ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Local and state officials braved the cold Friday in downtown Allentown to make the case for a huge increase in funding for a program to boost Main streets.
Gov. Josh Shapiro is pushing for state lawmakers to allocate $25 million in the 2024-25 budget for a new program called Main Street Matters.
State officials say that would “build upon and modernize” Pennsylvania's Keystone Communities Program, which is meant to bring together the public sector and private companies to spur economic development.
“Main streets are the heart of a local community, the heart of a local economy."Rick Siger, secretary of Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development
The $25 million would be almost four times more than the Keystone Communities Program can offer each year, according to Rick Siger, who leads the state's Department of Community and Economic Development.
Siger has been touring cities throughout Pennsylvania touting the potential power of Shapiro’s proposed investment.
“Main streets are the heart of a local community, the heart of a local economy,” Siger said Friday at a news conference outside the Downtown Allentown Market.
“That means something a little different in each place. Here in Allentown, this community has really lofty ambitions for your downtown.”
Downtown business corridors “have the potential to be engines” of the state’s economy and must be supported by “community investments … because [Pennsylvania towns] face more competition than ever to attract new residents and retain existing ones,” he said.
“When we invest in our Main Streets, we're investing in our core identity."State Rep. Peter Schweyer
State Sen. Nick Miller, D-Lehigh, called Shapiro’s proposed Main Street Matters program “a huge investment in bringing the downtown to life,” while state Rep. Peter Schweyer noted the importance of supporting local communities.
“When we invest in our Main streets, we're investing in our core identity,” said Schweyer, D-Lehigh.
L.V. depends on downtowns' success: Mayor
State Rep. Mike Schlossberg said he learned the power of economic development programs firsthand in his early 20s as a regional Main Street manager for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, said he "really got to see what happened … when local governments, business organizations, volunteers and small businesses came together to do good work.
“The entire region is dependent upon the success of Hamilton Street in Allentown, of Main Street in Bethlehem and Center Square in Easton."Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk
“It was an absolutely fascinating experience — one that was only constrained by a lack of resources,” he said.
Enabling the private sector “to do good work with public support” is arguably “the most important thing that we can do in government,” he said.
Downtowns play important roles in regional economies, but they “have an uncertain future” throughout the state and country, Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk said.
“The entire region is dependent upon the success of Hamilton Street in Allentown, of Main Street in Bethlehem and Centre Square in Easton,” Tuerk said before the group of officials went on a tour of the soon-to-open downtown Da Vinci Science Center.
