THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF BEAVER COUNTY DOWNTOWNS

Beaver County's traditional, walkable business districts collectively represent one of the most compelling, unique and economically significant attributes of our County. The Beaver County Commissioners are proud to support the Beaver County Main Street Network, and wanted to share some key data regarding their importance and economic impact on our region and our residents:

• There are currently over 550 STREET-LEVEL BUSINESS in Beaver County's central downtown business districts

• According to research conducted by Carnegie Mellon University in 2013, it is projected that those 550 businesses PROVIDE JOBS FOR BETWEEN 2,750 - 3,300 EMPLOYEES

• In 2013, more than 35 NEW STREET-LEVEL BUSINESSES opened in our traditional downtown business districts, and provided a projected 175-200 JOBS in Beaver County

• More than 115 COMMUNITY EVENTS were hosted by municipal leaders and volunteers in Beaver County Downtowns in 2013, providing a central place for residents to gather and celebrate their community, as well as supporting our downtown businesses.

BEAVER COUNTY DOWNTOWNS

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

February 15

AACC 2nd Annual Ambridge Merchant Wine & Chocolate Walk

2 to 5 PM

February 21-22, 28, March 1-2

Stage Door

Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, 1 Lincoln Park, Midland

Friday: 7:30 PM

Saturday: 2 PM, 7:30 PM

Sunday: 2 PM

March 1

Museum Store Class: Free Form Woodcarving

Old Economy Village, 270 16th Street, Ambridge

11 AM to 2 PM

March 7-9

The Music and the Mirror: A Tribute to Marvin Hamlisch

Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, 1 Lincoln Park, Midland

Friday: & Saturday: 7:30 PM

Sunday: 2 PM

March 14

River City Brass: The Power of Light

Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, 1 Lincoln Park, Midland

7:30 PM

March 20

Jazz in the Box

Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, 1 Lincoln Park, Midland

7:30 PM

March 22

Kickin' It Country For Kids' Sake

Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, 1 Lincoln Park, Midland

7:30 PM

April 4-6, 11-13

Little Shop of Horrors

Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, 1 Lincoln Park, Midland

Friday & Saturday: 7:30 PM

Sunday: 2 PM

April 12

Forever Family 5K Run and Fun Walk

Beaver Fire Station, 165 Market Street

Registration: 7:30 to 8:30 AM

Race Begins: 9 AM

April 12

Easter Egg Hunt

Old Economy Village, 270 16th Street, Ambridge

9 to 11 AM

April 12

Bunny Hop

Third Street, Beaver

10 AM to 12 PM

April 19

Easter Egg Hunt for children 11 and under

John A. Antoline Memorial Park, 1098 Jackson Avenue, Monaca

1 PM

April 26

Clean the Four Areas on 4th Street, Midland

Please contact West End Renaissance Committee

724-931-0387

April 26-27, May 2-4

Jesus Christ Superstar In Concert

Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, 1 Lincoln Park, Midland

Friday: 7:30 PM

Saturday: 2 PM, 7:30 PM

Sunday: 2 PM

WARMLY WELCOMING OUR NEW
DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES  

Join us in welcoming and supporting new businesses that have recently chosen to invest in Beaver County by locating their businesses in our downtowns.

Midland:

Bob Sell's Used Furniture

714 Midland Avenue

Phone: 412-721-8922

Household Furnishings

Monaca:

Timeless Portraits

911 Pennsylvania Avenue

Phone: 724-888-2572

Photography Studio and Services 

Did we inadvertently miss your new downtown business? We apologize in advance! Just let us know and we'll recognize it in the next Beaver County Main Network newsletter. 

BEAVER COUNTY DOWNTOWNS

RECOGNIZING OUR DOWNTOWN LEADERS
  

SUSPENDED COFFEE 

A Creative Community Concept for
Downtown Businesses to Consider

Shopping and dining DowntownFirst has many positive benefits for our downtown businesses and our entire community. The payback of supporting our downtown businesses extends throughout our community in a multitude of ways, such as helping to retain good quality businesses. Sometimes the benefits are also more subtle and some touch our hearts.

Here's an inspirational story of one way that downtown businesses and their customers could spread goodwill throughout our community. Perhaps a business in your downtown might want to bring this idea to life in Beaver County....

"We entered a little coffeehouse with a friend of mine and gave our order. While we were approaching our table two people came in and they go to the counter: 'Five coffees, please. Two of them for us and three suspended.' They pay for their order, take the two and leave.

I ask my friend: "What are those 'suspended' coffees?" My friend says, "Wait for it and you will see." Some more people enter. Two girls ask for one coffee each, pay and go. The next order was for seven coffees and it was made by three lawyers - three for them and four 'suspended'.

While I still wonder what's the deal with those 'suspended' coffees, I enjoy the sunny weather and the beautiful view towards the square in front of the café. Suddenly a man dressed in shabby clothes comes in through the door and kindly asks 'Do you have any suspended coffee?'

It's simple - people pay in advance for a coffee meant for someone who cannot afford a warm beverage. The tradition with the suspended coffees started in Naples, but it has spread all over the world and in some places you can order not only a suspended coffee, but also a sandwich or a whole meal.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have such cafés or even grocery stores in every town where the less fortunate will find hope and support? If you own a business why don't you offer it to your clients? I am sure many of them will like it."

From Scott Sonnon 

"I WISH THIS VACANT STOREFRONT WAS A....."

A New Idea for Bringing Attention to
Your Available Downtown Properties

As we walk the main street of our downtowns, it is impossible not to sometimes look at a vacant storefront that maybe we pass daily and think, "that would be a great place for a bakery, a coffee shop, an ice cream shop, or an...." In other words, "I Wish This Were...." a business serving my community.

"I Wish This Were" is an inspiring project started by artist, Candy Chang. Chang has a background in urban planning and her projects explore quiet ways to reflect and share within a public space. Chang's public art projects began as a way to ask her neighbors questions that she was too shy to ask in person. The "I Wish This Were" project was inspired by vacant storefronts that she observed in her area.

Candy Chang created fill-in-the-blank stickers as an experiment to see what would happen if people could state what they'd like to see in these vacant spaces. She placed boxes of free stickers in businesses around the city and posted grids of blank stickers on vacant buildings for anyone to write in responses.

To read more and to see photos of many great responses, please visit http://candychang.com/i-wish-this-was. 

Is there an available space in a local Beaver County downtown you'd like to learn more about? If so, please visit DowntownProperties.Net for more information. 

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT OUR DOWNTOWNS!

We are excited about our new newsletter of shared information and believe that it will serve all communities with their business district revitalization efforts!  We would also appreciate it if you would share this information with others who might be interested. They can sign up to receive this free e-newsletter by sending an email to: tca@towncenter.info.