by Kyle Bailey
With Spring just around the corner and the hope of more widely available COVID-19 vaccines on the horizon, good news seems to keep coming. Meanwhile, we at the Pennsylvania Downtown Center have been working diligently with several communities and revitalization organizations throughout the commonwealth to assist in the application of Keystone Community Designations. We are excited to share that three designations have been accepted into the program including Quakertown Alive! Greater Easton Development Partnership, and DON Enterprise Inc.’s Elm Street designation in the city of New Castle.
As a previously designated Main Street program, Quakertown Alive! (QA!) will implement a variety of programs that have been in development over the past several years. One of their priority areas will be Nature-Based Placemaking in which they will take advantage of natural assets and recreational opportunities to encourage economic growth and local development. Quakertown Alive! has also demonstrated success through their highly sophisticated program of events that bring thousands of people into the community each year. QA! Main Street Manager, Naomi Naylor shares, “Our Main Street organization and our community are thrilled to be re- designated and renewing our partnership with DCED and PDC staff which we have found to be invaluable over the last 5 years! Our strategic planning, our revitalization efforts, and new initiatives of Nature Based Placemaking are on the forefront of great impact to our community. However, it’s the relationship with these two organizations and their responsive staff that will help guide, direct, and encourage us to expand and complete our updated transformative strategies to enhance our community for our residents while drawing visitors to our downtown business district and our recreational assets. Getting us closer to our goal of becoming a destination.”
The Greater Easton Development Partnership (GEDP) is also a previously designated program hoping to utilize the benefits of Main Street designation to create a bigger impact in their community. The efforts will be implemented by the Easton Main Street Initiative, a subsidiary of GEDP. Priority areas for the Main Street initiative include a variety of program areas including, increasing the daytime economy connectivity and walkability, and enhancing their relationship with Lafayette College.
The Lower Eastside Neighborhood in the City of New Castle’s Elm Street designation will be managed by DON Enterprise Inc., a western Pennsylvania based nonprofit organization that empowers people with disabilities to live independently. The focus of the program will be blight remediation and home maintenance assistance. The program also plans to implement quality of life projects such as community gardens, pocket parks, and safety programs.
If you or your organization is interested in learning more about designation, please reach out to a PDC staff member for more information.