Redevelopment Works

Since we’ve been talking a fair bit recently about “what will be” and “what can be,” I figured it’s about time for a “what is”…

Last week we talked about differing realities, and how they can complicate the important work of relationship-building between redevelopment partners. This week we’re going to…

Over the last few weeks we’ve been talking a lot about big, regional-scale redevelopment partnerships and programs. Such partnerships come with their own set of…

I often get asked what exactly redevelopment is, or what kind of projects we are involved in, and it can be challenging to succinctly describe…

In the last column, I mentioned the creation of a regional coalition of redevelopment partners. I threw out some soundbites like “innovation ecosystem” and “regional…

Fall is firmly here, and with the change of seasons comes a flurry of updates in local redevelopment! You may have noticed that I’ve been…

On Thursday, Sept. 23, the Oil Region Alliance held its 16th Annual Meeting at Cross Creek Resort in Titusville. Having missed last year’s meeting due…

When you think of collaboration, what do you imagine? Do you think of folks pitching in, lending a hand, and getting a job done? Or…

Over the last few weeks, we’ve looked at the impact of partnerships and cooperation – or the lack thereof – on community redevelopment efforts. When…

Last week I shared the inspirational tale of a little town in Kentucky that has done well for itself through persistence, partnerships, and positive thinking….

“Don’t tell me why we can’t do it. Just tell me how.” Those were the words of Eddie DeArmond, the mayor of a small town…

The summer has certainly been abuzz with happenings celebrating our local connections, and on Wednesday, July 28, Emlenton’s own local art cooperative joined in with…

As we settle into the long, sultry days of late summer, many of us are enjoying a bumper crop of delicious fruits and veggies from…

Happy August!  If you’re like me, you’re wondering where the year has gone, as 2021 certainly has been a busy, event-filled year for many of…

On Monday, July 19, residents of Foxburg and the surrounding area sat down with an enthusiastic Keystone SMILES AmeriCorps crew to share some delicious food…

By guest columnist – ORA President John Phillips Summerfest 2021 is over, and memories were made as families, friends, and foreigners gathered and mixed as…

Local redevelopment was a bit more exciting than usual recently with a visit from US Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson! Congressman Thompson, who is a top…

Redevelopment, at its core, is all about change – finding new ways of doing things or utilizing spaces to better serve local needs. Sometimes this…

This week I’d like to take a moment to show some appreciation for the folks in our area who are working toward a more robust…

If you don’t already have July 9–11 on your calendar, mark it now! Go ahead, I’ll wait… Okay, now that you’ve got it penciled in,…

Following on from last week’s topic of our children and their truly wonderful ideas, I’d like to share one of those ideas this week in…

Redevelopment work requires significant input and feedback from the community so that those of us pulling strings together to weave the tapestry of our future…

It took two tries, but with the second snip of the giant scissors on Saturday, May 15, the multi-colored ribbon was cut and the River…

  The last year caused the postponement or cancellation of a lot of events and projects, including many we had lined up in local redevelopment….

More than a year and a half ago, Dr. David McDeavitt and I had a dream: to create a space on school grounds that would…

Today I’d like to give you a sneak peek behind the scenes of one of the most involved and hard-hitting parts of redevelopment work. This…

Spring 2021 feels like a breath of fresh air on so many levels. We’ve still had a few snowstorms to deal with – both literal…

  Rick Sheffer grew up in Emlenton in the 1950s and 60s. Though he moved out of the area many years ago, Rick keeps Emlenton…

Last week, I talked about Pittsburgh’s P4 redevelopment framework, a model built on equitable and balanced consideration of People, Place, Performance, and Planet. If you’re…

With a rust-belt legacy linked directly with ours, Pittsburgh’s recent redevelopment efforts provide theoretical guidelines that show promise for our own region, while highlighting the…

Since taking up my local redevelopment role, I’ve had the honor of talking to a number of folks who have been involved in similar efforts…

This time last year, I was thanking folks for offering to donate items to our School Farm project and looking forward to getting our hands…

We’re sure by this point everyone in Emlenton has seen or heard about the construction project taking place in and along the river at the…

Today, I’d like to talk a bit about something that most of us try to avoid, even though it’s a perfectly normal and natural part…

Anne Schleiden loves our local rail-trails. After moving to the Chicora area from Cranberry Township more than twenty years ago, Anne settled into the relaxed…

All around the globe, people have been stepping up, responding to the challenges brought about or highlighted by the events of the last year. Small…

Last week, I shared the tale of a very successful redevelopment project that sparked the transformation of an entire region. As I alluded to, though,…

I’d like to tell you a story about a town with a challenging history. This is a town that was built up on 19th century…

Like so many of us, Joseph Croskey’s journey has been a winding road, part strategy and intention and part luck and circumstance. Continual life redevelopment,…

Last week, we talked about the importance of perspective for redevelopment work. Quite simply, no one person, no matter how well they think they might…

I work in an interesting field, where change is celebrated, challenges are embraced, and differing thoughts are not just invited but needed. Redevelopment, after all,…

Last week, we explored how the ORA has adapted and evolved over the last decade and a half. To start off the new year, we’re…

The ORA looked very different fifteen years ago than it does today. I sat down recently with current CEO John Phillips to talk about the…

We’ve been talking a fair bit about the theory of redevelopment – what it’s about and what sorts of activities it can entail. Today, though,…

In this time of all-things-virtual, it can feel…challenging, to say the least… to find ways to get involved in the community. Many of our local…

With the holiday season now officially underway, we are continuing the conversation on being involved in the community through ideas, action, and support. Last week…

Last week, I encouraged everyone to get involved in redevelopment, and this week I want to offer some specific examples of how. There are three…

Thursday, Nov. 5, was a momentous day for local redevelopment. After a year of grant-writing, waiting, strategizing, more waiting, and logistical planning, we finally had…

As I’m sure is abundantly clear by now, redevelopment is all about people. Sure, we work on the places and things around us, but the…

This week, I’d like to get personal. I’d like to talk about what redevelopment really means for me, and for you. It’s all well and…