Downtown Honesdale Receives ‘Keystone Communities Main Street’ Designation
This week, the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Deputy Secretary of Community Affairs and Development Rick Vilello announced that Honesdale, in Wayne County, has officially been designated as a Keystone Communities Main Street, further enabling the city to support downtown businesses and improve quality of life for residents.
“The development of our communities across Pennsylvania continues to be one of the top priorities of the Wolf Administration,” said Villelo. “This Main Street designation means Honesdale is getting the additional tools they need to make their town a better place to live, work, and play for many years.”
As a designated Keystone Communities Main Street, Honesdale will receive priority status for various applications submitted to DCED and will be eligible for Neighborhood Assistance Program Enterprise Zone tax credits for private sector development within the designated Main Street program area.
“This is another big step forward in the effort to continually improve our quality of life as well as make downtown Honesdale safer for everyone,” said James Hamill, President, Honesdale Borough Council. “The borough is appreciative of the efforts of the Greater Honesdale Partnership as well as our local lawmakers who fought to bring this critical funding to the Honesdale area which will have lasting benefits. This community is special, and we are excited to see how plans develop in the coming months and years.”
Honesdale is also now eligible to receive complimentary technical assistance and programmatic support from the Pennsylvania Downtown Center over the next five years.
“The work of revitalization is never done, and it is an ever-changing process,” said Julie Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of Pennsylvania Downtown Center. “PDC looks forward to guiding Honesdale through this next stage of their strategy, so they can create the greatest impact during the next five years of their Main Street designation.”
The primary goals of designated Main Street areas are improving the quality of life in a community by making the traditional downtown area a more attractive place to live and work. They also strive to increase business development and create jobs in the area, improve the level of planning in the community, and ensure that public and private investments are impactful to the local economy.
“It’s so exciting to have this opportunity to enhance downtown Honesdale,” said Kim Fisch, President, Greater Honesdale Partnership. “Because of our designation, we can provide infrastructure upgrades such as improved sidewalks, lighting, parking, and overall pedestrian safety. It is an aesthetic framework for Honesdale, creating an environment where people want to visit and live.”
