in the state sponsored Main Street Program. In the past couple of years there have been issues with governmental budgets and there has been considerable belt tightening. Many of the programs were terminated as cities and boroughs tried to balance their budgets and still keep essential services.

Downtown Infill

Many times when doing downtown economic revitalization you encounter “holes” in the streetscape. These are lots in the downtown that for one reason or another do not have buildings on them. The lack of continuous buildings creates problems with foot traffic flow. 

Economic Restructuring in the Downtown

When a town gets together to revitalize there is always a lot of discussion concerning they want to accomplish and how they want to move forward with any number of projects. When the projects start moving ahead there is a sudden realization concerning what they really want, and that is economic restructuring. In the beginning the question always arises just what is really economic restructuring, and what can be done to effectuate it? If in the initial stages, the group simplified economic restructuring to be too general, it could present a problem.

Organizing for Revitalization

Perhaps the first step in the revitalization process is the organizing process. You know how it goes— a few people get together and say they need to do something about their town. Usually they refer to how things were in the past when people walked four abreast down the street. But also, it could be a couple of people seeing potential and seizing the moment to plan some improvements for the future.

The Standard Event

One of the issues that towns struggle with all the time is how to bring more people downtown. There is nothing like putting people on the street as a way to give your town the feel of revitalization. If the town has had a “heyday” in the past, people will always compare what happens in a revitalization to the “heyday.”

What is Your Town's Vision?

Each town is a unique entity with different strengths and weaknesses. Some towns have a strong building stock, some have strong retail and others have little of anything. The focus on what your town has to offer can many times be overlooked.

The Importance of a Sense of Place

One of the hardest things to do as a main street manager is to develop a sense of place for the town.  Many times when someone is hired to revitalize a town there is really just a thought of what the town “used to be” back when it was in it’s heyday. People talk about how the crowds could not be accommodated on the sidewalk because there were so many people shopping. In most cases that perception of what it “used to be” is not relevant to what it is now. 

Acting as an Agent of Change

Recently I was honored by the Governor as an Agent of Change and inducted into the Keystone Society for Tourism. It was something I had not expected but the category and the spirit of the award fit the style of downtown management that I employ and I was happy to be recognized. I am the first Main Street Manager to be honored by the award.

Organizational Relationships

Many times downtown Main Street Boards delegate some of the nuts and bolts of the revitalization to committees. Committees could include economic development, design, and promotion. Some Main Street Boards are creative and have an inter-group committee to interact with other agencies. Committees are where the work gets done and the community input is secured.

Providing Leadership

People often ask me what is economic development? I always respond that it is a process. To ensure economic development occurs, you need to organize, plan and execute, and then evaluate. There are no magic wands, and no sure fire method to be successful at economic revitalization and development. You need to find the right combination.

Creating a Community Development Corporation

The funding for downtown programs has changed as some of the new regulations continue to emerge. Every time a Governor changes the rules on the housing and development money change a little bit. Each Governor puts his or her own spin on things and tries to tailor funding toward their philosophy. 

Keystone Initiatives Centerpiece of Governor's Community Development Plan

Every time we elect a new governor, programs are tailored to meet the goals of the administration. I have dealt with the Keystone Communities in a previous column. The long and the short of that article was that there would not be any “new” Main Street or Elm Street programs awarded with the new administration. Communities have an opportunity to become a Keystone Community, but they have to pay the administrative costs by providing at least a 60 percent of a full time employee to carry out mission.

Combating Aberrant Behavior in a Downtown Setting

Many towns have problems with people on the street doing things that make consumers a little skittish when considering visiting a downtown. Many times these folks are not really doing anything bad. They are just down on their luck. But there are times when illicit activity is the prime reason for them being in the downtown.

The Wonderful World of Grants

I have been exploring what grants are out there on a federal level, and I will tell you there are many. The federal government funds all kinds of stuff. I have seen grants to fix things in foreign countries and to fund research for all kinds of things.

The other day I came upon a grant for people to drill wells, it goes like this:

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