Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield Business District Is Flourishing

A map of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with its neighborhoods labeled. For use primarily in the list of Pittsburgh neighborhoods. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One evening last summer, Rachelle Timarac and a friend went to Bloomfield for pizza.  Other people were walking and hanging out at sidewalk tables on Liberty Avenue.

“There was electricity in the air, and I got a really good vibe,” she said, “but I saw so many vacant storefronts and couldn’t understand why.”

One in particular caught her eye — 4615 Liberty Ave., a former Dollar Tree that had been vacant for almost two years.  Five weeks ago, she opened GoldNGals, an antique jewelry store, there.

It is one of 14 new businesses that have opened in Bloomfield since 2011.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/bloomfield-business-district-is-flourishing-666718/#ixzz2FKdKUsYS

Kenhorst Has Plans For Thoroughfare

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Kenhorst‘s main thoroughfare, New Holland Road, is the land-use equivalent of a scrapbook page.

There’s a bit of everything peppered along the 1.2-mile stretch: a lot of homes, a shopping plaza, a few empty fields, a convenience store and even a couple of offices, beauty parlors and bars.

Kenhorst officials say they like having some variety. And, as they update the township’s zoning ordinance, they’re hoping to develop a new vision for New Holland Road.

They want the stretch to transform from a mostly residential area to become Kenhorst’s business center.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=404704

The Three Statistics That Every Downtown Should Live By

Editor’s note:  This is phenomenal advice for all downtown shopping districts and their umbrella organizations.

Lancaster and its James Street Improvement District are prime examples of living by these three simple rules!  I suggest a field trip for any struggling downtown merchants or downtown organizations who want to see what is possible!

I call this the 7-8-7 rule because of the three most important statistics that make a downtown a successful and vibrant destination. Think of your favorite destination downtowns. Are they beautiful? Do they feel safe? Are there things to do after 6:00 pm?

Read more: http://www.rogerbrooks.org/2012/04/30/the-three-downtown-statistics/

One Of My Adaptive Reuse Posts Catches Eye Of Scranton Mayor

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This is one of those moments that makes sitting here blogging away every day worth the effort.

I wrote a post for Code Blue’s The Pulse blog about an adaptive reuse project, here in Pottstown, that would transform the old armory building on King Street into luxury apartments.  This would be significant as there are several other projects lining up along the same lines.  If this project is successful, it could jump-start redevelopment in the central core neighborhood.

As an example of adaptive reuse in a central downtown neighborhood, I cited the Connell Building project in Scranton‘s central business district.  My post and reference to Scranton’s renaissance caught the eye of Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty.  As a result, I am traveling to Scranton on Tuesday to meet Mayor Doherty and get the mayoral tour of Central Scranton.  I am more than a little excited!

Here is a link to my post about the armory project:

http://codebluepulse.blogspot.com/2011/01/pennsylvania-state-armory-building.html

There will be a posting and lots of pictures from my trip!

Center City Living In Scranton Is Taking Off

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The demand for Center City Scranton housing is heating up.  Another blighted landmark building in Central Scranton is being converted into more than 35 apartments with retail space on the first floor.  The 5-story Chamber of Commerce Building was built in grand style in 1926.  Brass rails, marble floors, 14-foot tall built-in bookcases and rollout doors are featured in the beautiful interior.  The building served the Scranton Chamber of Commerce until 1998.

Developer Charlie Jefferson, is the force behind this transformation.  Jefferson was also responsible for the Connell Building’s transformation into loft apartments.  All of the loft apartments were leased before anyone moved in.  Jefferson’s total investment in downtown Scranton is $35 million.  This Chamber of Commerce building sale was some where in the vicinity of $1 million according to Jefferson.

The former East Scranton Junior High School will be converted into 24 apartments.  A $3 million grant from Ed Rendell will help to transform this property into more apartments.  The school has been closed since 2001, according to a Facebook alumni page.

The construction of The Commonwealth Medical College is going to drive demand for 600 additional apartments in central Scranton in the next five years.  The amount of recent development in Scranton has been astonishing given the economic downtown during the last several years.  An increased population in the central business district will spawn the need for stores, restaurants, clubs and services like banks, dry cleaners, grocery stores and other conveniences for residents.  The Commonwealth Medical College is building an 180,000 square foot building in downtown Scranton that is opening this year.  The new facility will house the school’s educational and research programs.

Mayor Chris Doherty said “the success of the city will come from life downtown, and the trend is well on its way.”

Best Bet For Tax Revenue: Mixed-Use Downtown Development

This is an article about mixed-use urban development that should be a must read for all Pottstown civic leaders and concerned residents about the direction our community needs to take.   Hit tip to Chris Huff for the referral!

http://www.newurbannetwork.com/article/best-bet-tax-revenue-mixed-use-downtown-development-13144