by Mary Tate
PDC had the pleasure of orchestrating a field trip and site visit between two communities. The Downtown Connellsville Steering Committee took a two-hour van ride up to Oil City.
Connellsville is located in Fayette County, about an hour southeast of Pittsburgh. They have operated a Main Street program for many years and are a pilot community for the Nature-Based Placemaking Initiative. Oil City, on the other hand, is situated two hours northeast of Pittsburgh and has recently been recognized as a Department of Community and Economic Development Keystone Main Street Community.
This kind of day does not happen too often. We do frequently receive the question, “Is there a community like ours?” It can be a difficult question to answer because - of course - there are similarities between towns, but sometimes the political or socio-economic climates overshadow those similarities. However, this time, the answer was surprisingly easy.
Both Connellsville and Oil City are characterized by a river (the Youghiogheny in Connellsville and the Allegheny in Oil City) splitting the cities into East/West and North/South sides, creating distinctly different commercial and residential communities. The two cities are of similar sizes in both geography and population. Each city is fortunate to have a significant state and/or national park within close proximity providing numerous recreational opportunities. In addition, the Great Allegheny Passage runs through Downtown Connellsville, and the Samuel Justus Trail is just a few blocks from Oil City Main Street’s offices. A challenge for both cities, however, is how to attract businesses that will draw in the outdoor enthusiasts and also be viable in the off-season.
Oil City Main Street’s Executive Director, Kathy Bailey, facilitated an informative day in which the Downtown Connellsville Steering Committee had the opportunity to ask questions of city administrators, elected officials, residents and artists. The conversations allowed individuals from both places to share experiences pertaining to situations they had already confronted or conditions both communities are experiencing simultaneously. The topics ranged from artist relocation programs to blight removal to event planning and execution. It was great to observe and to listen to the sharing and learning taking place from all sides.
On a personal note, I hope you all are well and finding a bit of pleasure in the mundane things that we so often take for granted. As we all adapt to our new environments, I applaud you for the work you continue to do for your communities. Please know that you are not alone; I am always a phone call or email away as is the rest of the PDC staff. My new normal has quickly tested my elementary, middle, and high school teaching abilities as well as my patience, listening, and refereeing skills, so I may not pick up or respond right away, but I will always get back to you. As a very wise woman (my mom) used to say, “Keep that chin up!”