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center P iece PENNSYLVANIA DOWNTOWN CENTER’S QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER srping 2015 P12 | TO "B" OR NOT TO "B" e Story of B Corps P6 | WHAT'S NEXT Governor Wolf's 2015-2016 Budget Address cultivating the Countdown | p18

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Page 1: PDC CenterPiece | Spring 2015

centerPiecePENNSYLVANIA DOWNTOWN CENTER’S QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER srping 2015

P12 | TO "B" OR NOT TO "B"The Story of B Corps

P6 |WHAT'S NEXT Governor Wolf 's 2015-2016 Budget Address

cultivating theCountdown | p18

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spring 20152

As I write this article, I am reflecting on both my recent return from the National

Main Street Conference in Atlanta, including the State Coordinating Program Meetings, and Governor Wolf’s proposed 2015-2016 budget. As I have mentioned so many times in this corner of the Centerpeice, the only thing constant in life is change.

During the conference in Atlanta, it was clear that the concept of what Main Street should be in the future is evolving. Generational changes, changes in the way we shop and communicate and changes as to where we want to live are all impacting the Four Point Approach®. The National Main Street staff and the state coordinators from the states and cities with coordinating programs have been involved for the last two years in a very energetic debate on where Main Street should be headed as a movement.

We were fortunate enough to see a screening of “Urban Century-America’s Return to Main Street” produced by K. Ryan Jones, Shawn Willis, the producers who crafted the videos for the Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) winners. As a sidebar, we are making every effort to arrange for a screening of this video at the conference in Lancaster in June. The video hits on many of the topics that we have been discussing over the last several years including the fact that well-planned and well-implemented revitalization efforts can have a major impact on the physical

health of the residents of a community. If that sounds a lot like the theme of this year’s conference in Lancaster, well that’s good.

The debate among state coordinating programs has been centered around the “Four Point Refresh” strategic planning effort of the board and staff of the National Main Street Center. Fundamental to that planning process is the realization, as we have previously stated, that nationally we are spending too much time on promotion and not enough time on economic restructuring/neighbors and economy. As was state elsewhere in this issue, the PA General Assembly seems focused, as it should be, on accountability. And that accountability will ultimately be measured by the metrics associated with economic restructuring/ neighbors and economy.

I am convinced that here in Pennsylvania, we will see those same themes play out with the new administration. While we are all enthusiastic about Governor Wolf ’s budget proposals from the potential impact it could have on our programs, that impact will only be seen locally if we are able to present in both qualitative and quantitative terms the positive impact we are having on communities. Those impacts include jobs, taxes, investment, and HEALTH.

We are at a time in the evolution of community revitalization where we are making a “pivot” at both the national and state levels. That pivot includes how we organize our efforts, how we deliver services to our customers and clients, how we buy, how we eat, and how we sustain our communities. I think that in many ways, Pennsylvania has been out in front on many of these changes. You are all to be congratulated for that. But there are more changes to come and the need to continue to be adaptable. Integrating community health, energy efficiency and many other “new concepts” into our repertoire of program initiatives will be critical to our continuing long-term leadership. A dedication on the part of local programs and organizations to education and training for the board, committees and program staff will be critical to that leadership.

Executive Director’s

Corner

The Great Main Street – Elm Street Pivot

by Bill Fontana

2015 EVENTS

Calendar

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PENNSYLVANIA DOWNTOWN CENTER’S QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER 3

In closing , I would be remiss if I did not express my thanks to Mary Lee Stotler for the time she spent as Field Services Coordinator here at PDC . There are few jobs more demanding than that of being a statewide “road warrior.” The job involves many early morning departures – 4:30 or 5:00 AM and many late night returns – 12:00 Midnight or later. It requires working with a wide array of people, some who, at times, hang on every word you say and some who, at times, just want to hang you. And it is difficult to come to PA from another state. We do things a little differently here than in many other states and that brings its own internal pressures – learning a new system. Mary Lee did

all of these things and did them with class and grace. She never complained –at least not to me. We wish her well in her new position and hope she will stay connected to the wonderful Main Street/Elm Street community here in PA from her new position in Somerset.

New Manager Training Monday, April 20 - Tuesday, April 21

8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Harrisburg, PAPDC Offices

Community Revitalization Academy: Safe-Clean-Green

Wednesday, April 22 -Thursday, April 23

8:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Harrisburg, PAPDC Offices

Regional Leadership ForumRegional Network Meeting

Wednesday, May 13 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Kennett Square, PA

Understanding YourCommunity's Customer & Market Profile

Thursday, May 14 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Kennett Square, PA

PDC Annual Statewide Conference

Sunday, June 7 -Wednesday, June 10

See our website for the full schedule of events and sessions

Lancaster, PA

2015 EVENTS

Calendar

EVENT DATE TIME LOCATION

For more information or

to register for an event or training,

please visit our online events

calendar.

PDC Public Relations and Marketing InternKayla KovalskyFor four years I have been studying public relations and marketing at York College of Pennsylvania. I am fortunate to have been given the opportunity to intern with Pennsylvania Downtown Center since January. Living in York for four years, I have experienced its very own downtown and have watched it grow throughout the years. PDC has given me opportunities to not only watch other communities grow, but to take part in helping the revitalization of communities throughout Pennsylvania.

I have been a part of several public relations and marketing projects throughout my college experience, such as revamping and promoting a York non-profit art gallery. PDC has given me the guidance in furthering my public relations and marketing skills which I hope to carry out in my future experiences.

I look forward to taking the strengths I have gained here at PDC to my hometown of Long Island, New York after graduating from York College in May. I am excited and eager for the new life experiences that are rapidly coming my way!

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Top Flight Media MicrositeDuring the meeting, the board heard a presentation from Top Flight Media (TFM) of Harrisburg on the possibility of creating a “microsite” to assist with raising the visibility of both the Elm Street and Main Street programs as a way to encourage greater volunteerism and donations. The idea behind the emerging concept is that PDC would create a stand-alone website dedicated to increasing general public awareness of these critical revitalization programs. The project as currently envisioned in this early stage of development is to prepare a high-energy, very dynamic site that expresses the importance of community revitalization efforts in a somewhat generic format, but with emphasis on Main Street and Elm Street. “What we hope will evolve will then be an opportunity for Main Street, Elm Street and related programs in the various regions of the state to buy into the program and to prepare additional material for the site specific to their own region,” said PDC Executive Director Bill Fontana. “We are currently waiting on approval of a budget amendment with DCED that would allow us to proceed with this project. Much more will be presented on this topic at the Regional Membership Network meetings as the project evolves.”

Approvals & Other BusinessIn other business, the PDC board also:• Approved a new advocacy policy in

accordance with the Pennsylvania Association of Non-Profit Organization’s (PANO) Standards of Excellence Guidelines.

• Appointed Pam Coleman, Landmark Towns Main Street Coordinator, to the PDC-supported Blueprint Communities Advisory Council.

• Authorized the PDC staff to submit an application to attract either the 2017 or 2018 National Main Street Conference to Pennsylvania

• Authorized the submission of an application to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) for continuation of funding in support of the ongoing development and implementation of the Nature-Based Placemaking effort.

Strategic Plan ReviewFrom 9:00 a.m. to noon on the same morning, the PDC conducted a review of its five year (2013-2018) strategic plan. The review indicated that PDC has made good progress on implementing many of its 2013-2014 activities. In particular, the development and implementation of a second round of Blueprint Communities Programs, in cooperation with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, and the current development of a healthy

communities initiative were identified as major plan successes. The implementation of the regional approach to PDC service delivery has been “slow” in the first year, but both the staff and the board reiterated their commitment to continuing to develop this initiative. Looking ahead the board approved a 2015-2016 fiscal year program on “reimagining economic restructuring and neighbors and economy” in accordance with information on this topic being generated by the National Main Street Center. This topic will be the focus of the 2016 PDC conference and will include the convocation of a “Think Tank” on the issue early in the new fiscal year.

Farewell to Chris RockeyThis meeting also was the final official meeting for PDC board's chair Chris Rockey, who has taken a new position with PNC Bank in Baltimore. PDC Vice-Chair, Larry Newman, Executive Director of the Diamond City Partnership in Wilkes-Barre, will fill out the term through June 30, 2015.

PDC Board NotesThe PDC Board of Directors held its third meeting of the 2014-2015 fiscal year on March 19th. The meeting was pushed back by one month from its normal February meeting time to give the PDC staff time to absorb and prepare information for the board concerning Governor Wolf ’s proposed 2015-2016 fiscal year budget.

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PENNSYLVANIA DOWNTOWN CENTER’S QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER 5

Clearfield Revitalization Corporation Loretta L. Wagner

I grew up in Clearfield and have enjoyed raising my family in an All-America rural community and wanted to be a part of the community efforts to make sure that this community is secure for my family and other families in the future.

I have enjoyed meeting new people of all ages and learning more about the history of my hometown. In addition, working with the local merchants to make their businesses successful within our community.

We have a good community with good people. We feel that there’s something very special here, and it’s a community worth saving. We have a newly formed group of young people (CRC youth council) that have become engaged in our community efforts and this has proven to be a win-win for these young adults and the town. Our community was provided an opportunity to do a major streetscape project along with the newly formed river walk and public park that will provide recreation to the whole community, tourist, and visitors to our area. This river front project would connect the Market and Nichols Street Bridges into a one-mile loop and will enhance the image of downtown Clearfield. This project is vital to ensure that Clearfield continues to be a great place to live and work.

Northeast Berks Main Street/Kutztown Community Partnership Nancy S. Brooks

I was first drawn to this program through a request from the then Main Street Manager, Geoff Brace to get involved in our Art in the Park event. I had a small youth oriented performance group that he was interested in including on the Community Stage at this event. It was not long before I was invited to be a member of the Promotions Committee, which I participated in for three years prior to joining the staff. I joined the staff at a time when they did not have a Main Street Manager and were working with mostly volunteer staff. Being familiar with the promotions side of things, I quickly warmed up to handling the vast variety of duties associated with a Main Street Manager’s position and was hired on as Manager in June of 2014.

I must say I truly enjoy my job and have found most all aspects exciting and fun. I am most proud of how quickly I ramped up my underdeveloped technical skills, and have most enjoyed working with wonderful people and creating exciting events that bring our entire community together along Main Street. The Kutztown Community Partnership is quickly becoming a stronghold in our community and embracing challenges that have existed for years in Kutztown. We are working as a liaison between our Borough, Kutztown University, our local school district and of course the Main Street Merchants, developing programming that is solving problems and looking to the future while embracing our historic past.

NationallyAccredited

NationallyAccredited

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designated

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2015-2016 fiscal year budget

Governor Tom Wolf presented his proposed 2015-2016 fiscal year budget for the Commonwealth to the General

Assembly on March 4th. The budget was a blend of reversing the deep budget

cuts that took place during the previous administration and a series of moderate

tax increases.

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PENNSYLVANIA DOWNTOWN CENTER’S QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER 7

Create a Smart Growth For those involved in the field of community revitalization the budget proposed $21.15 million for the Keystone Communities Program. That’s an increase of $15 million from the 2014-2015 approved budget. The Keystone Communities Program previously fell under Housing and Redevelopment Assistance.

The budget also saw increases proposed for the following community revitalization activities:

• $15 million for a reestablished Mixed Use Development Program for the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA)

• $18 million for the Neighborhood Assistance Program, the statutory limit for that tax credit program.

On the revenue side, the budget included an increase in the Personal Income Tax (PIT) rate from 3.01% to 3.7%, an increase in the state sales tax from 6% to 6.6% and a $1.00/pack tax increase on cigarettes. Governor Wolf also proposed a 5% severance tax on the Marcellus Shale industry and the closing of the “Delaware Loophole” that has allowed companies to establish a Delaware corporate address to avoid paying Pennsylvania corporate taxes. That would be offset however, by a proposal to reduce the PA Corporate net income tax by 40% in 2015-2016 and another 10% in 2016-17, to ½ of the of the current rate of 9.9%. Also included in the Governor’s proposal was a reduction in local property taxes as the new statewide taxes would increase payments to local school districts.

The budget process continued in late March as DCED Acting Secretary (subject to final confirmation) Dennis Davin appeared before the appropriations committees of the General Assembly to further explain and answer questions about the Governor’s budget.

If there were two themes that clearly emerged from the Senate Appropriations Committee hearings they were comprehensiveness and accountability. In the course of questioning Acting Secretary Davin, many Senators repeated the call that if funding is to be increased for DCED programs, that will have to be accompanied by a more comprehensive approach to the issues of community and economic development and a higher degree of accountability. In particular, Senator Dave Argall (R) from Schuylkill County impressed upon the Acting Secretary his belief in the benefit of Main Street and Elm Street programs. Senator Elder Vogel, Jr. (R) from western PA and Senator Sean Wiley (D) from Erie also specifically mentioned the Keystone Communities Program in their questioning of the department.As Appropriations Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Brown (R),

from Lehigh County, concluded the questioning, he emphasized the need for the department to consider its programs in light of an overall economic development strategy. He also brought up an increasingly common theme in the field of community and economic development of intra-state and intra-region funding. He stated that, to the greatest degree possible, programs should not use state funds, just shift companies and jobs around within the Commonwealth, as these result in no net gain of any meaningful measure – jobs, taxes, etc.- to the Commonwealth. In reacting to the budget process to this point, PDC Executive Director Bill Fontana had several thoughts about what he had heard thus far. “I think that many of us were caught off-guard, but thrilled, by the Governor’s initial proposal for the Keystone Communities Program. We were all gearing up to get the line item back up to $10-$12 million, given what we were hearing about the budget shortfall. The proposed $15 million increase is far above

our original expectations. But we will certainly work with this administration to get as much of that into the budget as we can.”

Relative to the Senate Appropriations Committee hearings, Fontana said that he was not surprised by the emphasis on both comprehensiveness and accountability. “Comprehensiveness is a foundational element of the Main Street and Elm Street programs,” Fontana indicated. “In addition, our

recent emphasis on more sophisticated regional links between community and economic efforts is based on the need to implement a broad-based strategy."

On the issue of accountability, Fontana was quick to respond that for the last five years, PDC has been working to assist communities with providing the tools they need to increase their level of accountability. “The online reporting system that we have invested so heavily in is nothing if not an advanced accountability tool. I doubt if any other community revitalization program in the country has given its revitalization organizations a tool with so much capacity or such an immediate response mechanism. It is my great hope that as we demonstrate the capabilities of this system to the leadership of the new administration, that they will see that as being very much in sync with the interests expressed by the Senators."

On the budget process moving forward, Fontana was also candid about the tough road ahead. “This is far from a done deal. I would be ecstatic with $21.15 million in Keystone (Communities Program). I think it represents a realistic budget amount given the need and the resources available. But as a revitalization community, we have to support the Governor on both sides of the coin. We can’t say we want more money for community revitalization and then not support the revenue increases

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Anita Dolan is our featured Main Street Manager, and Bradford’s facades and the adaptive reuse

of buildings will be highlighted as we approach the Historic Preservation Month of May.

Anita has been the Main Street Manager in Bradford for over four years. She has served continuously on the Board of the Downtown Bradford Revitalization Corporation since 2008. She has always been community minded and knew that such a position with its varied needs was a good match for her skill set. The Main Street program in Bradford is supported by the City of Bradford’s Office of Economic and Community Development and the non-profit Downtown Bradford Revitalization Corporation.

Anita earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations and Writing at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. She began her career in Advertising and Publishing initially in Sales, and was then promoted to Advertising Director at the Times Herald in Olean, NY. Anita was also self-employed doing freelance Public Relations in writing and consulting.

Most small towns in the State of Pennsylvania have an array of

historic buildings. They come with a set of grand historic public buildings built in previous centuries and include such structures as city halls, banks, libraries, railroad stations, theaters and post offices. Historic Preservation has taken root in many of these majestic buildings and been vessels for downtown revitalization. Bradford illustrates this quite well. The Carnegie Public Library is now a restaurant and the post office contains office suites. Similar re-purposing can be seen in towns throughout Pennsylvania.

Historic preservation and revitalization work in tandem through adaptive-reuse of these grand dames of history and public use. Often their large interiors formerly designed for public use present opportunities for commercial use as restaurants, office suites and retail establishments.

As early as 2002 Bradford took a lead in the façade program when it won a PA Downtown Center Townie Award for Storefront Restoration and Design. Later in 2008-2009, the Option House was one of their greatest achievements in the restoration of a key historic restaurant. This project helped to kick-off a new surge of interest in historic preservation. The restoration played a major role in that it went far beyond just the façade. The grandeur of the interior space brought a sense of history to a new level. The restoration of the adjacent facades throughout the block gives the town a new face lift.

Bradford’s Success in Revitalization

Takes Root in Preservation

by Stefan Klosowski

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PENNSYLVANIA DOWNTOWN CENTER’S QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER 9

Here are some of the façade program highlights of the Bradford Main Street program:

• Over the past sixteen years approximately 120 businesses have participated in Bradford’s façade grant program.

• More than $763,000 has been invested in the façade program with more over $474,000 originating from private entities.

• In the past year Bradford’s Main Street has seen 14 new businesses open and has completed 23 façade projects.

• So far for 2015, there are four new businesses ready to open and ten façade projects already scheduled to take place this Spring.

Along with success in the facade program, the Bradford Main Street program recently completed a green project that included the renovation of the Pine Street pedestrian bridge. This is a major link from the historic district to the Tunungant Creek Valley Trail Association’s ‘Community Parks Trail’ in downtown Bradford. The 2.9 mile trail connects the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford to downtown Bradford and is part of a network of trails in the Bradford area spanning approximately 35 miles.

Bradford’s Main Street program is also not without success in events and has raised $6,000 in its annual fundraising campaign. This helps to brighten up the historic district with flowers and hanging baskets. These funds also help with events which include: the Autumn Daze Car Show; Pumpkin Fest; Alumni and Family Weekend; and the Old Fashioned Christmas, where a horse drawn carriage offers rides of the historic district.

Also throughout the year there are a variety of merchant oriented events with the most successful being ‘Shop Small Business Saturday.’ Several merchants reported that it was their best business sale day ever. Many merchants were up 30 to 40 % over the same day the previous year.

The Main Street/DBRC program spearheaded the development of a retail incubator known as Main Street Mercantile. It turned out to be one of the most successful ways to encourage small business growth. When the building was sold, it housed approximately 70 small businesses. Another successful business venture was the revitalization of the Bradford Main Street MovieHouse. The success of these efforts proves to be somewhat contagious, in that one development spurs another opening, as in the case of this MovieHouse. It is a privately owned enterprise and one of the few historic movie theaters still operating in Western Pennsylvania.

Efforts at revitalizing a downtown don’t always turn up a bed of roses. While

Anita is proud to report that the downtown has about a 90% occupancy rate, there are also some challenges. Some wonderful historic buildings have been dramatically altered, which has compromised some of the architectural integrity of the buildings. A number of buildings have been purchased at auction and now sit empty with little or no progress to improve them.

This is why it is important to assist in raising the level of awareness about the importance of historic preservation and its relationship to economic development. In an effort to raise the standard, time should be dedicated toward informing and educating business and property owners of design initiatives.

Anita is currently working with the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, the County Office of Economic and Community Development, the city’s Office of Community and Economic Development and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to bring a regional ‘Preservation Workshop’ to the Pitt Bradford campus on May 29 to help celebrate the Historic Preservation Month of May.

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Erin Hammerstedt, Field Representative of Preservation Pennsylvania enjoys working in Bradford and commented that “Anita has been a key player in Bradford’s downtown revitalization.”

Erin adds that Bradford is one of her favorite communities to work in across the State. She feels that Bradford’s downtown illustrates what can be accomplished when the local government and its authorities work proactively with the Main Street group and local building and business owners. Erin notes that with the advantage of being a National Register Historic District, this brings recognition and makes tax credits available. Likewise, a local historic district regulates change and thus provides investment protection for surrounding property owners.

Ms. Hammerstedt comments further that Bradford as an example illustrates that where community and economic development programs, and human and financial resources are focused on the downtown; there has been tremendous progress in the past few years. It appears that Bradford is clearly turning the tide and rehabilitating historic buildings in a manner that enhances their downtown. “Revitalization and historic preservation is really happening in Bradford!”

Anita is dedicated to the revitalization effort in Bradford but also enjoys her personal time with her family and their four horses. She claims to spend a lot of hours in the barn with her trail horse, a Mustang originally from Nevada. She also takes pleasure Dressage riding with her Morgan horse. Her stepdaughter shows Quarter Horses and spends a lot of time at horse shows. Such recreation allows her to blend the best of working downtown and rural ways of life in Pennsylvania.

Anita DolanCity of Bradford Main Street ProgramDowntown Bradford Revitalization Corp.23 Kennedy Street, Suite 102P. O. Box 490Bradford, PA [email protected](814) 598-2646

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PENNSYLVANIA DOWNTOWN CENTER’S QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER 11

Public participation is a political practice, and is required when using public money. It can also be

known as “stakeholder engagement”. In general, public participation seeks and facilitates the involvement of those potentially affected by or interested in a decision, plan or action. The principle of public participation holds that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process.

Public participation implies that the public's contribution will (or may) influence the decision. Public participation may also be regarded as a way of empowerment and a vital part of the democratic process. The main aim of public participation is to encourage the public to have meaningful input into the decision-making process. Public participation therefore provides the opportunity for communication between agencies (and staff) making decisions and the public. This process can also identify public concerns early and reduce or eliminate potential problem areas.

During the recent Pennsylvania Blueprint Team efforts, communities were required to hold public participation meetings to present their Draft and Final Vision Statements, 5-Year Strategies and Annual Work Plans and to gather public comment. At first, some of the team members who had never been involved with such an effort were a bit apprehensive about these public meetings. But for those who had already participated in them, these meetings were just part of the procedure. All of the Blueprint Teams did a great job advertising the meetings, facilitating the meetings and interacting with members of the community that attended their meetings. By and large the Core Teams did an outstanding job of educating the public on their Blueprint Program efforts … gathering public comments, addressing concerns and answering questions.

PDC’s Audience Response software was used in all six Blueprint locations and the results were shared with the Core Teams to assist in their planning process. This computer based program provides an instant summary for those in attendance. After each question, the results for those who responded (voted) to a specific question posed were immediately posted on the screen before moving onto the next question. The responses are then archived for future reference.

Getting the community educated and involved early in the planning process can reduce or totally eliminate false information from being dispersed. It can also help in the recruitment of partners, volunteers and possible financial contributors.Sometimes people just want to know that their voice is being heard … that their opinion does matter and that nothing suspicious is being done behind the scene. It is much easier to be proactive than reactive.

Public Participation Its Value and Lessons Learned

by Rick Viglione

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The Blueprint Communities Program is an initiative of the Federal Home Loan Bank

of Pittsburgh (FHLBank-Pgh). The mission of the Blueprint Communities Initiative is to revitalize older communities and neighborhoods by fostering strong,

local leadership, collaboration and development capacity; serve as a catalyst for revitalization based on sound local and regional planning that includes a clear vision

for the community and a comprehensive implementation strategy, and encourages coordinated investments in targeted communities by both the public and private sectors.

The Blueprint Communities

GraduateBy Bill Fontana and Stefan Klosowski

The Blueprint Communities Revitalization Initiative had its official Kick-Off event at the steps of the Capitol Rotunda on May 22, 2014.

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PENNSYLVANIA DOWNTOWN CENTER’S QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER 13

The 2014-2015 round of Pennsylvania communities, the second round in the Commonwealth in the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh’s (FHLBank-Pgh) Blueprint Communities Initiative, represented the first formal involvement of Pennsylvania Downtown Center (PDC) with the Blueprint program. In the fall of 2013, FHLBank-Pgh representatives inquired as to whether PDC would be interested in submitting a response to a proposal for technical services to assist the communities that would be selected. The ensuing interview and selection process resulted in PDC being selected as the lead technical assistance provider, with the Penn State Extension and DSSchlegel Associates as additional technical assistance subcontractors. The unique capabilities of this “Blueprint Communities Technical Team” included well developed courses and support materials in the areas of community vision development, strategic planning, work plan development, civic engagement, fundraising and many other leadership skill sets.

From the outset, the Technical Team was charged by the FHLBank-Pgh with conducting a community selection process that focused on “emerging” communities – communities that had not completed a detailed community plan within the last two years, but had exhibited a strong foundation of local leadership and possessed some development capacity. To be eligible communities were required to:

• Have a population of less than 15,000, which could include a neighborhood within a larger city, a single municipality, or a group of contiguous municipalities.

• Have not completed either a neighborhood or community vision or a holistic, comprehensive strategy within the last two years.

• Demonstrate local leadership and basic development capabilities and express a willingness to collaborate on development opportunities.

• Put together a diverse team of community leaders committed to attend the extensive training required by the program.

As it began its work, PDC relied initially on a survey of communities meeting all of these criteria previously prepared by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. PDC then added to the list based on its knowledge of communities that met the basic criteria. At the outset, PDC had more than 60 communities that they invited to be considered for designation as a Blueprint participant. One of the program requirements was a willingness on the part of

the selected communities to put up a refundable $2,000 “security deposit” designed to incentivize the local team’s participation in the process. Teams that failed to meet the stringent attendance requirements would see their deposit split among the communities that did meet the attendance requirements. This good natured, but consequential, requirement resulted in all of the selected teams meeting the attendance requirements.Of the more than 60 communities that started the process, ultimately only six Blueprint Teams were selected. This included three stand-alone municipalities (Clarion, New Castle and Reynoldsville) and three multi-municipal teams (Oil Region Group, Curwensville Area Group and the Huntingdon Group). Some of them have renamed their team:

• Clarion Blueprint Community • New Castle Blueprint Community • Reynoldsville Blueprint Community Initiative• Curwensville Area Revitalization Entity• Juniata River Blueprint Community• Allegheny - Clarion River Valley Region Blueprint

Community

The Blueprint Communities Curriculum stretched from May 21, 2014 to its graduation on March 4, 2015. During that time period the Core Community Teams were deeply involved in hands-on workshops complimented with a series of training sessions. These six sessions included such topics as:

• Community and Blueprint Orientation• Where Are We and Where Do We Want to Be• Enhancing Civic Engagement• Community Capitals Framework• Community Assessments• Vision Statement Development• Strategy Development• Developing SMARTER Goals• Organizing for Success• Acquiring Resources• Building Your Case for Funding• Honing Your Pitch

Apart from the major required workshops, field outreach into the communities to provided training to the groups throughout the nine month program. Other community leaders were invited to attend these sessions. This enabled the community

While the Blueprint communities may have graduated in March, their real work in the communities is

just beginning. The Blueprint program has prepared them to take on the challenge of developing their communities. They have created a groundswell of

interest and energy and are committed to revitalize their towns.

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leaders to solicit interest into the strategic process and become a stakeholder. Presentations and public meetings were part of the curriculum. The Blueprint communities were expected to hold public meetings in order to receive feedback into their intended programs.

• The following is a list of some of the sessions delivered in the field to groups in the Blueprint Communities. Much of the framework for these sessions is based on the four and five point programs of the Main and Elm Street programs:

• Branding Your Downtown or Neighborhood• Linking Vision and Economic Strategy• Your Organization and Real Estate Development• Small Site Brownfields and Vacant Land and Buildings• Role of the Board and Organizational Governance• Keeping Your Community Informed• Building Community Partnerships• Budgeting and Finance issues• Developing a Volunteer Program• Understanding the Elements of Design • Implementing an On-going Clean-Up Program

Even given the hard work required to complete this program, one of the obvious successes is the fact that most of the team members stuck it out together and remained focused. The camaraderie was evident in each group.

One of the strong components of this program is that there was a good mix of different jobs and working environments. Many of the team members had not known each other but have lived in the same community. This mixture helped to provide the glue to the successful bonding that occurred among the team members. Originally each Blueprint Core Community Team was required to consist of the minimum following five types of positions:

• FHLBank Pittsburgh Member Bank• Housing Development Organization Representative • Community Development Organization Representative• Local Unit of Government Official• Local Business Community Representative

They represent the critical stakeholders in the community. An additional four persons and one alternate were selected to represent the other “movers and shakers” of the local community

Amy Wise later stated that “Bill’s comment on the

training as compared to a mini-master's program level or class was very appropriate.” Bill Fontana is aware that

the five year strategic plan excel spreadsheet is a very detailed document and that

the spreadsheet might need a person skilled in excel. As a result, the Clerk of the Works position on each team received special recognition for their arduous work and

expertise. These individuals were presented with a special Blueprint Communities Clerk of

the Works T-Shirt.

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PENNSYLVANIA DOWNTOWN CENTER’S QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER 15

PDC Executive Director Bill Fontana explained that some

of the training and work done during this process was

difficult with a steep learning curve but was essential for full development to a five year strategic plan. Mark

Colussy, the Planning Director of Huntingdon County, who is

one of the Clerks of the Works, commented “I was impressed the way Bill could bring the high

technical information down and explain it in a practical

level.”

and this helped to broaden and round out the group. Age, gender and minority diversity had been stressed across the board for team composition. There were also a number of high school students on the teams. The composition has proven to be a success in terms of the issues that need to be discussed and the capacity to implement the strategic plan.

All of the six Blueprint Community Core Teams graduated on March 4, 2015 at the Days Inn at State College. Regardless of the prevailing snow storm, almost all of the team members attended. One of the photos includes the Juniata River Blueprint Community holding their well earned certificates. There are ten members plus three persons who had strongly contributed to the team’s progress and all will be involved in their future implementation.

While the Blueprint communities may have graduated in March, their real work in the communities is just beginning. The Blueprint program has prepared them to take on the challenge of developing their communities. They have created a groundswell of interest and energy and are committed to revitalize their towns.

Mark Colussy, second on the right, wearing the Blueprint Communities

Clerk of the Works T-shirt.

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The benefit corporation, or B Corporation, is a classification for a for-profit corporate entity.

It’s often referred to as a B Corp, a company that does well by doing good – being profitable while doing social and environmental good. A benefit corporation still needs to be accountable to its stockholders, and make a profit, but a profit that is committed to the triple-bottom line (society, environment and economics) rather than a single bottom line of profit, profit, profit. The social mission of the corporation often becomes greater than simply maximizing profits.Benefit corporations are a legally accepted means of doing business or corporate structure in 28 states, including Pennsylvania. Historically, corporations have been bound to activities that limit their social and/or environmental public benefits; however this model allows the purpose of the

organization to specify their public benefit. If a corporation chooses to give a certain percentage of its profits to charity, it can do just that. Transparency provisions mandate that benefit corporations publish their public benefit activities annually, however many corporations have worn those actions proudly, like a medal of honor and have made certain to incorporate them into their marketing campaigns. For better or worse, consumers have learned to seek out benefit corporations over traditional corporations when choosing products or services. From cars to clothes to ice cream, Millennials in particular are known to make buying decisions based off of a company’s social good. In fact, over 60% of Millennials will spend more for a product if it is eco-friendly or from a socially responsible company.1

B Lab, a local nonprofit located in Wayne, PA, “serves a global movement of entrepreneurs using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems”. B Lab measures the impact that B Corps create on a variety of indicators, from values, mission and vision to employee-relations and corporate culture. A business doesn’t have to be a member of B Lab to be a B Corp, but it does add a certain accountability to its business practices and responsibility. An identifier that B Lab uses, the Impact Business Models (IBM), “evaluates the big picture issues that the company is aiming to solve through its products or operations (ie. poverty alleviation, creating a fair trade supply chain).” It is this IBM that defines the B Corps’ best practices and moves it into being identified as a social enterprise.

The term social enterprise has often been used to identify both nonprofit organizations and for-profit companies. B Corps are one category of a social enterprise. The Common Wheel, a local example of a social enterprise, will be featured at the Pennsylvania Downtown Center conference, June 7-10. The

by Julie Fitzpatrick

The Story of B Corps

To “B” or

Not To “B”

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For better or worse, consumers have

learned to seek out benefit corporations over traditional corporations when

choosing products or services. From cars to clothes to ice cream, Millennials in particular are

known to make buying decisions based off of a company’s social

good.

Common Wheel is a community bike center whose mission is "to encourage bicycling in Lancaster by creating a fun, welcoming space where we provide access to hands on education and tools to all members of the community." According to their website, "70% of all car trips in the U.S. are under two miles, (and) we want to empower more people to replace these short car trips with trips by bikes… this can have a tremendous impact on everyone in the community." They are pursuing social innovation while committed to their values of diversity, community, and life. They’ve successfully transformed a pump house in Lancaster’s Reservoir Park into a community hub where anyone and everyone can gather, learn from one another, and talk about and work on bikes. Be sure to stop by their display at the conference, and while you’re there, feel free to bring your own bike along--they can tune it up for you for a small fee; maybe you can learn a thing or two, and you too can be part of their social mission.

An upcoming session at PDC's 2015 conference that ties in nicely to social enterprise is "Creative Capital to Build Healthy Communities", presented by ASSETS Lancaster. Since 1993, ASSETS has provided educational and technical assistance to hundreds of entrepreneurs in learning how to start, manage and grow a young business. They provide support to microenterprises throughout Lancaster County. They believe that the health of our communities is dependent on the success of small businesses and the support of entrepreneurs. This session will share innovative financial models for providing services to our neighborhoods and business districts; you will not want to miss it.

1Nielsen Study – Millennials: Breaking the Myths (1/27/14)

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PA Downtown Center's ANNUAL STATEWIDE CONFERENCE

CULTIVATING HEALTHYCOMMUNITIES

The word cultivate, like health, can have a different connotation for each of us. Whether tilling land in order to raise crops or nurturing

the nimbleness of networks—we all cultivate. We are putting the final touches on this year’s conference, scheduled for June 7th through 10th at the Lancaster Marriott and Convention Center, where we’ll cover many aspects of cultivation and of healthy communities.

Lancaster PAJune 7-10, 2015

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PENNSYLVANIA DOWNTOWN CENTER’S QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER 19

We are PA Downtown Center and to stay true to our core, most of our conference will happen in downtown Lancaster. For those who scratch their heads wondering just what is community revitalization, here’s a chance for ‘all of it’ to make sense—a free “Community Revitalization 101” on Sunday. It’s sure to enlighten (or as a good refresher!) before we head out and about.

Sunday’s opening activities also include paddling on, or biking and hiking along the Susquehanna River with folks from Rivertownes PA USA and Chiques Rock Outfitters. Or if you prefer, observe firsthand Lancaster’s renowned green infrastructure, when representatives of Lancaster Public Works lead us through a guided tour of these city projects. For those interested in pedaling, you can bike the green infrastructure tour—with bikes made available by Lancaster’s The Common Wheel.

That evening, we’ll gather at one of Lancaster’s most popular venues-Tellus360-to enjoy a casual dinner and live music on their green roof by the local band “Second Hand Suits”.

At the time of publication, we have invited Governor Wolf for a conference welcome address. This is to be confirmed—so keep an eye on the conference page of our website and on our conference emails.

On Monday evening we’ll head to neighboring Lititz where we’ll take in all that makes Venture Lititz a 2014 National Main Street finalist. The evening’s festivities will begin with a reception at Derck & Edson followed by a Lititz dine-around.

Some session highlights include Creative Capital to Build Healthy Communities; Organizing & Supporting Community Gardens in Your Hometown; Creation and Implementation of a Healthcare District; Embracing Aging; Complete Streets; Active Transportation = Healthy Communities; Celebrating & Enhancing Cultural Diversity, and many more. The slate of presenters will showcase the broad experience and knowledge in the vast field of health and community development—cultivating healthy communities.

We look forward to seeing you at the conference!

“Access to healthy food. Affordable housing. Jobs that pay a livable wage. Educational

opportunities. Quality health care. Safe streets and neighborhoods. Transportation options.

Medical breakthroughs. These are among the key determinants of health. How these resources

are distributed greatly affects health and the quality of life.”

-Health Resources in Action

Look for the 2015 Conference Registration Form in your mailbox, or register online today. Early Bird discounts available until May 1st!

Conference questions and for more information contact

Maria WherleyPDC Network Relations and Conference [email protected] ext. 116

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program status

Main StreetAllentown-Hamilton StreetClearfieldCollegevilleE. StroudsburgGreensburgKutztownLatrobeScrantonSelinsgroveUniontownOil City

Elm StreetBlairsvilleCarlisleErie SNOOPSGettysburg-Old GettyGreensboroHamburgLansdowne-YeadonLebanonLewisburg-Bull RunMifflinburgUniontownWilliamsport-Newberry

Main StreetArdmoreEastonHanoverMt. LebanonQuakertownWest ChesterWilkinsburg

Elm StreetErie-Little ItalyWest Reading-Center Point

keystone communitiesReadingBoyertownBellefontePhilipsburgBradfordLawrence County

Main StreetBedfordEbensburgErieLock HavenShenandoah

keystone communitiesAllentownCastle ShannonClearfieldLewistownSunbury

New Communities Program

Keystone Communities Program

Keystone Communities Program Approval Pending

Congratulations to these community program

organizations who have recentlyreceived DCED-designated status.

Quakertown Alive! and WilkinsburgCommunity Development Corp.

received Keystone Main Street designation. Building a BetterBoyertown received Keystone

Communities, Main Street focus designation. Bellefonte Borough and Pillipsburg Revitalization Corp. have also been awarded designation status.

Here’s a snapshot of DCED-designated program status.

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