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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WELCOME TO OUR NEW BUSINESS!
The Bluebird Restaurant
107 South Second Avenue
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DOWNTOWN RECOGNITION AWARD
Wendy Smith Buza
The Elizabeth Business District Advisory Committee has chosen Wendy Smith Buza as its 3rd Quarter Downtown Recognition recipient for 2010. Wendy is being recognized for her many contributions to our downtown initiatives. In 2001, Wendy purchased Variety Video, which dealt with movie rentals only. In the past nine years, she has expanded her enterprise to include ice cream, snacks, bill payment center, lottery and tanning salon. Variety Video Shoppe is located at 115 South Second Avenue.
Wendy also volunteers her time to various committees, including the Lewis and Clark celebration in 2001, ECA Treasurer, ECA Halloween Parade committee chair, Business District Advisory Committee (BDAC) Community Life Chair, Sunflower Garden committee chair, EACDC Treasurer and assisted with the Elizabeth War Memorial renovation. As if that is not enough, Wendy is currently working on the Scarecrow Project for September to tie in with the Sunflower garden.
The BDAC thanks Wendy for her unselfish sense of volunteerism and her dedication to our community.
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DOWNTOWN ELIZABETH CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Elizabeth Borough Senior Center
Weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
Borough Building at 6 PM
Mark Ferarri
Easy Listening-Acoustic
September 9
6:30-9:00 PM
Plum Street
Cathi Rhodes as Patsy Cline
September 10
Grand Theatre
7-9 PM
Tickets are $10 -- 412-384-0504
Karaoke with MaryBeth
September 16
6:30-9:00 PM
Plum Street
The Sapphires
70's-80's-Top 40
September 23
6:30-9:00 PM
Plum Street
Jamie Harris as Elvis
September 30
6:30-9:00 PM
Plum Street
Sunflower Harvest Party
October 23/24
Corner of 3rd & Market Streets
Halloween Parade
October 25
Line up on Second Avenue in front of M & M Uniform and Rockwell's Red Lion
7 PM
Rain Date: October 28
DJ-Halloween Music-Festivities
October 28
6:30-9:00 PM
Plum Street
To find out about fun events happening in other Allegheny Together communities, check out the Allegheny Together Events Calendar. |
SUNFLOWER GARDEN
The Elizabeth Business District Advisory Committee would like to thank the many volunteers who helped to make our sunflower garden a reality. The owners of the property John and Pat Lipp should be acknowledged for their generosity and willingness to let us use their land.
Others who participated include:  Wendy Smith, Dan Buza, James Lewis, Mitchell Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, the Order of Moose, Carol Hill, Robin Miller and daughter Katie, Jeff Tiberio and the Elizabeth Methodist Early Learning Center staff and 54 children, ages 2-12. The BDAC thanks all of them for their dedication and hardwork.
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PLUM STREET KICK OFF
It was a hot and steamy night but that didn't stop Elizabeth Borough residents and visitors from attending the Sounds Like Summer on Plum kick off on Thursday, July 22.
The Gashouse Annie Trio entertained more than 60 people with a 2 hour set from 6:30-9pm.
Sounds Like Summer on Plum will continue until the end of September and is an initiative by the Elizabeth Borough Business District Advisory Committee (BDAC) to bring residents back to the Central Business District.
Besides entertainment, the evening also encourages residents to think Downtown First, with a listing of local businesses, menusto downtown restaurants, and information on properties available in the business district.
In addition, the crowd reminisced over historic photos of Elizabeth in a vacant storefront window.
Future plans include a downtown walking map, a shopping directory, and a BDAC office where people can go for more information.
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PLUM STREET EVENT SCHEDULE
Plum Street Elizabeth
630-9pm, Free to the Public
September 9 Mark Ferarri - Easy Listening/acoustic
September 16 Karaoke with MaryBeth
September 23 The Sapphires- 70's-80s/Top 40
September 30 Jamie Harris as Elvis
October 28 DJ - Halloween music/festivities
*Schedule subject to change
In case of rain events will move to the Grand Theatre
Fundraisers for Sounds Like Summer on Plum include:
Friday, September 10- Cathi Rhodes as Patsy Cline, 7-9pm
Grand Theatre, Tickets are $10
Ticket proceeds benefit Sounds Like Summer
Call the Grand Theatre box office at 412-384-0504
Possible food Vendors during Sounds Like Summer events include Rockwell's Red Lion Restaurant, Mama Pepino's, E-Town Pizza, Moose Lodge, Masonic Lodge, The Shamrock Bar, Elizabeth VFD Bingo Hall, Grand Theatre, Variety Video Shoppe, and the Bluebird Restaurant.
To download a flyer, click here.
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HEALTHY DOWNTOWN BUSINESS PROGRAM
Allegheny
County Economic Development, Allegheny County Health Department, and
Town Center Associates (TCA) are currently implementing a new "Healthy
Downtown Business Program" in the Allegheny Together communities.
This new program has been created to make it easy for downtown business owners and their employees to implement regular exercise into their daily routine.
Each downtown business owner and all of their employees are eligible to
participate in this program, which is the first phase in creating
healthier business districts in Allegheny County.*
In August,
TCA visited all of the Allegheny Together downtown businesses to let
them know about the program and to provide them with:
· A Free "Allegheny Together Pedometer"
· A "Walking Route Map" of their downtown to make it easy for them to gauge the distance they walk each day, and achieve their mileage goals
· A Downtown Business Directory to encourage downtown businesses to support one another's businesses
· A Walking Log to keep track of their progress (which will be collected by TCA in October)
· Other handouts provided by ACHD to encourage and support healthier downtown businesses
All
of the above documents are also be available at DowntownFirst.net,
making it easy for businesses to access additional copies, etc.
During the month of September, downtown business owners and employees will track their steps walked using a free Allegheny Together pedometer.
Each week of the program, TCA will be selecting participants to receive
prizes to encourage their continued participation. An award, based on
the average number of steps walked per employee, will be given to the "Healthiest Downtown Business" and the "Healthiest Downtown Business Employee" in each Allegheny Together Community.
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WALKING FOR WELLNESS
Facts, Figures and Tips
The goal is to walk 10,000 steps every day!
The average person's stride is about 2.5 feet, which means:
2000 steps = 1 mile
10,000 steps = 5 miles
Setting a goal:
Use
the first couple of days of your walking challenge to find out how many
steps you typically take each day. Then, make a goal to increase your
daily steps by 500 steps each day. For example, if you walk 2000 steps
per day, make your goal for week 1 to walk an average of 2500 steps
each day.
Benefits of walking:
· Lower LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) and raise HDL cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol)
· Reduce risk of or manage type 2 diabetes
· Reach or maintain a healthy weight
· Lower blood pressure
· Improve self-esteem and confidence
· Build muscle strength
How to increase your steps:
· Park further from the store
· Go for a walk during your breaks
· Do a lap around the mall before shopping for anything
· Walk the stairs instead of taking the elevator or escalator
· Walk the dog or walk with a family member or friend or walk alone and enjoy the peace
· Leave the TV remote near the TV-get up when you want to change the channel or volume
· Walk around your living room during TV commercials
Where to walk:
· Your neighborhood
· Parks and trails
· The mall
· Museums
· Treadmill
Courtesy of Allegheny County Health Department
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SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS DESIGNATION PROGRAM
Allegheny
County Economic Development and Town Center Associates (TCA), in
partnership with Sustainable Pittsburgh, are launching an innovative
new "Sustainable Business Designation Program" to recognize
downtown-based businesses that are making efforts to implement
sustainable business practices. Through the support of Allegheny County
Economic Development, the new program is being launched in the
Allegheny Together communities this summer.
The Sustainable
Business Designation recognizes businesses for implementing actions
that are simultaneously good for their bottom line, the environment,
and the social fabric of their communities. Businesses that incorporate
sustainable practices into their operations are showing their
intentions to improve their performance, and as such, stand out as
valuable contributors to their local community business districts.
This
Sustainable Business Designation is reflected for each qualifying
business in the business directory for their town, available at
DowntownFirst.net. The "Sustainable Business" designation helps
consumers to identify and choose businesses who are committed to
sustainability and who view sustainability as core to their mission and
business model.
TCA and Sustainable Pittsburgh staff have been
visiting each Allegheny Together business owner to personally let them
know about the program. They will provide the business owners with
information on resources available to businesses to assist them in
implementing more sustainable practices: ultimately saving the
businesses money, and having a more positive impact on the environment.
Plans
are also underway to create a workshop for Allegheny Together business
owners. The workshop will help to inform business owners of resources
available to assist them in integrating more sustainable practices into
their operations.
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NEW PRINTABLE DOWNTOWN FIRST DIRECTORY
Print it Out. Post It On Your Refrigerator.
Find Downtown Businesses, Fast!
The
new printable Downtown Elizabeth First Directory makes it
easier than ever to choose Downtown Elizabeth businesses, first!
The
printable version of the directory provides customers with useful
contact information for downtown businesses, including business
categories, business names, and contact information. Additionally, the
directory shows which businesses are located in the downtown are
"Certified Local, Independent Businesses" and will soon also provide a
"Sustainable Downtown Business" designation for businesses that meet
established criteria.
Using innovative technology, the printable
directory PDF is automatically updated each time a change is made by a
business owner or TCA to the online Downtown First directory. This
helps to ensure that the directory you print out is up-to-date. Also,
because the directories can be printed on demand, it saves money and
paper (and helps the environment) by not requiring that an entire set
of directories is reprinted each time updated business information is
available...A win for the environment, and for our community!
Check it out today at! Visit the Elizabeth First home page on www.downtownfirst.net and you'll see the link to "Click Here for a Printable Directory" in the "Search Our Business Directory" box.
Thanks for choosing Downtown Elizabeth First! 
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FIND AVAILABLE PROPERTIES IN DOWNTOWN ELIZABETH!
Are
you looking to open a business in your downtown? Or, do you have a
storefront available for sale or lease and need to reach the people
looking for space?
Town Center Associateshas created a way for the people who need space in downtowns to find
the right property. . . and for landlords to find the right tenant!
The website www.downtownproperties.net offers
up-to-date information on all of the commercial storefronts in your
town available for sale or lease, in nearly thirty communities in
Beaver, Allegheny and Lawrence counties. This FREE service allows
owners to "list" their available storefronts that are for sale or
lease, and provides a photo of the property, the address, and
appropriate contact information.
For further information, contact Town Center Associates at 724-728-0500.
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PHLF OFFERS ASSISTANCE WITH
ALLEGHENY TOGETHER INITIATIVES
During this past summer, there were a number of construction
projects either underway or set to take place in the near future. There
are at least ten façade improvement projects taking place in various
Allegheny Together communities at various stages in the process. When
complete, the buildings will look their best and contribute positively
to their respective downtown areas. Remember, PHLF is available to work
with you and your property on a façade improvement project, and there
are funds available through Allegheny County's Allegheny Restores
matching grant program. The next round of applications will be accepted
in the fall, but we can start the planning process now so that all the
details are worked out ahead of time. Through PHLF you can also have an
interior designer come to your place of business and give you great
suggestions on creating eye-catching window displays, paint choices,
and any other interior improvement you are considering. PHLF
recently completed a number of planning documents for the two newest
Allegheny Together communities, Coraopolis and Bellevue. Both
communities received a detailed strategic plan that identified key
buildings in the downtown area, recommendations to increase foot
traffic, a traffic and parking analysis, design guidelines, and a
zoning and code review. Together, these documents will help quantify
trends in the downtown area, and help identify areas of strength and
opportunities to leverage. PHLF
is working with business owners and community members on a number of
long-term initiatives as well. We are here to assist each community
with identifying real estate development opportunities, and to create
restoration plans. Please contact David Farkas at 412-471-5808 for more
information on any of the items mentioned here.
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STAY UP TO DATE ON DOWNTOWN ELIZABETH
With Our Quarterly E-Newsletter
You are
reading the Elizabeth 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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