by Stefan Klosowski
Congratulations are in order for Oil City Main Street (OCMS) as the newest PA DCED designated Keystone Communities Program where Kathy Bailey has been the manager for eight years—since the inception of the Oil City Main Street program. Prior to that Kathy worked in hotel sales and marketing then in shopping center management and marketing where she received a “Maxi” award for Shopping Center Leasing Excellence. She earned her B.A. in Communications from Penn State – Erie, where she is originally from.
Kathy served on the Oil Region Tourist Promotion Agency and is a founding board member of the Oil Region Alliance. The mall life had lost its luster so when Kathy learned of the City’s interest in a Main Street program, she researched the movement and, enticed about the concept, was ready to shine some light on the downtown.
When Kathy was first hired, people thought she was taking a step backwards to go from GM of a shopping mall to the manager of a downtown revitalization nonprofit, BUT Kathy saw it as taking her career to the next level - and still does!
“I’ve always had an affinity for old buildings and historic towns, but they had nothing to do with my job before. I once received a print featuring some of Oil City’s historic buildings as a gift, but never thought that I would eventually be working to keep those buildings and the community active, relevant, and vibrant.”
These Oil City Main Street projects represent some of their greatest achievements:
Center Street Bridge Illumination is the most notable.
Development of Town Square was a success that included multiple groups.
Downtown Murals.
“Oil City Uncorked” Wine Walks is one of the key fundraisers. There are two such events per year; one in the spring in southside and one in the fall in northside.
BridgeFest, Music on the Square, and Best Dressed Windows Contest.
Façade Improvement Grant Program – there have been two rounds of façade program funding through 2012-2017 consisting of 47 projects of $287,000.
The Oil City Main Street Program was included as one of the Top Ten Performing Programs twice by the PA Downtown Center and has also received three Townie Awards including:
Oil City Downtown Murals - in the Physical Improvements/Public Space category in 2017.
Center Street Bridge Illumination – in the Organizational Development/Community Partnerships Category in 2018.
Oil City BridgeFest – Community Marketing/Special Events category in 2019 and shared the award with the Oil City Arts Council.
The development of the Town Square initially included a unique forum and survey process to bring about its ultimate design. A number of buildings had been demolished within a block area and a consensus of opinion was difficult to reach in terms of what to do with this space—pocket park, parking lot, or new buildings? It is now an on-going success story.
The Town Square was the result of collaboration by several groups. The feedback from the forum and survey process helped to determine what the community wanted the space to be in terms of look, feel, and level of activity. Once it was completed, Oil City Main Street began “Music on the Square” concerts where residents sit on lawn chairs and blankets in the grass on what had once been a dilapidated eyesore. King’s Landscaping stepped forward and maintains the landscaping each year for the city at no charge. Oil City Rotary annually adopts the Square to keep it litter-free, and makes all arrangements to find, transport, decorate and produce a lighting ceremony for the Town Square Christmas Tree. Other festivals and events are held there throughout the year and Town Square is now a focal point in the north side business district.
Everything about Oil City is an interesting challenge, largely because of its physical geography. The town is divided by a river, with physical differences on each side, so unifying the two remains at the forefront. Bringing the ARTS Oil City initiative under the OCMS program has been a challenge, particularly in giving it the appropriate balance. OCMS plans to put a greater emphasis on historic preservation—often difficult because of limited resources and thought by some to be an obstacle rather than an economic development tool.
The Erie - Oil City Connection is amusing. Kathy is a native of Erie, working to revitalize downtown Oil City. John Buchna and Emily Gill Fetcko, who work with Erie Downtown Partnership, are natives of Oil City, working to revitalize downtown Erie. Gretchen Durney, an Erie native who lived in Oil City and whose husband is from Oil City, is now employed revitalizing Erie’s Little Italy neighborhood.
Kathy and her husband Scott recently celebrated their 25th anniversary. On a personal level, helping to raise two little boys into functional adults and productive members of society is one of Kathy’s greatest achievements. The boys are grown—one has a career in the U.S. Air Force with a family of his own, the other just bought his first house so Kathy and Scott are now officially empty nesters. Music also plays a large part in Kathy’s life – she is a liturgical musician (piano/organ) for her church congregation and choir and when time permits, she sings with other choirs and for local theatrical productions. Kathy enjoys gardening and spending time with her grandbabies whenever she can.
CONTACT KATHY
Kathy Bailey
Main Street Manager
Oil City Main Street Program | ARTS Oil City
217 Elm Street
Oil City, PA 16301
814-677-3152 ext. 101
www.oilcitymainstreet.org | www.artsoilcity.com
Facebook: @oilcitymainstreet | @artsoilcity