Community Revitalization Desktop Guide

program, a state grants program for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, and historical improvement projects that create economic growth. CAT then worked with the city to leverage the project with additional investment in the immediate area. The city knew that the Commonwealth was planning to lease new space for its Labor and Industry department and that they were currently looking at space in the surrounding rural municipalities. CAT explained their goals to the Commonwealth’s Department of General Services (DGS). DGS agreed to lease a building (ﬁrst new construction on Main Street in the City of Greensburg in two decades) on a Main Street location just two blocks from the Center, even though it cost $.25 more per square foot, because of the tremendous impact its almost 300 new employees could have on Greensburg’s revitalization. CAT worked with other relevant state agencies to contract for a developer to build the new ofﬁces and identiﬁed funding sources to improve the streetscape on the site. The project now had at least two pieces in the targeted area that generate additional investment and foot trafﬁc in the downtown. Monthly planning meetings began between Seton Hill University, the City of Greensburg, the County of Westmoreland, the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Westmoreland, the Greensburg Salem School District, local legislators, and the Westmoreland Trust. As originally designed, the Center would cost $10 million and would include all essential rehearsal and performance spaces. The Governor’s CAT team entreated the Mayor and President Boyle to think even bigger, to add plazas and greenspaces, to update the streetscape and make sure this addition to downtown would have a signiﬁcant positive impact. As a result, plans for the University Center for the Performing Arts include 73,000 square feet that will offer a music hall with a 400 seat auditorium, ﬂexible theatre, recital hall and rehearsal spaces, set design and costume design rooms, classrooms and faculty ofﬁces. The $23 million project (Seton Hill has raised $18.5 M and is still actively seeking donors) will be constructed in three phases over three to four years. In addition to Seton Hill programs such as the Seton Hill Community Music Program (with more than 200 students currently enrolled), the Center will host the activities of the Westmoreland Symphonic Winds, a new dance program and some activities of the Westmoreland Symphony. Project As High Impact Revitalization Tool An Economic Impact Study for Seton Hill’s project completed by Mullin & Lonergan Associates projects that the Center will generate 635 new jobs, permanent and temporary, over $7 million in total wages, over $350,000 in new state and local taxes, and $1 million per year in visitor spending. It is expected that the construction project alone will add $10.6 million to the region in direct spending, with an additional $7.7 million in indirect spending. The Commonwealth’s CAT Team enthusiastically worked with the city and university on the plan and provided funding through a variety of sources. In April, 2005, Governor Rendell provided $5 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) funding for the Center for the Arts. Then the CAT team supplemented this amount by providing funds from key economic development programs. Speciﬁcally, the State provided $529,000 in Home Town Streets funding for streetscape and lighting improvements, and $300,000 for façade improvements and hiring a downtown manager under the Main Street program. An additional $50,000 for construction of the Seton Hill University Center for the Arts from Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor funds and new funding from the Elm Street funds will be used to boost housing in a neighborhood just a half a block from the site. Obstacle of site acquisition must be overcome. Due to the increased scope of the project, and to give the project street frontage on West Otterman Street, a/k/a Old Route 30/Lincoln Highway, three additional properties neighboring the parking lot needed to be acquired. Two of the property owners sold their properties to the Redevelopment Authority for market value; the third, a pizza shop, was taken via the eminent domain process, without appeal. This high impact development project attracted private market investment. Since Seton Hill announced plans for its University Center for the Performing Arts, many existing properties in the area have changed hands. New tenants in surrounding buildings include Stage Right— School for the Performing Arts and Professional Theatre Company, a new jazz club, and Turtle Tree Fine Foods, an upscale restaurant. The Mayor anticipates even more new investment once the Center opens. Key Lessons Learned • PRIORITIZE your assets – in this case they were cultural. • PARTNER with anchor employers. Ask them to help with the revitalization of their neighborhood or the city as a whole and then help create the opportunities for them to do so. Remember, Seton Hill had never before been asked to invest in the downtown. • CREATE WIN/WIN OPPORTUNITIES – available land is an asset this town offered to the University to extend their campus. Both parties beneﬁted from the deal. • THINK BIG. A small program in a vacant historic building where the ideas started would not have had nearly the impact of two major university programs and a performance hall in downtown. • DO NOT DELEGATE DISCUSSIONS WITH KEY PLAYERS. Local government elected ofﬁcials should show a commitment from the start by being present at meetings. • ONCE A PARTERSHIP IS FORMED, keep conversations going. Additional partnership opportunities will arise. footnotes: greensburg Notes: 65 Gary Nelson, Greengate Mall, Mall History Its All in the Name http://www.mallhistory.com/ greengate.html downloaded on August 2, 2006. 66 Zandy Dudiak, “Westmoreland Mall changed the face of Route 30 from country to commercial”, The Times Express (May 12, 2004) http://www.gatewaynewspapers.com/timesexpress/ indepth/5021/ 67 http://www.city.greensburg.pa.us/html/about.html 68 In 1990, the Westmoreland Trust had bought and restored the 1300 seat Palace Theater and it had an extensive theater and concert schedule. The Trust also renovated the city’s historic train station. 57 GOAL FOUR: APPLY STRATEGIES THAT WORK Greensburg http://www.city.greensburg.pa.us/html/about.html http://www.mallhistory.com/greengate.html http://www.mallhistory.com/greengate.html http://www.gatewaynewspapers.com/timesexpress/indepth/5021/ http://www.gatewaynewspapers.com/timesexpress/indepth/5021/

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Community Revitalization Desktop Guide

PA Community Revitalization Desktop Guide Table of Contents How To Attract High Impact Investment to Core Communities Goal One: Choose One Asset-Rich Redevelopment Area Interviews with Pennsylvania Mayors Goal Two: Prepare Redevelopment Area for Market Interviews with Developers who Have Invested in Pennsylvania Cities and Towns Goal Three: Welcome Investment Interviews with Developers who Have Invested in Pennsylvania Cities and Towns Goal Four: Apply Strategies That Work Conclusion

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