Below you’ll find news and updates about Chester County’s Economic Development Planning.
Category: Economic Development News
Urban Centers Forum Highlights Destination Towns
Chester County’s urban centers are becoming destination towns where more and more people want to live, work, and visit to enjoy unique experiences offered by breweries and tasting rooms, farmers’ markets, food trucks, and short-term rentals such as Airbnbs and VRBOs.
That was the message that came out of the Chester County Urban Centers Forum on October 8th at the Victory Brewing Company in Parkesburg. Continue Reading →
Chester County Conference & Visitors Bureau Executive Director Susan Hamley Highlights County's Tourism
Rolling fields and open spaces. Towns and villages known for their rich culture and business communities. A nationally known mushroom industry. A world-class display garden.
These are just some of the county’s eye-catching and unique features that the Chester County Conference & Visitors Bureau has the pleasure of promoting on a daily basis. Susan Hamley, executive director of the Chester County Conference & Visitors Bureau, attended the Chester County Planning Commission’s board meeting on Sept. 11 and discussed her organization’s partnership with the county and discussed her agency’s role, which is mainly focused on promotion of the county’s tourism attractions. Continue Reading →
Upcoming Urban Centers Forum to Focus on Destination Towns
If you are a municipal official, staff member, main street manager, or consultant for one of Chester County’s municipalities, especially the urban centers, consider attending an upcoming forum on October 8th about how to attract tourism in your town. Topics of discussion will include tourism in urban centers related to breweries and tasting rooms, farm markets and food trucks, and short-term rentals (“Airbnb”).
The county’s Urban Centers Forum will take place from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. October 8 at Victory Brewing Company, 3127 Lower Valley Rd, Parkesburg. This is a free event open to municipal officials, staff, and consultants of Chester County urban centers on behalf of the Chester County Commissioners. Though the forum is geared toward urban centers, it might be of interest to municipal officials throughout Chester County. RSVP today!
Meet Planning Commission's New Housing and Economic Planner
Every month, the Planning Commission highlights one of its staff or board members. Housing and Economic Planner Libby Horwitz, AICP joined the team on June 17th. Libby, a former economic development coordinator for the City of Urbana in Illinois who is originally from Havertown, shared her journey to the Planning Commission and discussed her life philosophy, interests, and more. Continue Reading →
Coatesville Anticipates Economic Development Opportunities
Good things are coming to Coatesville.
The city is already reaping benefits from being designated as an Opportunity Zone, according to a recent Philadelphia Business Journal article. Opportunity Zones were created as part of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and are designed to spur job creation and economic development by providing tax benefits to investors. Coatesville is the only Chester County municipality that has this designation. Continue Reading →
CCEDC President and CEO Gary Smith Attends Planning Commission Board Meeting
Gary W. Smith, president and chief executive officer of the Chester County Economic Development Council (CCEDC), attended the Chester County Planning Commission’s board meeting on May 8th and discussed the role of his organization and its partnership with the county. Continue Reading →
Officials Discuss Housing Choices in Chester County
Housing choices for all residents is becoming an important topic of discussion in Chester County these days, and developers, municipal officials and experts recently shared ideas for how to tackle this issue during the county’s Urban Centers Forum. Continue Reading →
Regional Planning Agency Releases Video about Long-Range Plan
Did you know Chester County is expected to be the fastest growing county in southeastern Pennsylvania in the next 30 years? In fact, there will be 146,000 new residents and 88,000 more jobs in Chester County in the next 30 years, according to Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) estimates. The DVRPC highlighted these facts and other regional trends and forecasts in “Connections 2045 Plan for Greater Philadelphia,” a long-range plan for the region’s future. Continue Reading →
Local Officials Discuss Parking Strategies at Urban Centers Forum
Representatives from Chester County’s 15 boroughs and the City of Coatesville attended the recent Urban Centers Forum, which focused on ways to address parking challenges, opportunities, and strategies.
As a component of Chester County’s economic development strategy known as VISTA 2025, the “Parking Lessons Learned” forum was a call-to-action for the urban centers to learn about and discuss parking issues. Municipal officials, staff members, main street managers, and consultants for the county’s 16 urban centers attended the forum, including representatives from the City of Coatesville and the following boroughs: Atglen, Avondale, Downingtown, Elverson, Honey Brook, Kennett Square, Malvern, Modena, Oxford, Parkesburg, Phoenixville, South Coatesville, Spring City, West Chester, and West Grove. Officials from townships that have train stations were also invited since the forum focused on parking issues. Continue Reading →
Upcoming Urban Centers Forum to Focus on Parking
If you are a municipal official, staff member, main street manager, or consultant for one of Chester County’s 16 urban centers, consider attending an upcoming Urban Centers Forum that will focus on ways to address parking challenges, opportunities, and strategies.
The forum will take place from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Coatesville Courtyard Marriott, located at 600 Manor Road, Coatesville. This free event is open to representatives of Chester County’s 16 urban centers, which include the City of Coatesville and the following boroughs: Atglen, Avondale, Downingtown, Elverson, Honey Brook, Kennett Square, Malvern, Modena, Oxford, Parkesburg, Phoenixville, South Coatesville, Spring City, West Chester, and West Grove. RSVP for the forum now. Continue Reading →