Jul 9, 2002 By Joyce Koballa 4 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – City officials are hoping that the owners of vacant buildings in the downtown area will cooperate in having their windows and doors decorated with various signs or displays in an effort to revitalize the community. In sharing that common vision, the city conducted its first informal meeting on Monday sponsored by city council, the Greater Connellsville Chamber of Commerce and various organizations.

A number of local business and property owners, as well as residents, attended the meeting along with Mayor Judy Reed, council members Chris Wagner, Judy Keller and Donna Holdorf, executive director of the National Road Heritage Park of Pennsylvania.

Holdorf, who is also a member of the “Team” to revitalize downtown Uniontown, provided insight as to what the neighboring community is doing in order to achieve that goal.

“This is grass roots,” said Holdorf of the revitalization.

Because blight is considered to be a problem across the country, Holdorf said the first step to revitalization is to clean up a concentrated area.

In Uniontown, Holdorf said the revitalization committee is contacting the owners of vacant buildings and asking them for permission for business owners to enter their facility four to six times a year to put a display in the window.

In return, the advertising business would be responsible for keeping the windows clean as well as the sidewalk. “It’s a small project that people can wrap their hands around and takes a short amount of time to produce,” said Holdorf.

According to Holdorf, the best way to begin a revitalization project is to start with one block that generally serves as the city’s anchor. In Connellsville, officials agreed to start with Brimstone Corner.

As the next step, Holdorf suggested the city distribute a survey geared toward the perspective customer of the downtown area, asking what type of shops people are looking for and what types of services are lacking. Holdorf added an area should also be attractive, comfortable and safe.

On the other hand, local business owner David Mongell said such a survey was conducted 15 years ago by the city’s downtown business district authority that cost the city a large amount of money.

Although there are people downtown during the day, Holdorf said the project needs to determine how to keep them there after 5 p.m. and bring them in on the weekends, said Holdorf. “There has to be a shift in the perception of what it’s like to shop in downtown Connellsville,” she added.

Wrote said she wanted to see the community flourish again, but the residents need to patronize the downtown businesses more. Wrote said property taxes are also a major issue.

As a retired business owner, Bill Swan said it is virtually impossible to rent office space for $250 to $300 a month, agreeing to accept $150 a month from one prospective business. “We just lost two 5-and-10’s and you have to get that back,” said Swan.

“We don’t have a fear factor, but we certainly have a filth factor,” added Swan.

Bill Bosley, a member of the Connellsville Historical Society, recalled that the city was in the same situation in the 1930s. “We used the same clean-up idea then, and it worked,” Bosley added.

Several of Bosley’s suggestions for revitalization included the possibility of having more government offices in the city, such as those in the Fayette County Courthouse. Bosley said the vacant building windows could also benefit local artwork.

With the Yough River Trail a main attraction in the city, Bosley said another possibility would be for white water rafting outfitters in Ohiopyle to expand their businesses here.

While councilwoman Judy Keller said she has always shopped downtown, she cringed when McCrory’s went out of business and the dollar store relocated to Eighth Street.

In comparing the city’s downtown with Mount Pleasant, business owner David Mongell said that Connellsville doesn’t have a downtown business district authority that taxes the business owners. Mongell added that such an authority in the city would only drive businesses out. For that reason, Mongell suggested the city look into a retail incubator, which helps new business owners with rental fees based on their longevity.

Following the closing of McCrory’s earlier this year, a real estate agent said negotiations fell through on the deal when the potential buyer learned there were no incentives downtown.

With three new council members on board, Reed said the city also has a new zoning officer and has made a lot of code enforcement changes.

“You don’t have to be a business owner, but if you maintain your property that is the key,” said Reed.

Wagner said she will begin contacting vacant business and property owners today. Anyone who is interested in serving on the city’s revitalization committee should contact Wagner at 724-439-1360.