Just what is in that secret sauce, the stuff applied to revitalize our older downtowns? The right formula requires a measure of art and science. The secrets of Phoenixville’s highly successful revitalization efforts are now revealed here.
Once a downtrodden, disinvested mill town and now one of Chester County’s sparkling gems, Phoenixville has experienced an urban rebound like few other towns in the Philadelphia region. New apartments, restaurants and shops have opened, adding to the authentic vibe of this charming historic downtown.
Envious observers seeking to replicate Phoenixville’s renaissance should know that this did not happen overnight; it is the result of a decades-long campaign. Over the years, Phoenixville’s leaders have redefined the town, to attract new life and reinvestment to the Borough. Forward-thinking planning, persistent implementation, local entrepreneurship and public-private cooperation in the community have led to these results.
Settled in 1732, Phoenixville had once served as an important hub of industry. Phoenix Iron Works and other mills located their operations along French Creek, where it flows into the Schuylkill River. Like many other historic towns, the mills’ closure changed everything. After the Iron Works ended production in 1984, the local leaders had to boldly reinvent the steel town to remain economically viable.
A revitalization plan in 2000 called for the construction of new office space, explained Jean Krack, Phoenixville’s current Borough Manager. However the lack of a transportation network prevented that approach. In 2008, the town planners refocused on a “live – play” strategy, relinquishing the “work” element to other municipalities nearby, rezoning the Borough to allow development of new housing and an entertainment destination.
Meanwhile, since 1989 Chester County’s planners have been proactively countering suburban sprawl with a ‘Smart Growth’ land use initiative. This combines assertive open space preservation with the concentration of new development in the existing towns and infrastructure systems. In the Phoenixville area, this strategy is implemented cooperatively between the Borough and its four surrounding municipalities.
“The rising tide lifts all ships,” said Mr. Krack. “The Phoenixville Regional Planning Committee’s projects that benefit the collective include the vital expansion of water and sewer capacity, and construction of the Schuylkill River Trail.” This well-used trail network interconnecting the region enables alternative transportation – to reduce traffic congestion and parking requirements, promote healthy lifestyles and support locals’ use of downtown businesses.
James Kovaleski, Phoenixville Borough Council President, said that the economic growth strategy required buy-in and support from the elected officials – past and present. To implement these Smart Growth and placemaking projects over the years, the Borough has assertively fundraised, obtaining grants from public and private sources to supplement its municipal spending.
In 2001 Phoenixville formed a ‘Main Street’ downtown revitalization program. The grass-roots nonprofit organization, which operated until 2010, improved the commercial district’s blighted conditions through renovations of public spaces and private properties, new business attraction and event organizing.
Vacant storefronts have been filled with fashionable shops, eateries, pubs and entertainment venues – supporting Phoenixville’s strategy to develop as a regional destination. Today the dining scene is well-established with 25 restaurants. Now home to five craft breweries, Phoenixville claims to be the brewpub capitol of Pennsylvania. The historic Colonial Theater and Steel City Coffee continue to serve as cultural hubs for the town.
A busy yearlong public event series supports the local businesses and property owners, says Jessica Capistrant, President of the Phoenixville Regional Chamber of Commerce. The series, which draws thousands of people into town each year, includes First Fridays, the Dogwood Festival, Blobfest, food truck festivals and the Farmer’s Market; and culminates in December with the Firebird Festival – the symbolic burning of the Phoenix, a massive wooden sculpture. This ambitious event schedule is produced collaboratively through ‘Phoenixville First,’ a group comprised of the Borough, the Chamber, the Phoenixville Area Business Association and the Phoenixville Area Economic Development Corp.
The Borough’s strategy has paid off, stimulating large-scale residential and mixed-use real estate projects. DeMutis Group, a third-generation local developer, partnered with Fox Realty to develop Phoenix Village, a mixed-use project located on the former Phoenix Steel site. Fronting on the downtown’s main corridor, the project consists of 270 apartments on three floors, over street-level retail space. And across French Creek, Toll Brothers and The Davis Companies developed Riverworks – a six-building apartment complex with 349 rental units, now being leased.
Since 2014, 625 new residential units have been built or are in the pipeline, and an additional 2,000 units are planned. The estimated increase of 2,900 residents since 2010 represents a growth rate of 20%. The Borough’s tax base has grown by $200 million from 2004 to 2014, amounting to a 21% increase in assessed valuation.
However as Krack pointed out, with this success came the unintended consequences of growth, and its costs – in economic and human terms. He cited affordable housing as an issue as the heated real estate market displaces lower-income residents. Increased traffic congestion and downtown parking are also concerns being addressed by the Borough. As Phoenixville enters a new stage in its now-mature revitalization, its challenge now is to manage these impacts of growth with the same proactive approach that led to its success.
Graham Copeland is principal of Downtown Dynamics in Philadelphia.
