NEIGHBORHOODNOTES

Strong Community. Strong Economy. Vibrant City. LancasterCityAlliance.org2016 | Edition 1

INAUGURAL CULTIVATE LANCASTER ENTREPRENEURS FORUM A HUGE SUCCESS

On the evening of December 10, 2015, LCA, in partnership with ASSETS, premiered the Cultivate Lancaster Entrepreneurs Forum. A key recommendation of the Building On Strength Plan, this event was the first of what will be at least twice-yearly forums in support of the City’s entrepreneurial community.

Graciously hosted by The Candy Factory, Cultivate Lancaster was a free workshop for budding entrepreneurs to connect with influential thinkers and doers while learning about the many resources and small business support services that are available in the Lancaster community.

The packed house enjoyed networking with fellow entrepreneurial minds and was treated to inspiring presentations from local business leaders Vy Banh, Owner, Rice & Noodles; and Mike Shirk, CEO, The High Companies (pictured), who shared their own entrepreneurial stories. Attendees also participated in group “Pitch & Brew” sessions, which is a creative way to get feedback on entrepreneurial ideas or challenges from the innovative thinkers and resource providers. Attendees presented a two-minute “pitch” which was then

“brewed” upon by a small group of peers and organizations dedicated to seeing our entrepreneurial community thrive.

Enthusiasm for Cultivate Lancaster was high. Over 120 attended the event with another 20 wait listed. In addition, almost 30 representatives of organizations that provide resources were on hand, including City of Lancaster, SCORE, Pubforge, Lancaster Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Tech Lancaster, Make 717, BASE, Economic Development Company of Lancaster, Community First Fund, Duke Street Business Center, Kutztown Small Business Development Center, and Thaddeus Stevens College.

The community really came out in force to support this event, and LCA would like to thank those organizations that helped shape and sponsor this event, including Assets, The Candy Factory, Fig Magazine, Industrial Resolution, Jeremy Hess Photographers, Lancaster Transplant, Spring House Brewing Company, Wacker Brewing Co., Silantra Asian Street Kitchen, and Rijuice.

For more information on this and future events, please visit cultivatelancaster.com.

BUILDING ON STRENGTH RECOGNIZED BY STATE PLANNING ASSOCIATIONOn October 20, 2015, the Building On Strength Economic Development Strategic Plan for the City of Lancaster garnered a Planning Excellence Award from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) at its Annual Awards Luncheon in Pittsburgh.

Along with LCA, the City of Lancaster, Lancaster County Planning Commission, Mahan Rykiel Associates, Arnett Muldrow & Associates, and RGS Associates were also

acknowledged as part of this great effort. When presenting the award, the APA noted “The Lancaster economic development plan does as the name suggests. It builds on the success of the City’s 1998 plan and sets new goals and builds new relationships to continue to attract economic development to a world-class, mid-size city. The plan was primarily private sector driven, supported by public sector and community involvement, and linked with traditional public planning issues. The plan addresses traditional

economic development and promotes entrepreneurialism, leveraging the City’s brand as a great place to live, work, and do business, and improving quality of life as an economic development attractor.”

Marshall Snively, LCA EVP/COO, accepted the award with John Hershey of RGS Associates and Tom McGilloway of Mahan Rykiel Associates in front of a crowd of 300 planning professionals from across the Commonwealth.

Speakers Vy Banh (Rice & Noodles) and Mike Shirk (High Companies)

Over 120 Entrepreneurs networking at The Candy Factory

Lancaster City Alliance is supported by a wide variety of investors ranging from large corporations to residents, and we are grateful for all of our generous donors. Each year LCA conducts an Annual Grassroots Campaign which gives us the opportunity to connect with many residents, individuals and small businesses throughout the community we serve.

An important component of our annual campaign is the annual Extraordinary Give made possible by the Lancaster County Community Foundation and their presenting sponsors, Rodgers & Associates. In 2015, the 24-hour giving marathon benefitted over 300 organizations throughout Lancaster County and raised over $6.1 million.

As part of the Extraordinary Give, Lancaster City Alliance joined several other organizations at Tellus360 for the third annual Great Giving Gig. This party was a fantastic example of partnering local FOR-profit businesses with local

NON-profit businesses in order to support our community as a whole. Sponsors included LCA partners Tellus360, TCW and Murray Securus, and Trout, Ebersole & Groff, LLP.

Lancaster City Alliance would also like to recognize the donation of Henrietta Heisler of Henrietta Heisler Interiors. Ms. Heisler’s donation was randomly selected as a Golden Ticket winner in the Willow Valley Rush Hour time slot, which provided our organization with an additional $1,000 prize.

We are honored to announce that this year’s Annual Grassroots Campaign has raised almost $35,000, which will allow us to continue our mission of Strong Community, Strong Economy, and Vibrant City. Thank you, Lancaster, for your overwhelming support.

If you would like to know more about the Lancaster City Alliance or support our mission, please visit our website at lancastercityalliance.org.

LCA BOARD CHAIR 2016 OUTLOOK

THANK YOU TO AN EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITY

Lancaster City Alliance recently welcomed two new members to the team—Sharon Moore, Team Administrator, and Zac Nesbitt, Block By Block Operations Manager.

Sharon Moore has a broad background in business management, brand marketing and communications, and healthcare administration. She is a bike enthusiast, often bicycling to work, meetings, and social activities.

Zac Nesbitt grew up in southern Lancaster County, lives in the City, and absolutely loves Downtown. Zac came to Lancaster City Alliance by way of Block By Block after working in management for six years at Isaac’s Downtown and The Pickle Bar. To learn more about the Lancaster City Alliance staff, visit our website at lancastercityalliance.org

LCA WELCOMES NEW TEAM MEMBERS

John Reed, Esquire (Barley Snyder)

The Great Giving Gig featured local bands as well as artistic and family-friendly activities.

A donation from Henrietta Heisler (center) earned a $1,000 Golden Ticket for LCA. Thanking Henrietta is Shelby Nauman (left) and Bob Shoemaker (right).

Greetings and Happy New Year! I am pleased and honored to be your Lancaster City Alliance Board Chair, and it’s been my pleasure working alongside LCA staff, the Executive Leadership Teams and our Board of Directors to deliver on commitments to this great City. As a community benefit organization, it’s imperative that we continue to engage and expand our reach throughout the City of Lancaster. Our volunteers represent a network of businesses and individuals working together to advance economic development and quality of life in our thriving City.

In 2016, LCA will develop a new strategic plan for the organization which will align with and complement Building On Strength, the City’s Economic Development Strategic Plan. You have my pledge to continue to engage the community and our economic development partners to accomplish the goals of this ambitious 15-year plan. I see great opportunities ahead as we build a long-term future for our community. The work LCA does—providing and enhancing the quality of life in Lancaster—is important and we are steadfast in promoting hard work, discipline and results.

On behalf of your Lancaster City Alliance Board, Leadership Team Members and Staff, I invite you to share your feedback with us as we look to empower you as a Community Partner and continue to build Lancaster into a model City.

Cou

rtes

y of

Bar

ley

Sny

der

CLEAN & SAFE HIGHLIGHTS

DID BOARD MEMBER UPDATES

In response to suggestions of business owners at the monthly Merchant Committee meetings, the LCA/DID is collaborating with the City of Lancaster Police Department to provide free in-store safety audits to City businesses.

Sgt. Bill Hickey, Lancaster City Police Department Crime Prevention Officer,

will make personal visits to assist business owners and employees in assessing their space as well as provide suggestions to make merchants, customers, and inventory more secure.

Safety Quick Tips

• Always greet everyone that enters your business to let them know they are welcome and noticed.

• Always keep good sight lines across the store.

• Limit obstructions in display windows so those on the outside, like the police, are able to see in.

• Always keep the amount of cash in the register as low as possible.

To set up an appointment, please contact David Aichele at daichele@teamlanc.org

DID/LCA PARTNERS WITH POLICE TO PERFORM DOWNTOWN BUSINESS SAFETY AUDITS

JULY – DECEMBER 2015 STATS

Sgt. Bill Hickey conducts Safety Audit at Festoon

Artist-inspired bike rack at City Hall

The Lancaster Downtown Investment District (DID) welcomes Crystal Weaver to its Board of Directors. A longtime champion of Downtown Lancaster, Crystal is the owner of Prince Street Café, Passenger Coffee, and a partner in the recently announced Surveyor Hotel.

At its most recent board meeting, the DID also renewed Board Members Jim Wagner

of Fulton Bank and Pastor Tim Mentzer of Trinity Lutheran Church while bidding a fond farewell to Mort Nierenberg who retired from the Board. For a complete list of the DID Board of Directors as well as additional information about Lancaster Downtown Investment District, please visit lancastercityalliance.org and click on the “Lancaster DID” box on the home page.

LCA AMBASSADORS

23REGISTERED CITY RESIDENT-OWNED BIKES

350 REGISTERED BIKES IN 3+ YEARS

>175xCONTACTED CITY PUBLIC WORKS, HOUSING AND SWEEP DEPARTMENTS

51xCONTACTED PPL ABOUT BROKEN STREET LIGHTS

337REPORTED EXCESSIVE TRASH INCIDENTS

63REMOVAL OF GRAFFITI TAGS FROM PUBLIC SPACES

900xASSISTED VISITORS WITH DIRECTIONS

>13,000xMADE CONTACT WITH CITY RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE IN NEED

6,481LOGGED MILES ON PATROLLING BIKES

DID CLEAN TEAM

137STICKERS REMOVED FROM PUBLIC SPACES

15 tonsTRASH AND LEAVES COLLECTED FROM SIDEWALKS

This spring, the Lancaster Downtown Investment District (DID), in partnership with the City’s Department of Public Works, will install two artist-inspired bike racks and five new trash receptacles at locations throughout the expanded DID.

These additions are in response to requests from businesses and property owners within the DID and will bring the total number of trashcans to 114 throughout the District. The new locations include Northwest corner of W. Walnut and N. Water Streets, 126 N. Water Street, 116 W. Orange Street, 114 S. Prince Street, and 26 E. Chestnut Street.

The DID has been working collaboratively with the City of Lancaster Public Arts to have local artists design two bike racks that will be placed at two Downtown locations. A Request For Proposals was released last Fall and two artists will be selected for the design and fabrication of racks to be placed at 310 N. Queen Street at Madcap & Co. and 24 E. King Street in front of Tellus360.

DID TO ADD TRASH CANS & BIKE RACKS

Toby Vargas for her ten years of service to the LCA team and congratulations on her new position with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Mexico. Toby began when we were still known as the James Street Improvement District and was our administrative assistant; she departs as the Finance and Development Manager of the Lancaster City Alliance. We wish her the very best as she takes up this new direction in her life’s journey!

2015 Holiday Window Decorating Contest Winners: Pappagallo, Most Creative; Sophie Stargazer Boutique, Best Use of Merchandise; Mio Studio, Best at Night; and Space, Best in Show. Congratulations also to Dana Micciché for being the lucky winner of the Downtown Prize Package for voting!

HATS OFF TO...

Mayor Gray, Charlotte Katzenmoyer and the Gray administration for receiving the well-deserved 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania Mark C. Schneider Friend of Pennsylvania Award for leading Lancaster’s multidimensional revitalization. In addition to honoring the City, 10,000 Friends recognized the Lancaster County Transportation Coordinating Committee and the Lancaster County Planning Commission for their leadership in pioneering the first county-based community transportation program. Tippetts/Weaver Architects was recognized in the commercial category for its work on Atlee Hall’s law offices, 415 N. Duke Street. The Drogaris Companies was recognized in the mixed-use commercial category for the Liberty North project.

North Museum of Natural History and Educational Services Coordinator, Andrew Garner, for receiving a Friends of Workforce Award in the Expanding our Horizons category at the Lancaster County Workforce Development Board’s 16th Annual Workforce Summit. This award acknowledged Andrew and the North Museum’s creative work in STEM programming, especially as it applies to increasing participation of girls.

Federal Taphouse for delivering a variety of pizzas, sandwiches, and other foods to the Lancaster City Police Department on Christmas.

The Chestnut Hill Neighborhood for not only restoring a missing yellow ribbon from a neighbor’s tree, but proving good neighbors are the heart of our community. The ribbon, tied to welcome Kevin Darby home from an 8-month deployment in the Middle East, went missing. In response, the West Walnut Street Neighborhood restored the ribbon…and tied a ribbon to every tree on W. Walnut Street as well.

U.S. Boiler Company and Doug Brossman, President and CEO and LCA Advocacy Executive Leadership Team member, on the recent grand opening of a $5 million engineering and technology center in East Hempfield Township. Overall, the 20,000-square-foot facility effectively triples the space available to U.S. Boiler’s engineering team and will be able to support future expansion of the department.

Clockwise: Pappagallo, Sophie Stargazer Boutique, Mio Studio, Space

Lancaster City Alliance Executive Vice President Marshall Snively congratulates Dana Micciché on being the lucky winner of the Downtown Holiday Window Decoration Prize Package.

Toby Vargas (right) and Dave Aichele

Chestnut Hill Neighbors restore yellow ribbons.

Image courtesy of Michelle Johnsen Photography

Lancaster has made great strides in eradicating homelessness in Lancaster City and County with the support and dedication of Lancaster County Coalition to End Homelessness (LCCEH). The Coalition was recently recognized by First Lady Michelle Obama for its work toward ending homelessness in Lancaster County among Veterans. The Lancaster County Coalition to End Homelessness said in September they reached zero homeless veterans by identifying the homeless population eligible for Veterans Administration programs and using federal funds to help them obtain permanent housing. LCCEH is transforming the homeless system to a housing-first approach of prevention, diversion, and rapid re-housing to provide permanent homes for all residents.

LCA commends the continued collaboration among human service providers, business leaders, the private sector and landlords to continue to place Veterans and their families in permanent housing, reinforcing a strong, vibrant community.

Neighbors United, a grassroots neighborhood group aimed at engaging neighbors and enriching quality of life in the City’s Northeast, recently planted 28 trees in their community. Neighborhood resident and Pennsylvania Master Naturalist trainee Kristen Thomas volunteered to manage the project. This project is the first phase of a multi-year project that expects to install up to 160 street trees in the neighborhood.

This effort was made possible through the generous support of UGI, Treevitalize, the Lancaster Rotary and the Lancaster County Conservancy Urban Greening program. Volunteers from the neighborhood and Lancaster Rotary installed the trees with assistance from the City Parks Department.

This project is part of the goals identified in the Neighbors United Neighborhood Revitalization Project that the LCA is helping to launch in partnership with Neighbors United to create a more vibrant, green, safe and clean neighborhood in a section of Northeast Lancaster.

NEIGHBORS UNITE TO MAKE CITY GREENER

LANCASTER RECOGNIZED FOR ENDING VETERAN HOMELESSNESS

Did you know that a single tree can prevent 3,440 gallons of water from entering our city’s combined sewer system each year?

Percent of Lancaster County’s homeless

population are Veterans

10

Veterans unsheltered or in emergency shelters (Lancaster County, as of January 2015)

26

Number of homeless Veterans in Lancaster

County in 2012

68

Veterans housed by the Coalition since January

37

Lancaster County homeless Veterans in July 2015, hitting a federal goal

0

354 North Prince Street, Suite 110Lancaster, PA 17603(717) 394-0783 PHONE

(717) 394-0784 FAXinfo@TeamLanc.org

LancasterCityAlliance.org

LANCASTERCITYALLIANCE.ORG

BIKE AMBASSADORS(717) 394-9522

FRANKLIN& MARSHALLCOLLEGE

LANCASTERGENERALHOSPITAL

PENN SQUARE

FULTON BANK

LANCASTERSQUARE

LANCASTERCOUNTYCONVENTIONCENTER

CENTRALMARKET

CLIPPERMAGAZINESTADIUM

NORFOLK-SOUTHERNRAIL BRIDGE

TRAINSTATION

James St

Nevin

St

Colle

ge Av

e

Race

Ave

State

St

N Pr

eside

nt Av

e

Wes

t End

Ave

Buchanan AveVirginia Ave

Marietta Ave

W Strawberry St

Churc

h St

Harrisburg Ave

Harrisburg Ave Dille

rville

Rd

Pine

St

Mar

y St

Lanc

aste

r Ave

Char

lotte

St

Mul

berry

St

Prin

ce S

t

Wat

er S

t

Frui

tville

Pk

Quee

n St

Duke

St

Lime

St

Prin

ce S

t

Quee

n St

Duke

St

Lime

St

Frederick St

New St

Clay St

Ross St

Liberty St

McGovern AveLincoln St

Jackson St

Lemon St

Walnut St

Chestnut St

James St

Lemon St

Walnut St

Chestnut St

Orange St

King St

Vine St

Farnum St

BIKE AMBASSADORCOVERAGE AREA