PHLF Work in Main Street Communities

PHLF had yet another busy and productive year working to help rejuvenate traditional Main Street business districts in Allegheny and Butler Counties, where it continues to tailor specific technical assistance to communities for new business development and building improvements.

PHLF continues its role administering Allegheny County’s Allegheny Together program. Highlights from 2012 include:

• Two communities, Aspinwall and Homestead, joined the other 9 communities in the program: Bellevue, Bridgeville, Carnegie, Coraopolis, Dormont, Elizabeth, Stowe, Tarentum, and Verona.
• PHLF staff developed and completed an overall Strategic Plan for Aspinwall and Homestead, including design guidelines to inform future improvements in each community, traffic and parking analyses, and other marketing data to determine the trade area and retail opportunities.
• PHLF delivered technical assistance to more than 100 businesses and communities including design assistance, interior design consultations, loan and grant opportunities, and tax abatement programs to spur economic development.
• PHLF completed more than 50 façade renderings, construction specification sheets, and construction management services.
• PHLF assisted in the implementation of more than $700,000 of façade improvements across the Allegheny Together communities, and in addition, helped Mt. Oliver and Millvale renovate properties in accordance with each town’s design guidelines.

PHLF completed Year 1 of the Butler Neighborhood Partnership Program with financial assistance from Armstrong and Huntington Bank. Major projects included:

• Completing plans for three downtown Butler properties for renovation to upper floor housing.
• Completing a comprehensive plan to improve the connection between downtown Butler and The Butler-Freeport Community Trail to drive trail-users into downtown to shop and dine.
• Completing streetscape improvement projects in and around downtown Butler to improve the connections between key residential corridors and the main street. Improvements focused on three areas and consisted of sidewalk resurfacing, landscaping, and welcome signage.

PHLF is excited to continue the momentum in each of these communities in 2013 and beyond.