Coalition developed to help revitalize Brownsville
BROWNSVILLE – A number of organizations in Brownsville are working together to bring about economic revitalization in the community. Greater Brownsville Area Chamber of Commerce President Frank Ricco said the chamber recently participated in a Brownsville Coalition meeting. The coalition includes the chamber, the Brownsville Area Revitalization Corporation (BARC), the Brownsville Historical Society and Brownsville Borough Council. The coalition had met in previous years, but had been dormant for the past several years.
“We’re going to meet regularly to try to bring projects to the community for the betterment of the community,” Ricco said.
Lou Orslene, the executive director of BARC, said the borough has received a major opportunity through the Appalachian Regional Commission. Brownsville will be working with an organization called Civic Economics to carry out a major project in Brownsville over the next several years.
“We are the town in all of the state of Pennsylvania (for the program.) In all of the 12 states in Appalachia, one town was selected in each state,” Orslene said.
Orslene said the next six to eight months will involve planning, public hearings and focus groups to select the project, followed by one and a half to two years to implement it. Both the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission and the state Department of Community and Economic Development are also participating in the project which should be in line with the plan for the region, Orslene said.
One model being viewed is the one used by Sustainable Pittsburgh, an organization using a festival approach to draw people into the community.
“(Chamber director) John Evans has suggested using the parking lot in the center of town and projecting old movies of Brownsville on the wall there,” Orslene said.
Orslene said more events are also planned for the Brownsville Wharf and Riverside Park this year. Several concerts were held on the wharf following its opening in 2002.
“The original idea of the coalition was to bring the organizations together so each knew what the others were doing,” Ryan said.
It was also suggested that a separate committee be formed as part of BARC for the proposed steamboat museum. BARC has obtained a state grant to purchase a site.
“The big thing is to get a facility, then we can really move forward. We have to get a facility by the end of this year, or we lose the money,” Ricco said.
Harold Richardson said there is an organization in Ohio willing to provide some funding for exhibits. The group also has several artifacts it is willing to give away. Richardson said he would like to see Brownsville to be in a position to acquire some of those artifacts before they are given away to another museum.
In other matters, the results of the elections for new directors were announced. Scott Bowman, Nelda Ware, Marie Lunden, Carl DellaPena, Ruth Ann Gianetti, Jackie Bevard, Debbie George, Barb Carrol and John Evans will serve until 2005. Marlene Hogan will fill a vacancy and will serve until 2004.
The executive board will remain the same, with Ricco as president, John Voytovich as vice president, Bowman as secretary and Ware as treasurer.