Allegheny Together
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Allegheny
Together endeavors to encourage well-planned, well-designed and
geographically-focused investment in the established, urban commercial
districts of Allegheny County while respecting the unique history,
character, and built environment of each. The program aims to help
organize and empower each community to fulfill its collective vision.
Allegheny Together is a program of:
ALLEGHENY COUNTY
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
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Please Forward this E-Newsletter!
Spread the word about the great things happening in YOUR downtown by clicking on "Forward Email" located at the bottom of this column. Thank you!
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DOWNTOWN RECOGNITION AWARD
Verona Street Crew and Public Works Department
The Verona Business District Advisory Committee would like to recognize the Verona Street Crew/Public Works Department as their Downtown Recognition Award recipient for the second quarter of 2010. The group is being recognized for their continued efforts each winter to keep the roads plowed and safe to travel. This winter was particularly difficult for them because there seemed to be another deluge of snow as soon as one was cleaned-up. Shoppers and residents were able to keep shopping and going due to their diligence and perseverance.
Russell Frazier, foreman, Tom Gravel, A.J. Guggi, and Mike Intorre are often are seen at the community park preparing equipment for the next event, making sure the streets are cleaned, fixing potholes quickly, and repairing and maintaining many aspects that make Verona a nice place to live.
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DOWNTOWN VERONA CALENDAR OF EVENTS Farmers Market
Every Thursday....Beginning June 10th
736 East Railroad Avenue
3 to 7 PM
Movies in the Park
June 25
Dusk
Title to be announced
Saturday Market
June 26 & Every Saturday
Music, Food and Bargains Galore!
East Railroad Street
8 AM to 2 PM
Annual Community Flea Market
June 26
Fourth Street
10 AM to 1 PM
Concert in the Park
Delmont Community Band
July 25
4 PM
Movies in the Park
July 30
Dusk
Title to be announced
Concert in the Park
Delmont Community Band
Rhem Cleo
July 31
7 PM
15th Annual Classic Car Cruise
August 14
4 to 9 PM
Concert in the Park
August
To be Announced
Movies in the Park
August 27
Title to be announced
Verona Fall Festival
September 9-10-11
Movies in the Park
September 27
Dusk
Halloween Parade
October 30
11 AM
Begins on East Railroad Avenue
35th Annual Verona-Oakmont Christmas Parade & Light Up Night
November 20
7 PM
To find out about fun events happening in other Allegheny Together communities, check out the Allegheny Together Events Calendar. |
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SUNFLOWER GARDEN
The Verona BDAC is proud to announce that Verona has been selected to participate in a Sunflower Bio-energy Garden Initiative that has been offered to the first six Allegheny Together communities including, Bridgeville, Elizabeth, Stowe, Swissvale, Tarentum, & Verona. The goal of this initiative is to enhance the downtown corridor with a bold statement of beautiful sunflowers while adding beauty to a formerly vacant lot transforming it into a fresh urban green space and to hopefully promote future investment and development here in our downtown.
The project will be headed up by Denise Gemallis and will enlist the help of volunteers from local community groups and individuals. G-Tech Strategies has been retained by the County to provide startup materials, as well as technical and educational assistance. The garden will be planted this May, weeded and maintained, and harvested sometime in September or October. The harvested sunflowers will be made into biofuel and possibly packaged food for the local Whole Foods market.
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POSITIVE PROGRESS IN DOWNTOWN VERONA!
Good things are happening in Verona's downtown. The Verona Business District Advisory Committee (BDAC) continues to work hard toward the goals outlined in the Annual Strategic Action Plan they created with Town Center Associates through the Allegheny Together Program. The BDAC is focused on building upon the positive aspects of downtown Verona and working towards necessary improvements.
The Architecture and Design Initiative of the BDAC recently met with Allegheny County Economic Development to discuss making application for a Design and Engineering Grant to complete the appropriate design necessary to proceed with streetscape improvements within the Verona's business district. Possible streetscape improvements being considered might include new street lighting, sidewalk improvements, wayfinding signage, street trees, and the like. Additionally, the BDAC has been working with PHLF on a revised signage ordinance proposed for the central business district which has been recommended by the BDAC to council.
In the past few months, the BDAC's Community Life Initiative applied for a GTECH Sunflower Garden Project. The application was accepted and approved. The Sunflower Garden Project plants bio-energy gardens in urban areas to address blighted lots, improve the soil conditions and appearance of the property, and serve as a transitional project for the community to foresee and possibly develop new possibilities such as parklets, etc. The BDAC committee will also be sending a member to attend Treevitalize classes. Through this program, one representative will take the required class offered through TreeVitalize to become a Tree Tender. Doing so may eventually allow Verona to participate in a program which offers free trees to the community for the business district.
Finally, as part of the committee's Business Development Initiative, the committee recently hosted a Merchant Breakfast to update the local merchants as well as community members about the committee's efforts. The Merchant Breakfast was also a forum for the introduction of two new business development programs, Downtown First and Downtown Properties, which are being offered to Verona's businesses and property owners by Town Center Associates (TCA). These innovative new programs are focused on supporting and retaining Verona's current businesses, as well as recruiting new businesses to the community. To learn more, please see the specific articles about these programs in this e-newsletter.
As you can see many positive things are happening through Verona's participation in the Allegheny Together Program and through the persistent efforts of the Township, the BDAC Committee, and the Verona's invaluable volunteers!
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NEW WEEKLY PUBLICATION
There is a new weekly publication for the Verona area called "Verona Area Focus". It can be picked up at the Giant Eagle or Dunkin Donuts. It is 'positive press' and the slogan is "focusing on your good news".
Residents and students alike are asked to submit stories, photos, poetry , memories etc. There are weekly features including Rita's Real Estate News, The Wedding Planner, Real Life Recipe Exchange, and Focus on Your Health.
Stay informed about the good things that are happening in your downtown!
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LOOKING FOR A LOCATION FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
The Bank Shops of Verona will be opening this summer in the old PNC Bank building. There is room for more shop owners who are looking for a unique place to homestead or satellite their small business.
If you are interested or have questions, please call Brian Miller at 412-720-7592. Be a part of this exciting new project!
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YOUR WORK AND YOUR HEALTH
Health and wellness are receiving a lot more attention today than they have in the past for good reason: increasing healthcare costs are a burden and more and more people are looking for ways to take control of their health and feel better. Workplace wellness is the term for any activities and policies that a business adopts to support employees making healthy lifestyle choices. Focusing on workplace wellness makes sense because a worker spends more waking hours at work than at home or anywhere else.
Often very simple changes can improve employee wellness and morale. A well-designed wellness program can help businesses see positive results in their bottom line. The Allegheny County Health Department is offering to help businesses start their own workplace wellness programs and will provide resources and technical assistance to interested businesses. Even if you own a small business there are opportunities to partner with neighboring businesses to develop wellness programs. If you would like more information please contact Darija Wiswell at the Allegheny County Health Department 412-247-7815.
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TAKE THE DOWNTOWN FIRST PLEDGE TODAY!
Join the Movement. Put Your Money Where Your House Is
"Homes located in communities with a walkable downtown business district are worth 10-20% more than homes in other communities"
The Downtown First Pledge is simple. All you have to do is try to choose businesses in your downtown first. Before looking elsewhere, try to think about what local restaurants, shops, or professionals in your community might offer the service or product you are looking for.
When you take the Downtown First Pledge, you'll quickly see the difference these simple decisions have on your quality of life. You'll spend less time in your car, get to know local business owners, and help ensure that good businesses remain in your community.
Furthermore, the economic benefits of shopping locally will be felt throughout our region by strengthening our local economies. If half the employed population spent just $50 each month in locally owned, independent businesses, it would generate more then $42.6 billion in revenue. How's that for a return on your investment!*
CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE DOWNTOWN FIRST PLEDGE TODAY. It only takes a few seconds and demonstrates your support for your community!
DOWNTOWN FIRST PLEDGE:
I PLEDGE that I will try to choose my downtown businesses FIRST. I will try to think about what restaurants, shops or professionals in my community might offer what I am looking for, before looking elsewhere. By supporting this movement, I am helping to improve the vibrancy of my community and our region.
Downtown First is a downtown business support and promotion program created by Town Center Associates.
*According to a study by the US Department of Labor |
FIND AVAILABLE PROPERTIES IN DOWNTOWN VERONA!
If
your business needed a retail storefront or office space in downtown Verona, how would you find a building currently available for sale or
lease?
Town Center Associates has the answer: a new website, www.downtownproperties.net. Think
of it as a multiple listing service just for downtown properties in
select towns in the Pittsburgh area. This site lets you search for
available commercial properties in nearly 30 area downtowns. Each
listing has a recent property photo and contact information, as well as
demographic information on the community, mapping, and other helpful
features.
If you own a downtown property that you would like to
sell, or if you have a storefront you would like to lease, contact Town
Center Associates at 724-728-0500 or 412-577-7447, or email us at tca@towncenter.info. Our
friendly staff will make sure that your property is placed on this
website for all to see. Best of all, your property will be promoted at
NO CHARGE to you! When you call or write, ask about receiving a FREE
poster that will help promote both your property and the site!
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PHLF UPDATE
Great businesses capture foot traffic, maintain their building's historical integrity, and are intensely focused on customer service. PHLF is offering technical assistance to business owners to help them make their businesses the best they can be. As many property owners are aware, Allegheny County's Allegheny Restores program is a way for you to make capital improvements to the façade of your building. However, this is not the only assistance available to you. PHLF is offering the services of an interior designer to you and your business. Our designers can help you draw in more foot traffic through an eye-catching window display, improve the interior layout of your space, and offer suggestions for new paint colors or window treatments. This is a great opportunity for your business to get recommendations from a design professional, free of charge. To set up an appointment, please contact David Farkas at 412-471-5808.As previously mentioned, Allegheny Restores is a great opportunity for property and business owners in the Allegheny Together communities to make improvements to their facades. PHLF will be stepping up its role in this area and assisting property and business owners in bidding the work out to subcontractors, as well as helping to advise about the construction phase. PHLF brings over 40 years of restoration and renovation experience, and we are excited about working with interested business and property owners.
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STAY UP TO DATE ON DOWNTOWN VERONA
With Our Quarterly E-Newsletter
You are
reading the Verona FOCUS: your quarterly downtown e-newsletter. By using
e-newsletters instead of print newsletters, we can send the information about
our downtown revitalization efforts to a greater number of people and save
paper--a win for the community and the environment!
To
receive your copy of the e-newsletter via email, simply send an email to
tca@towncenter.info and indicate your email address, as well as the name of the
town or towns for which you'd like to receive the e-newsletters. You can
also call Town Center Associates to sign up at 412-577-7447.
Please also
take a moment to forward this email along to your friends, colleagues, family
and neighbors, and encourage them to sign up today! This will help to inform
(and involve) more citizens about the revitalization efforts taking place in
our downtown. |
This e-newsletter was created by Town Center Associates for the
Allegheny Together Program of Allegheny County Economic Development.
For more information about the Allegheny Together program, please visit
www.alleghenytogether.com.
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