When appearances matter
Festive banners frame Connellsville’s main thoroughfares of Crawford Avenue and Pittsburgh Street lending a pleasant view to those passing quickly through town. But for those caught at a stop light, or traipsing on foot across the streets, the sights are disheartening. Empty storefronts, with dirty windows, signs of neglect and decay creeping into a once vibrant downtown. The setting is no different than many other small Southwestern Pennsylvania towns that have fizzled when replaced by shopping centers as a community’s economic centers. While Connellsville has tried small steps to attract new tenants it recognizes that it has a long way to go in helping owners fill the many vacant buildings.
This week city council, the Greater Connellsville Chamber of Commerce and a few other groups held a brainstorming session. The focus was to discuss ways to make the downtown look more attractive. Inexpensive ideas such as decorating windows of empty storefronts and tidying up were discussed. Sometimes the simplest measures such as focusing on cleanliness can do much in improving the spirit of a town and attracting suitors. Uniontown is also embarking on a similar campaign and the two cities should continue to exchange ideas.
Other propositions emerged during the meeting such as keeping people in town after 5 p.m. and on weekends, offering incentives to attract businesses, addressing high property taxes that will take time to explore and develop. Not every proposal will work upon application and not every idea will meet with success but it is encouraging that Connellsville is willing to try.