Institute For Economic Development Inc

IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DELAWARE COUNTY WATERFRONT.

HOUSING & NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATIONIN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHESTER COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT (CCIP), RADC HAS BEEN WORKING ON A MIDDLE INCOME NEIGHBORHOOD STRATEGY TO STABILIZE BOTH THE NOVA VISTA AND IRVINGTON HILLS NEIGHBORHOODS. USING FUNDS FROM THE FOUNDATION FOR DELAWARE COUNTY, TD BANK CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, WSFS BANK THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (NAP) AND CAESAR'S FOUNDATION, EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS AND CAMERA INSTALLATION HAVE BEEN COMPLETED ON 33 HOMES IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS INITIATIVE COMPLEMENTED THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW HOMES AT ARBOR ESTATES LOCATED WITHIN THE NOVA VISTA NEIGHBORHOOD.CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.RADC AND CCIP HAVE ALSO RAISED FUNDING FOR A SIMILAR PROJECT IN THE AREA NEAR 9TH & CENTRAL AVENUE ON THE WEST END OF CHESTER. THIS AREA HAS A CORE OF HOMEOWNERS WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM EXTERIOR REPAIRS. CCIP WAS AWARDED NAP TAX CREDITS AND RADC RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THE CAESARS FOUNDATION TO BEGIN WORK IN THIS NEW TARGET AREA.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTWEST 2ND STREET (ROUTE 291) IMPROVEMENTS - CHESTER WATERFRONT TRAIL:RADC WAS AWARDED REGIONAL TRAILS FUNDS THROUGH THE DELAWARE VALLEY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN WORK ON WEST 2ND STREET FROM HIGHLAND AVENUE TO NORRIS STREET. RADC ISSUED A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS AND AWARDED THE PROJECT TO MCMAHON ASSOCIATES. THE CONTRACT HAS BEEN EXECUTED, THE NOTICE TO PROCEED ISSUED AND THE KICK-OFF MEETING WAS HELD. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.IN LATE 2021, RADC WAS AWARDED $750,000 IN WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT TAX CREDITS FROM THE COMMONWEALTH THAT HAVE BEEN PURCHASED BY ONE OF OUR MEMBERS, POWER HOME REMODELING GROUP. THIS PROJECT, WHEN FULLY FUNDED, WILL INCLUDE PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS, DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTIUSE PATH CONNECTED PORTION TO THE EAST COAST GREENWAY, LANDSCAPING AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT. EAST COAST GREENWAY - CONNECTOR STREETS:RADC, WORKING WITH THE PENNSYLVANIA ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL AND THE EAST COAST GREENWAY ALLIANCE, HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE DESIGN OF THE HIGHLAND AVENUE CONNECTOR WITH AN ENGINEERING FIRM. DESIGN FUNDS HAVE ALSO BEEN AWARDED FOR THE NORRIS STREET CONNECTOR TRAIL ON THE EASTERN END OF THE TARGET AREA. ONCE CONSTRUCTED, THE HIGHLAND AND NORRIS CONNECTORS WILL ENABLE RESIDENTS TO SAFELY ACCESS THE HIGH QUALITY BUT DISCONNECTED CHESTER RIVERWALK, SUBARU PARK STADIUM AS WELL AS THE DELAWARE RIVER ITSELF.RADC ALSO COMPLETED THE GRANT APPLICATION ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF CHESTER FOR FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A COMPLETE STREETS PROJECT ON HIGHLAND AVENUE. THIS INITIATIVE WAS ONE OF 10 PROJECTS IN THE PHILADELPHIA REGION AWARDED FUNDING WHICH WILL INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EAST COAST GREENWAY AND OTHER PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS. INITIAL DESIGN WORK IS ABOUT 30% COMPLETE AND THE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION PIECE WILL START IN MID-APRIL WITH DOOR TO DOOR OUTREACH BY THE 9TH STREET YOUTH AND COMMUNITY CENTER. WATERFRONT STREETSCAPE PROJECTS:USING WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT TAX CREDIT FUNDING, RADC COMPLETED THE DESIGN AND BIDDING OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE STREETSCAPE ON THE UNIT AND 100 BLOCKS OF REANEY STREET. $500,000 IN TAX CREDITS WERE PURCHASED BY TWO RADC MEMBERS - POWER HOME REMODELING GROUP AND BRYN MAWR TRUST. WATERFRONT PROGRAMMING, COMMUNITY WORKDAYS & EVENTSIN LATE 2021, RADC IN CONJUNCTION WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERS, AS WELL AS THE PARTNERSHIP FOR THE DELAWARE ESTUARY (PDE), PLANNED ITS FIRST DELAWARE RIVER FESTIVAL. THIS FESTIVAL HAS BEEN HELD IN PHILADELPHIA AND CAMDEN FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND PDE WANTED TO EXPAND IT TO CHESTER. RADC PLAYED A LARGE ROLE IN ORGANIZING AND RAISING FUNDS FOR THE EVENT THAT WAS HELD AT THE SUBARU PARK STADIUM PLAZA. WHILE THE EVENT HAD AN ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS, IT ALSO INCLUDED VACCINATIONS, FOOD TRUCKS, LOCAL DANCE TROUPE PERFORMANCES AND A D.J. A TOUR OF THE STADIUM, A TRAINING EXERCISE BY THE POLICE AND FIRE DIVE TEAM AS WELL AS A GARDEN DEMONSTRATION BY THE PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY WERE HELD THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

PUBLIC SAFETYRADC RECOGNIZES THAT HAVING A SECURE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH TO LIVE, WORK, AND RECREATE IS ESSENTIAL. RADC MAINTAINS A STANDING PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, CO-CHAIRED BY CHIEF JAMES NOLAN, FROM THE DELAWARE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND DAN MURPHY, OWNER OF MURPHY FORD, WHICH FUNCTIONS AS FOLLOWS:-REGULARLY CONVENES LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, PRIVATE CORPORATIONS, AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO SHARE BEST PRACTICES AND COORDINATE EFFORTS;CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.-IDENTIFY GOVERNMENT, FOUNDATION, AND CORPORATE FINANCIAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES THAT CAN BE USED TO AUGMENT LOCAL RESOURCES. RADC AND ITS PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS USE FUNDS FOR ADDING SECURITY CAMERAS, LIGHTING AND IMPROVED STREETSCAPES IN HIGH CRIMES AREAS, ADDING MAN POWER AND PATROLS IN HIGH CRIMES AREAS, AND RESEARCHING AND RECOMMENDING BEST PRACTICES FOR REDUCING CRIMES IN HIGH CRIME AREAS.