Barth Consulting Gets to Work
Immediately after Collegeville Borough Council hired Barth Consulting Group (BCG) for its revitalization efforts in May, Steve Barth and Michelle Shire conducted a walking tour of the borough. Having previously met one-on-one with key Council Members and Ursinus officials, they now met with the Borough Manager, Borough Solicitor, and property and business owners along Main Street and in the Collegeville and Marketplace Shopping Centers. BCG provided a report to the Borough’s Business Development Committee (BDC) at the June meeting.
Parking and Sidewalks
One of the BDC’s biggest challenges in developing Collegeville’s Main St. is to locate sufficient parking. Steve conducted an audit of the existing and potential parking spaces behind the buildings in the 400 block of Main St., and the Committee is looking into the possibility of shared parking with existing lot owners.
Parking is also possible on both sides of Main St. in that area. Engineering drawings for on-street parking were created during revitalization efforts in 2003 and could provide a basis for further discussion or grant writing.
Steve also pointed out that the lack of, or damage to, curbing is contributing to the erosion of our Main Street sidewalks when stormwater rushes over them. So the repair of sidewalks and curbing replacement should be planned concurrently.
Both the borough and Ursinus College are seeking sidewalk related grants. The Borough Manager is currently pursuing a grant that will replace sidewalks in the block connected to Borough Hall. And Ursinus is looking into grants to connect the college with the Perkiomen Trail.
Business Inventory Continues
BDC committee members continued meeting with business and property owners as part of our ongoing effort to update our business documentation. The Committee is also compiling a list of vacant commercial spaces and buildings in the borough. The completed documentation will provide information at our fingertips to recruit realtors, developers and potential businesses.
New Brew Pub at Collegeville Station
Finally, one of the newest businesses to move to the borough is Troubles End Brewing, a brew pub moving into Collegeville Station in the space of the former Appalachian Brew Pub. The owner is currently outfitting his brewing systems, and hopes to open this Labor Day weekend. [Sorry, Troubles End Brewing currently has no digital presence. We’ll add it when it’s available.]
Created in January 2018, the Borough of Collegeville Business Development Committee oversees economic development and business recruitment in the borough. It is made up of volunteers from the borough and administered by a Borough Council member.
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