Borough Business
Revitalization Program
The Borough Business Revitalization Program (BBRP) – est. in 2005 – assists participating communities in their efforts of providing economically healthy, vibrant, pedestrian- friendly, and aesthetically pleasing downtowns for their residents by promoting their events and assets while providing technical assistance and access to financial resources on a regional and state level.
Photo: Anne Baum, Chamber Foundation Chair, presented a check to the Borough of Bangor and the Bangor Borough Business Revitalization Committee (BBRP) on January 13. The $2,500 check was awarded through the Foundation’s Community Revitalization Grant program. Bangor purchased benches and flower planters with the check. (L-R top): Bonnie Labar, Bangor Council VP, BBRP Design Committee Chair; Anne Baum, Foundation Chair, Capital BlueCross; John Kasten, Bangor Borough Manager; (L-R bottom): Curtis Fehnel, BBRP Design Committee Member; Sharon Davis, BBRP Coordinator, The Chamber; and Lydia Albert, BBRP Design Committee Member.
The BBRP is comprised of local government officials, business owners, community leaders, and paid staff from The Chamber. The program is a joint effort of Lehigh and Northampton Counties, The Chamber, The Chamber Foundation, and the eight participating boroughs: Alburtis, Bangor, Bath, Catasauqua, Coopersburg, Hellertown, Macungie, and Pen Argyl.
Photo: The Bangor BBRP announced its physical improvement projects and received a $5,000 corporate donation from State Farm Insurance to be used for the Bangor Façade Program. Pictured here are: (L - R) John Reinhart, Superintendent of Bangor Area School District; John Kasten, Bangor Borough Manager; Sharon Davis, Bangor BBRP Coordinator; Anthony Biondi, Chairman of the Bangor BBRP Steering Committee; Brian Witmer, Bangor State Farm Agent; Mayor John Brown; Council President Craig Roberts; and Council Member Bonnie Labar.
The BBRP mobilizes the community by utilizing the nationally-accepted four point approach to downtown revitalization:
• Design: Getting Main Street in top physical shape
Oftentimes includes a sub-committee focusing specifically on Safe, Clean, & Green issues. This means working with property and business owners to ensure that their buildings are in outstanding condition. It also involves working with the community to ensure that their historical assets are properly preserved and that a traditional downtown layout is maintained, along with a unique identity – a sense of place. The goal is to create an inviting atmosphere, pedestrian-friendly motives that include attractive streetscape designs, ample parking, well-maintained sidewalks, and informative signage.
Preservation of historical assets results in increased property values – ultimately attracting investors, entrepreneurs, and homebuyers into the borough. Downtowns are the hub of a community and the physical image they relay determines the perception of the quality of life in a town; People believe what they see. Physical improvements also facilitate community approval – in turn creating a support base for future revitalization efforts.
Sample of Accomplishments to date include: Property Façade Improvements, Streetscape Planning/PennDOT Discussions, Parking Inventories/Studies, Historical Walking Tour Guides, Historical Markers/Plaques, Property Inventories, Beautification Efforts (tree plantings, benches, town clocks, pole banners, flower planters), Community Clean-Ups, Gateway Signage
• Organizational: Working with all concerned groups towards common goals
Each of our communities already has numerous organizations whose goal is congruent with that of the BBRP: the improvement of their community. Our job is to collaborate and partner with these groups, community stakeholders, and local government to ensure that we can have a maximum impact on the downtown. This area also includes volunteer development, training, recruitment, and fundraising.
Community volunteers are the catalyst behind – and beneficiaries of – revitalization efforts. Property owners of all ages want to create an environment both physically and culturally-desirable for multiple generations: a place to start a new life and a place to retire. Quality of life is what separates successful towns from declining communities.
Sample of Accomplishments to date include: Grant Identification/Acquisition, Visioning/Strategic Planning, Fundraising Efforts (product sales, events), Sponsorship Acquisition, Volunteer Orientation Guides, Internet Presence, Comprehensive/Downtown Master Plans, Volunteer Training Sessions (business workshops/urban revitalization sessions), Ongoing Relationships with County/State Representatives and Regional Government Agencies
• Promotional: Selling the Main Street image and marketing its various assets
Malls and shopping centers promote themselves as a single unit all the time – why shouldn’t a Main Street as well? This is done in a variety of ways – marketing efforts that include joint sales, cooperative promotions, festivals, and other special events. We work on creating a positive image that is designed to garner new customers, businesses, residents, and visitors.
Events prompt community ownership – often resulting in a contagious offshoot of further community involvement, a key to revitalization. Events enhance the image, or brand, of a town; it’s necessary to give this image a unique identity (to find a significant niche). We must paint this unified downtown picture; in addition to the obvious economic benefits of a town’s business district, the loss thereof results in a loss of an identifying town character.
Sample of Accomplishments to date include: Community Welcome Brochures, Community Events (House Tours , X-mas Tree Lighting Ceremonies, town festivals, Community Days, Sidewalk Sales, Anniversary Celebrations), Promotional Events (Business Scavenger Hunt, Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies), Professional Logo Creation, Networking Sessions, Farmers Market Assistance, Business Directories/Guides, Website Design/Enhancement, Events/Promotional Guide, Positive Press/Media Coverage
• Economic Restructuring: Enhancing already existing businesses & recruiting new ones
Main Street must find a way to compete in the 21st century business atmosphere of malls and big-box stores. This involves numerous means, i.e. converting old buildings for new uses, attracting new businesses to vacant properties, and helping already existing businesses compete or expand to include new purposes.
Today’s society tends to shop in whatever way is convenient, without realizing that supporting small business and shopping locally is equivalent to recycling local money. Jeff Milchen – co-founder of the American Independent Business Alliance – said that “the disappearance of local businesses leaves a social and economic void that is palpable and real – even when it goes unmeasured. A community’s quality of life changes in ways that macroeconomics is slow to measure or ignores completely.”
Sample of Accomplishments to date include: Business Surveys/Market Analyses, Working with the Borough Guides, Property/Business Inventories, Route 309 Construction Survival Guide, Meetings with Realtors, One on One Business Assistance (when requested), Business Enhancement Guides
One of the programs that the BBRP administers and that we are most proud of is our Façade Program. The Façade Program is a matching grant program whereby selected projects are given 50% of the costs of renovating the exterior of their properties (up to $5,000).
Our Communities
Our program is privileged to assist eight Lehigh Valley Communities: Alburtis, Bangor, Bath, Catasauqua, Coopersburg, Hellertown, Macungie and Wilson.
educational & Promotional material
We have created a variety of educational and promotional materials that are designed to help our communities create new events, work with new businesses and welcome new residents.
• Promotions and Events Guide: A guide designed to assist communities in planning, promoting and executing community events.
• Working with the Borough: Designed to help individuals navigate the sometimes complicated process of starting a new business in their community. The guide contains a great deal of information, including a new business checklist, zoning permit information, license requirements, contact information, websites and information about the Borough Business Revitalization Program. Guides have been created in Coopersburg, Hellertown and Macungie.
• Welcome Brochure: This brochure welcomes new residents into their respective communities. It contains a history to the Borough, contact information, pictures, websites, a map and information about the Borough Business Revitalization Program. These guides have been created in Alburtis, Coopersburg and Macungie.
Contact information
To request more information on the BBRP or for copies of promotional materials mentioned above:
Email Sharon Davis or Mary Domsicz.
You can also reach Sharon at 610-973-4404 and Mary at 610-841-5807.
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