New Beginning: Allentown’s Warrington Avenue Poised For A Makeover

The crowd inside — and eventually outside — 816 E. Warrington Ave. one recent evening gathered to showcase a newly renovated Allentown property. The former Ken’s Variety had been vacant for more than 20 years.

As the evening deepened, “Open in Allentown,” a “pop-up” event with a garage-style glass door rolled up, became a stew of neighborhood leaders, investors, consultants, residents of Allentown and nearby neighborhoods mingling over cocktails and catered nibbles.

The event and mix of people signified what Hilltop Alliance executive director Aaron Sukenik called “Warrington Avenue in its reinvention phase.”

One mile from Downtown (Pittsburgh) and cradled by the hot markets of Mount Washington and the South Side Slopes, Allentown is riddled with residential blight, and 35 percent of its commercial properties are vacant. But the newly repaved Warrington Avenue is on the cusp of a transition from being seedy to being seen.

Read more:

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/04/06/New-beginning-in-Allentown-Warrington-Avenue-poised-for-a-makeover/stories/201504060015

“Pop Up” Store Trend Coming To Pittsburgh

Image via Wikipedia

This is a great idea that could be applied in Pottstown to help fill our empty downtown!

A new trend has developed that is being successfully used in several cities across the county.  “Pop up” stores are being used to fill empty retail spaces.  These temporary stores and exhibits are helping to increase foot traffic and decrease crime in downtown areas.  Seattle has been very successful with this approach and has filled 25 store fronts in 11 months.  Pittsburgh hopes to fill 15 store fronts using this idea.

I am sure you have all seen seasonal pop up stores in the mall for Halloween and Christmas, for example.  They may only need space for a few months however, at least the store front is occupied part of the time.  Pittsburgh is also looking at artists who need studio and exhibition space along with retailers.  The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership has hired consultants to oversee their new grant program that gives operators and artists start-up grants from $1,500 to $10,000.

Here is a link to Pittsburgh’s website that goes into more detail about the program:

http://projectpopuppittsburgh.wordpress.com/