Downtown Marketing and Development

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

like0

Placemaking in two Different Directions

There has been an uptick in towns and cities, allowing open-air dining to increase capacity/distancing issues in restaurants. There was a need to react quickly in a situation where there is a possibility that losing the downtown retail trade that was developed is possible. 

It brings into focus how slow things move in government. If these kinds of decisions can be made in a crisis, why does it take so long when things are not in emergency mode? It is puzzling that programs can be developed, making decisions at lightning speed when it usually is a long process.

Hyper-Segregation a Public Created Entity

In my last article, I wrote about the policies and guidelines that have led to the spatial separation of racial minorities. Laws led to segregation as a result of specific neighborhoods being designated as "red" (high risk) through the Home Owner's Loan Corporation (HOLC) starting in 1933 and the policy was perpetuated through the FHA and the VA loan programs.

It is All Like That

Many people, some whom I don't even really know, have asked me for help dealing with the recovery programs during the COVID-19 crisis — So much so I posted the rules of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) on my website and sent them to the site, so they did not have to write everything down. In most cases, it was a single form with a bunch of attachments that would be done by their accountant.

Phoenixville Train Project Continues to Move Forward

The inter-city rail connection from Phoenixville continues to move forward. For purposes of moving the project forward, the Phoenixville School District voted to endorse the effort. The remaining entity to approve is Chester County. All relevant data has been sent to the county and awaits their endorsement to move the project forward.

Spatial Separation as a Way of Maintaining Housing Value — Part 1

In recent weeks I have devoted a little more time to addressing issues relating to gentrification in Coatesville. It appeared to me to be where somehow many of the black people in Chester County ended up in one place. There is a spatial separation of minorities in Chester County. Minorities are not evenly distributed throughout the county. 

Movement CDC Update, My Project in Coatesville

I recently was asked to help the Movement Community Development Corporation in Coatesville, and I thought year-end I would update the progress they are making in the revitalization.

Coatesville has been an area that has drawn a lot of interest in subsidized housing over the years. The City is designated Racial/Ethnic Concentrated Area of Poverty (RECAP), which is not a real good designation to have bestowed. The housing in the area has vacant and underutilized properties and many tangled title properties. There are many rentals in the City, and the homeownership rate is low.

Phoenixville Today — An Interview with Manny DeMutis

Manny DeMutis is a Phoenixville native who attended Phoenixville School District along with his two sisters Dodi and Ann.  They currently comprise the 3D Group, which was responsible for the revitalization of Phoenixville.  Manny is married to Kate and they have three daughters Hope, Paige and Ava.

The ultimate family man, he currently spends time traveling to Paige’s Field Hockey events in East Carolina or visiting Hope at Penn State.  Because of the nature of his work, Manny spends most of his summers doing business in his beach chair at Cape May.

Federal Opportunity Zones and the Disenfranchised

How do you breathe life into a dying town or a census district that has a lot of poverty and disinvestment? It is pretty tricky when you come to the realization that no one has invested in these areas or properties for a good amount of time. Stores are vacant and the housing becomes the refuge of the low-income population. 

Revitalizing Downtowns with Downtown Infill

When most traditional downtowns were planned, normally there was a residential component to maximize the income of the buildings, and for practical purposes, enable additional rentable space for the owner.  Now, with the movement of people back to smaller towns, the modern-day adaption is not quite like it was in the days when these downtowns were originally designed.

The Culture of the Individual and Aesthetic Considerations

While in Rome last week I had an opportunity to visit the Coliseum which was kind of an adventure to me.  After standing in line for 45 minutes we got to see the artifacts and some of the narratives that went along with the impressive ruins.  There was one part of the tour that stuck in my mind. 

Why Main Street Still Works

The Four Point Main Street Approach works well in communities that employ the strategy faithfully. The four points are organization, promotion, design and economic restructuring.

Changes In The System

Just as things change on the local level, programs and priorities change on a statewide level. As I have written in previous articles, most new administrations try something a little different than the administration that preceded them.

The Corbett administration has changed the way that the Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program (RCAP) functions. There was a program name change to Redevelopment Assistance Capital Programs (RACP) (pronounced RACK-P). The changes did not stop there, it became more of a regular program and counted upon for development projects.

Why Revitalized Towns Have Tax Inequalities

A revitalizing town creates a lot of buzz. People are always coming up to me and telling me how much they enjoy going to Phoenixville or South Street. The people who invested money in the downtowns were responsible for the revitalization.

Once a property is revitalized, it is because there has been an investment to the systems, the building envelope, and some cosmetic improvements. Although many people like the way the buildings looks, in most cases the most expensive part is what you do not see, the roof, HVAC and the electrical improvements.

Historic Building Restoration

I have enjoyed becoming a consultant, and not working exclusively in any particular town, as that has afforded me an opportunity to pick my projects. Some projects stand out more than others because of their unique nature. I try to take projects, big and small, and give them my full attention.

Core Community Members

There are some places that it will never revitalize their central business district.  Sometimes people are happy with the way that things are and there is no inclination toward any change in the status quo. Other times there is just a lack of interest in the way the town progresses. The way a town presents its public space is a symbol of the leadership in the town.

Creating an Arts District

While I was out in Western Pennsylvania, I decided to pick up a couple of other jobs to enable me to be more efficient with my time. One of my favorite areas was the Monongahela Valley, where I had worked when I was administering a trade readjustment program for the Commonwealth Bureau of Labor and Industry.

No questions have been added to this group.
No polls have been added to this group.

Recent activity in this group

Barry Cassidy's picture
Barry Cassidy posted When the Administrative Elite Goes Silent in the Downtown Marketing and Development group
Thu, 11/21/2024 - 6:29pm
Barry Cassidy's picture
Barry Cassidy created When the Administrative Elite Goes Silent in the Downtown Marketing and Development group
Thu, 11/21/2024 - 4:26pm
Barry Cassidy's picture
Barry Cassidy posted Disrupting The Administrative Elite in the Downtown Marketing and Development group
Wed, 10/23/2024 - 4:45pm
Barry Cassidy's picture
Barry Cassidy created Disrupting the Administrative Elite in the Downtown Marketing and Development group
Wed, 10/23/2024 - 3:54pm

Active in this group

Phoenixville Today — An Interview with Manny DeMutis
Towns Struggle with Post-Pandemic Adjustments

Group contributors

Organizers

  • Barry Cassidy's picture

Contributors

  • Bill Haley's picture