West Chester, Pa (November 15, 2022) – The Coatesville 2nd Century Alliance was awarded $80,000 in state funding to support Coatesville’s ongoing community revitalization, state Senator Carolyn Comitta and state Rep. Dan Williams said.
The funding comes through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), which promotes community participation and collaboration among nonprofit, business, and residential projects in distressed areas or low-income neighborhoods.
“Successful revitalization calls for cooperation and collaboration among community members, businesses, and organizations. As work on the new Coatesville train station continues and more projects are on the horizon, investments like this help support and strengthen the city’s downtown business district,” Comitta said. “I want to thank the 2nd Century Alliance for its ongoing work in the team effort that is driving Coatesville to success and growth.”
“This funding will help continue the hard work we and members of the community are doing to revitalize Coatesville. By improving opportunity and quality-of-life, we can go a long way to building Coatesville back better than before,” Williams said.
NAP projects are designed to improve access to job and economic opportunities, quality education, affordable housing, quality-of-life amenities, and other key factors in building healthy communities.
The program has five main components: The Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), Special Program Priorities (SPP), the Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP), Charitable Food Program (CFP), and the Enterprise Zone Program (EZP). The funding for Coatesville comes through the Neighborhood Partnership Program.
“The NPP tax credit program is a critical source of funding for our downtown initiatives. We are grateful to Senator Comitta and our private sector donors, Knox Equipment Rental and Bob and Jennifer McNeil, our partners in this program who recognize the vital importance of a sustained, strategic approach to revitalizing Coatesville’s commercial district,” said Sonia Huntzinger, Executive Director of the 2nd Century Alliance.
In Coatesville, the funds will support the fifth year of the 2nd Century Alliance’s downtown revitalization plan, focusing on the retention, celebration, and promotion of the existing business base. Specifically, the alliance plans to utilize the funds to support:
- Façade improvements to enhance the existing building stock and entice new businesses to the district.
- Downtown small businesses growth by providing financial assistance to help new businesses launch or existing businesses reach the next level.
- The “Made in Coatesville” Small Business Incubator, which provides a cost-effective, physical location where entrepreneurs can sell and market their goods and services. This initiative aims to provide businesses with the necessary tools that will give them the greatest chance for growth, success, and adding jobs to the community.
“Pennsylvania’s communities are the foundation of our economic success,” said Gov. Wolf. “The Neighborhood Assistance Program encourages businesses to make impactful investments in worthy projects across the commonwealth, helping to improve the lives of Pennsylvanians. The rewards we can provide through tax credits in this important program advance and improve communities and ensure Pennsylvania remains the best place to live, work, and play.”
The funding for the Coatesville 2nd Century Alliance comes as part of $36 million in total NAP investments awarded to 220 community revitalization projects across the Commonwealth. More than one-quarter (56) of the projects that received NAP funding were in southeastern Pennsylvania.
NAP encourages private sector investment into projects that will help improve distressed communities by providing tax credits to businesses that donate capital to support projects that address neighborhood and community problems. NAP can be used for projects in categories including affordable housing, community services, crime prevention, education, job training, food access, blight, special population issues, veteran’s initiatives, and long-term community revitalization.
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