Ursinus College’s heart-of-Collegeville location and the borough’s Main Street corridor has long been one the campus’s most unique distinctions. Now, the college and the borough are working on a revitalization project that will breathe new economic life into the area.
On Tuesday, November 1, Pennsylvania State Rep. Joe Webster announced that $2.5 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) funding is being earmarked for the East Main Street Revitalization Project, which will enhance the 400 block of East Main Street in Collegeville.
Revitalization grants target building and construction projects that show a demonstrable economic impact on an area. The concept behind the revitalization of the 400 block of Main Street is to build or renovate existing buildings into mixed-use so that more restaurants and retail can open in the area near Ursinus. Another project could create a community gathering space that would function as a town square.
“Ursinus is proud to be part of the greater Collegeville community and we are very excited for this opportunity to collaborate with our neighbors to revitalize Main Street and attract more businesses and visitors to the area,” Ursinus College President Robyn Hannigan said.
This RACP funding, administered by the Office of the Budget of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, supports multiple projects that impact the 150th Legislative District. Last year, the borough and college were awarded a $500,000 grant from the same program. It requires a dollar-for-dollar match in non-state funding in the project.
In early 2023, Ursinus and Collegeville officials will begin to involve the borough and college communities in the revitalization plans. Faculty, staff, and students, as well as borough residents and business owners, will be asked to weigh in with their ideas and preferences.
The revitalization efforts will strengthen Ursinus’s community connection, which continues to thrive as vibrant arts performances, museum exhibitions, film festivals, popular Movies on the Lawn events, Division III athletics competitions, summer camps, and guest speakers regularly attract visitors from across the region to campus throughout the year.
This story by Ed Moorehouse, Director of Media and Communications at Ursinus College, originally appeared on the Ursinus College website.