CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield Revitalization Corp., (CRC) has been designated as an accredited National Main Street Program for meeting the commercial district revitalization performance standards set by the National Main Street Center®, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Each year the National Main Street Center and its partners announce the list of accredited Main Street® programs. These programs have established revitalization organizations and demonstrated the ability to implement the Main Street Four Point Approach® to strengthen their local economy and to protect their historic buildings.
“We congratulate this year’s nationally-accredited Main Street programs for meeting our established performance standards,” said Valecia Crisafulli, acting director of the National Main Street Center. “Accredited Main Street programs are meeting the challenges of the downtown in the economy head-on and are successfully using a focused, comprehensive revitalization strategy to keep their communities vibrant and sustainable.”
The CRC’s performance is annually-evaluated by the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, (PDC) which works in partnership with the National Main Street Center to identify the local programs that meet 10 performance standards. These standards measure a Main Street program’s implementation of the Main Street Four Point Approach® and identify communities that are building comprehensive and sustainable revitalization efforts. These standards include developing a mission, fostering strong public-private partnerships, securing an operating budget, tracking economic progress and preserving historic buildings.
The CRC is operated by a board of directors, four sub-committees and staff, including Main Street Manager Kellie Swales and Assistant Chris Renaud. The board’s executive officers are Dr. Keely Casteel, president; Rob Bozovich, vice president; Joe Kelly, treasurer; Katie Penoyer, secretary. Board directors include Leslie Stott, Lisa Kovalick, Eric Cummings, Bill Wood, Katie Miknis, Darla Smay and Jim Schell.
The CRC strives to make downtown Clearfield and its surrounding neighborhoods vital places to live and to work. Over the past four years, the CRC has grown by “leaps and bounds” and continues to set its benchmarks high.
The Promotions Committee championed its second Fall Festival, drawing more than 100 vendors. In addition, its Pumpkin Run 5K saw more than 415 entrants. Its festival closed streets while vendors lined the downtown for “a family day of food, entertainment and fun.”
The CRC plans to offer the festival again Oct. 12. But new this summer is the first-ever Bloom and Berry Bash that will be held June 22. With the same concept as the Fall Festival, the CRC will close downtown streets for berry-themed “family fun, entertainment, vendors and sidewalk sales.”
“These events, along with many others, create a sense of place increasingly lost to suburban sprawl,” said Swales. “It’s the CRC’s motivation to retain or regain community spirit and a sense of place, so that our citizens desire to work in a place they are proud to call home.”
The CRC’s Design Committee received a State Townie Award for its Program-Wide Facade Restoration. The CRC had the highest return on investment in the state since 2010 for its Facade Improvement Program, which is implemented in the Main Street District.
To date, a total of $105,606.75 of the state’s Department of Economic Development’s (DCED) facade monies have been awarded to commercial properties. This has spurred a total private investment of $293,407.16 and translated into a private/public dollar ratio of 2.78:1. Since the program’s inception, a private investment in the Main Street District on projects not funded through the CRC has totaled more than $10 million.
“Receiving this accreditation for the third year speaks volumes about the CRC’s dedication to the Main Street Program, the businesses and community, “said Swales. “Not every Main Street Community receives accreditation.
“. . . The CRC has been very aggressive to make a difference in Clearfield and to engage our citizens. Last year, together as a community, we had more than 11,000 volunteer hours toward the revitalization of the All-America people, places and spirit of Clearfield.”
Swales added, “We were once an All-America City, and I can see us striving for that designation again in our future. Revitalization occurs when a community works together, and our program has continued to take steps forward. It’s growing and involving more people. We hold our accreditation high, as it is a very rigorous process set forth by the National Main Street Program”
Swales offered a sincere thank you to the CRC and its community. She wants them to continue to strive together during its fourth year.
Established by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1980, the National Main Street Center helps communities of all sizes revitalize their older and historic commercial districts. Working in more than 2,200 downtowns and urban neighborhoods over the last 32 years, the Main Street program has leveraged more than $55.7 billion in new public and private investment. Participating communities have created 473,535 net new jobs and 109,693 net new businesses, and rehabilitated more than 236,418 buildings, leveraging an average of $18 in new investment for every dollar spent on their Main Street district revitalization efforts.