Main Street Matters: Shapiro Administration Designates Lewisburg as a Keystone Communities Main Street, Highlighting Importance of Governor Shapiro’s Proposed $25 Million for a New Main Street Matters Program

The designation will help boost small businesses and improve quality of life for residents in the Union County borough.

Supporting communities and main streets is an essential component of Governor Josh Shapiro’s new economic development strategy — and his 2024-25 budget proposal includes $25 million for the new Main Street Matters program.

Lewisburg, PA – Today, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger announced Lewisburg’s official designation as a Keystone Communities Main Street, which will help the Union County borough promote its historic downtown and support its small businesses.

Today’s announcement emphasizes the commitment by Governor Josh Shapiro and his Administration to strengthening the Commonwealth’s communities and main streets, including $25 million for the proposed Main Street Matters program in the Governor’s 2024-25 budget.

“We’re thrilled to designate Lewisburg as an official Keystone Communities Main Street,” said Secretary Siger. “Since day one, the Shapiro Administration has been committed to growing our economy and investing in Pennsylvania’s downtowns and main streets. The Main Street Matters program will better help us support the small businesses and commercial corridors that are the backbone of communities across our Commonwealth.”

Under the new designation, Lewisburg will now 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 area. Downtown Lewisburg Partnership (LDP), with support of Lewisburg Borough, was selected for Main Street designation after presenting DCED with a five-year strategy to guide targeted investment and project implementation in the borough. This strategy includes planning to help transform the downtown area into the region’s premier community for arts, entertainment, and dining.

“Our main street small businesses are the foundation of our local communities and economy,” said State Senator Gene Yaw. “This designation will help prioritize efforts to revitalize our region and make it a better place to live, work and visit.”

“Lewisburg Borough recognizes the importance of a vibrant main street for sustainable community and economic development,” said Lewisburg Mayor Kendy Alvarez. “Designation as a Keystone Main Street highlights the commitment of the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership and by extension the Borough of Lewisburg in creating a place to live, work, play, visit, and belong.”

Lewisburg is also now eligible to receive complimentary technical assistance and programmatic support from the Pennsylvania Downtown Center over the next five years.

“Becoming a designated Keystone Communities Main Street will assist our efforts to create sustainable and inclusive growth for the economy of downtown Lewisburg,” said Ellen Ruby Executive Director, Lewisburg Downtown Partnership. “We intend to pursue strategies to support economic growth by incentivizing business development, expansion, and legacy; cultivating a unique identity for our downtown; supporting workforce development; and continuously working to assess and adapt as needed.”

During his visit to downtown Lewisburg, Secretary Siger and local leaders met with the owners and employees of the Blooming Rooster, Campus Theatre, Lewisburg Studio, Retrah and Dwellings and TasteCraft.

“As the state partner with DCED and the state coordinator with the National Main Street Center, we value the vision and support that the Commonwealth continues to provide to our Main Street program,” said Julie Fitzpatrick, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Downtown Center. “We look forward to assisting Lewisburg Downtown Partnership over these next five years to enhance their economic vitality and quality of life, helping them create the greatest impact in their downtown and community.”

Governor Shapiro’s proposed new Main Street Matters program will be administered through DCED and will build on the existing successes of the current Keystone Communities Program in supporting downtowns, main streets, and surrounding neighborhoods. It will provide for a refresh of the current structure to address a wide variety of needs throughout communities and invest in their revitalization and future prosperity.

The Governor’s 2024-25 budget calls for significant investments directly tied back to Pennsylvania’s first Economic Development Strategy in nearly two decades.

In addition to the $25 million for the Main Street Matters program, other proposed economic development investments in the Governor’s budget include: $500 million in PA SITES funding to bring more commercial and industrial sites to Pennsylvania; $20 million to support large-scale innovation and leverage Pennsylvania’s best-in-class research and development assets; and $3.5 million to create and launch the Pennsylvania Regional Economic Competitiveness Challenge to incentivize regional growth.

You can read Pennsylvania’s first economic development strategy in 20 years. For more information on how the Governor’s proposed budget will create opportunity for all Pennsylvanians, visit Governor Josh Shapiro’s Budget website.

For more information about the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority or the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Penny Ickes, dcedpress@pa.gov

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