Fishtown Action, or FACT, recently hosted several guest speakers from local community organizations to highlight recent accomplishments and to discuss future plans to beautify residential and commercial districts in Fishtown and surrounding communities. With the upswing of a loud metal door, the meeting in Holy Name Church Hall opened to the public
The meeting began with guest speaker Angie Williamson of the New Kensington Community Development Corporation. Williamson is the NKDC’s Economic Development Director, and she has been working hard to bring area development especially along the Girard corridor. The list of improvements included the hiring of two maintenance workers to clean commercial areas, sidewalk “bump outs” at 12 different intersections to give pedestrians safer crossing, planting 60 trees along Girard Avenue, and new light columns at Girard and Columbia Avenues. She also cited 23 new area businesses, 253 instances where NKCDC helped or visited an area business and 12 façade improvements which were done with a 50 percent reimbursement if they were done within the Girard corridor.
Williamson and the NKCDC also provide services such as obtaining permits and strategies to help businesses better connect with the community.
Joseph Rafter, Chairperson of the Penn Treaty Special Services District, which receives money directly from SugarHouse Casino in compliance with the Community Benefits Agreement entered into by the casino and the community. Rafter highlighted the successful concert series at Penn Treaty Park, an upcoming block party at SugarHouse with musical guests including The Hooters, and stated that the PTSSD is still working to have surveillance cameras installed around the area.
The PTSSD oversees the distribution of Sugarhouse funds to area groups. They will be receiving $500,000 dollars from SugarHouse at the end of the month, bringing the total received at over $1 million. “That would have been a lot of bake sales,” says FACT president Maggie O’Brien.
FACT is one of those groups receiving money from PTSSD. They’ve put part of their share toward designing and producing banners to be hung on light poles along Richmond Street, Lehigh Street, York Street and Girard Avenue. The banners represent a three part theme of art, history and community.
Another interesting project is the creation of a Live Nation run concert venue at 2055 Richmond Street. Live nation is responsible for major area venues including Susquehanna Bank Center and Wachovia Center. The project was voted against last fall. New zoning changes have allowed the venue to possibly come to fruition. However, the potential owner has yet to make settlement on the building. The work to renovate the building would be done by union workers. There are concerns over parking and an upswing of people in the area. The property currently has a parking capacity of 200 vehicles, and planners would like to expand to areas under I-95. The need for a police presence is also being discussed, as well as a no tailgating policy.
