What we are: The Hellertown Business Revitalization Program is made up of local government officials, business owners, active citizens and paid staff from the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. It is a joint effort of Lehigh and Northampton counties, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and the nine participating boroughs.
Our goal: The goal of the HBRP is to increase business within Hellertown.
How: By utilizing the Main Street™ approach. This approach is a multi-pronged effort designed to enhance the physical condition of Main Street, create coalitions between public and private entities, organize promotional events that increase overall business and exposure to customers and to assist in the economic restructuring of Main Street in a manner that both creates new businesses and expands already existing ones.
Previous success – across America: Among areas engaged in Main Street, the facts speak for themselves:
- Dollars reinvested in Main Streets: $41.6 billion
- Average reinvestment per community: $11,000
- Net gain in businesses: 77,800
- Net gain in jobs: 349,148
- Number of building rehabilitations: 186,820
It is important to note that these gains were only realized through involvement in committees such as the HBRP, and while businesses not participating did benefit, they did not benefit nearly as much as those who are active in the Main Street efforts.
Previous success – Hellertown: Despite its relatively young age, the HBRP has already accomplished a great deal, including:
- Assisted in the promotion and management of Hellertown Community Day parade.
- Business directory distributed to residents and other businesses.
- Numerous grand opening ceremonies attended by local officials and media.
- Helped with the promotion, planning and execution of Hellertown’s first Farmers’ Market.
- Ensured Main Streets businesses and residents are represented in the development of a Saucon Valley Comprehensive Plan.
- Prioritized need for streetscape and pedestrian safety improvements with Borough Manager.
Upcoming Events and Projects:
- Façade Program: Hellertown will be distributing at least $13,500 in grants that are dedicated to the improvement of the facades of Main Street businesses and residences. Applications will be due sometime around June.
- Farmers’ Market: Only in its second year of operation, the Farmers’ Market is an unquestionable success and is quickly becoming one of the largest in the Valley. Not only does the Market provide fresh food from local farmers at a reasonable cost, but it has a spill-over effect of increasing business throughout Hellertown.
- Restaurant Guide/Doors of Hellertown: Hellertown, replete with classical architecture and a variety of restaurants, is launching two new promotional methods. The first, the Hellertown Restaurant Guide, will contain information on all of Hellertown’s various eateries and will be distributed through the Lehigh Valley. The second project, the Doors of Hellertown, will be a poster that will feature pictures of selected establishments in Hellertown. Like the Restaurant Guide, it will be distributed Valley-wide.
How you can benefit:
- Increase your business: The most basic and obvious reason is that an enhanced Main Street increases business. Joining the HBRP and contributing to the revitalization efforts is bound to have positive effects for your business.
- Contribute to the revitalization of Main Street: One of the key principals of the Main Street approach is that volunteer effort is required in order to bring back Main Streets. There are no hand outs and no free lunches. Without volunteer effort, Main Street falls apart. Remember, revitalizing Main Street can only serve to improve your business.
- Develop Main Street Marketing: How many customers and businesses have since left Main Street for the safety and uniformity of suburban malls? A large part of this flight is due to a coordinated marketing effort that malls promote. People don’t go to malls to shop in one store, they do so to shop in multiple stores and see what malls have to offer. That kind of coordinated approach is needed to ensure that Main Street thrives.
- Influence the decisions of the committee: The HBRP wants to be bigger and more representative of the Hellertown business community. By joining, you ensure that your business has a stake in all decisions made. Accordingly, you can help create and influence events so that your business will profit!
- Get the latest on local promotions and grants: The HBRP is an excellent way to find grants and other promotional tools that will enable your business to grow and prosper. Getting involved with the HBRP gives you the opportunity to have the first look at these opportunities.
- Networking: Members of the HBRP include local elected officials, business owners and members of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. Joining this committee allows you to discuss and share expertise with these people, as well as ensures that you always have a voice with some of the more prominent local leaders. It also gives you the opportunity to develop relationships with other businesses in the area, providing you with a method to share advice and expertise.
- Help build a sense of community: Every study has shown that a successful Main Street is a key way to redevelop civic pride and a real sense of community in an area. These civic-oriented feelings always lead to increased business.
How you can get involved: Contact Mike Schlossberg, Hellertown Business Manager, at 610-841-5809 or MikeS@lehighvalleychamber.org.