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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Stochastic Events and Change, Trust the Narrative

All, all that you dream 
Comes to shine in silver lining 
And clouds, clouds change the scene 
Rain starts washing all these cautions 
Right into your life, make you realize 
Just what is true, what else can I do 
Just follow the rule 
Keep your eyes on the road that's ahead of you 

            Paul Barrere / William H Payne

Sexual Identity and Change

I recently changed my pronouns to "It" and "Itself" because pronouns are not something I wish to address in my life. However, I still say "yes sir" and "yes mam" without regard for the nuances in public discourse.

Last Days of Lockdown

Within days I will be rolling out a new website highlighting to my trip across the country from May 15 to June 15, 2021. I am glad I could make the trip to visit cities across America. Thank my benefactor, Manny DeMutis, for letting me work on creative projects.

I took special care to visit friends along the way as we shared stories of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Hazy memories of hazy times added to the lure of the visits. Being in Charleston, WV, where I went to school, and Memphis, Tennessee, where I was a union organizer, made me a little nostalgic. 

Change: The Ability to Say What You Think

Knowledge and technology have a way of inserting themselves to change customs and traditions of the past. What a person believed and spoke about in one era could be accepted as true, only to determine that it was false later because of a deeper understanding of the subject. I still believe Galileo was a heretic.  

Change: Law and Order in the Cities 2022

As I visited cities across America between May 15 and June 15, 2021, I felt very secure walking around 70 towns and cities. I had a couple of incidents but nothing major. Most of my career has been spent working in less than stellar areas and performing community development tasks. I am familiar with the routine of hard-core teenagers and unstable homeless seeking to be aggressive.

Preparing for a Disaster

As I muddle through the plethora of options on flood recovery and mitigation in Downingtown, I have been struck by the FEMA and PEMA staff's professionalism. We have been able to make inroads in flood recovery due to their involvement and participation.

Flood Relief in Downingtown

Recently I was asked to help with the flood relief effort in Downingtown. As in many cases, I am helping at no cost. Unfortunately, the Borough of Downingtown is up against it with the flooding this year. There have been two floods, and the lower-income areas that have typically been located in flood plains and industrial areas were hit hard.

The Borough Building was flooded and the flood mitigation plan was destroyed. My mission was to expedite the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) buyout program.

Equity and Inclusion

What I have found interesting is the debate over what is being taught in schools. For example, when I was young, in Fords, New Jersey, school #14, we said the "Lord's Prayer" right after the Pledge of Allegiance. Then someone would be required to read a bible passage in front of the class. It was almost putting you on the spot. You had to be able to read, and if you went up there and stumbled around, it did not reflect well for you.

Institutional Poverty

While at the recent statewide downtown conference in Reading, I spent a couple of days checking out the city. One of the mobile workshops was held at a public housing complex close to the hotel. 

What Makes the Reading to Philadelphia Train Project so Compelling?

The first time I tried to work on passenger rail service to Phoenixville (Greenline project), I thought we had a good chance of completing the project, and, at the time, the Citizens for the Train group was in high gear. There was a contribution from Liberty Property Trust to do the initial study, and there was participation from Norfolk Southern as we negotiated for the line. 

Elections and Downtown Management

I have been in the Main Street Management field for almost 30 years, and I have always found that public service people, like main street managers, come under greater scrutiny during an election year.  Many times, it is derived by inference. Some person running for office or supporting someone running for office normally has an agenda or platform, and if something relating to your program somehow… someway… bears any resemblance to the platform or agenda, you end up in the cross hairs.

Brownfields and Community Development

In many of the communities that I visit, there is a common problem of a contaminated property. It is considered blight, and in most cases, there is a consensus that the blight should be remedied. Sometimes it is a downtown property, as it was in Downingtown, with the O’Brien Machinery property, and other times it is in a residential area like in Forest Hills.

Why Have a Downtown Keystone Communities Plan?

The Commonwealth has created the designation of Keystone Communities. To be eligible for grants, it is a good idea to have the plan and the designation. The designation gets you preferred status for grants. However, to have this status you need to hire someone to be your revitalization coordinator.

Saying YES as Part of Downtown Revitalization

It is a three-letter word but it can mean the difference between success and failure. Yes, YES is a powerful word. I used the word yes quite a bit when I got to Phoenixville.  Using yes and no at the right times is a crapshoot at best, but one must use one’s best judgment.

Why a Main Street Manager is Necessary

The main street process is a known method for revitalization using promotion, organization, economic restructuring and promotion. The four points, when implemented correctly, provide a powerful revitalization process that has provided results in small communities all across the country.

Oligarchic Influences as Limits of Behavior in a Downtown

I have been on the road a lot for the last couple of months trying to put together financing for projects. I like the opportunity to visualize a project, and then accomplish making the vision a reality. A good visualization for me is having myself in the visualization, looking at the completed project. I find that kind of process is the most effective for me. Then I figure how to fund it, and what constraints I will encounter.

Gaining Momentum for Revitalization

It happens all the time. People get together to revitalize a town, raise some money and hire a revitalization coordinator. Hopes are high that the effort will lead to revitalization of the downtown. It is hard sometimes for the group when nothing happens immediately and people get frustrated. People threaten to drop off the board and tempers flare in the meetings.

Politics and Development

The more I am out on my own working, the more I realize that politics is the essence of doing downtown development deals. Since I have worked in so many places, I have a fairly good idea of what it takes to get a project done. Elected officials, commission members and citizens all have a say in development. When a developer attempts to work in a town, there is always a need to work with the locals.

The Importance of By-Laws in Non-Profit Management

I have created many entities in my days as a revitalization coordinator. I have managed my share of 501 (C) 3 and 4s, in a number of different states. The one thing the organizations had in common is they all had by-laws.

By-laws should never be a secret document, and anyone joining a non-profit board should get a copy of the bylaws upon joining the board. The by-laws are the rules of the organization and procedures for conducting business

Transportation and Downtown Development

Transportation plays a big part of the success of a town that is revitalizing. You want your town to be automobile accessible, but at the same time, you do not want a super-highway running through your town. It is a delicate balance of convenience and walkability is always hard to achieve.

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Barry Cassidy posted Flood Control Along Beaver Creek in the Downtown Marketing and Development group
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Barry Cassidy created Flood Control Along Beaver Creek in the Downtown Marketing and Development group
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Barry Cassidy posted When Agencies Go Away, Some Programs Stay in the Downtown Marketing and Development group
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Barry Cassidy created When Agencies Go Away, Some Programs Stay in the Downtown Marketing and Development group
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