Honesdale revitalization enters endowment phase

By OWEN WALSH
Posted 5/26/21

HONESDALE, PA — Many residents were thrilled by the artistic renderings of a potentially new and improved Honesdale, as envisioned by the Greater Honesdale Partnership (GHP) and consulting firm Derk & Edson in their 72-page Downtown Honesdale Revitalization Plan. It took a lot of work to put that plan together, from acquiring a $90,000 LSA-Monroe grant to getting feedback from hundreds of residents and visitors, but GHP Executive Director Lisa Burns was the first to remind folks that it was only the beginning.

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Honesdale revitalization enters endowment phase

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HONESDALE, PA — Many residents were thrilled by the artistic renderings of a potentially new and improved Honesdale, as envisioned by the Greater Honesdale Partnership (GHP) and consulting firm Derk & Edson in their 72-page Downtown Honesdale Revitalization Plan. It took a lot of work to put that plan together, from acquiring a $90,000 LSA-Monroe grant to getting feedback from hundreds of residents and visitors, but GHP Executive Director Lisa Burns was the first to remind folks that it was only the beginning.

Turning the vision into reality will take an estimated $9 million and six years of work. Much of that $9 million will come from federal, state and local grants, but the GHP is now seeking donations from the community to use for future match grants.

All donations are being accepted through www.WayneFoundation.org. The partnership is seeking donations of any size. Larger donation levels are named after “local legends,” such as the Horatio Allen $25,000, Ruth McGinnis $15,000 and Jennie Brownscombe $10,000. Patrons who donate $500,000 will have naming rights to the new Riverfront Park, which will connect a planned series of trailways to Main Street. These pledges can be made over several years, according to the GHP.

The plan lays out recommendations on how to achieve six fundamental goals: create a welcoming atmosphere for locals and visitors; protect the small-town feel and historic architectural character; improve the appearance of downtown buildings, sidewalks and streetscapes; promote downtown living; enhance the parking experience; and create a clear vision for revitalization and economic development.

“Honesdale could be recognized as both a community-oriented place offering local goods and services as well as the premiere downtown in the region,” according to the report. “To realize these opportunities, Honesdale must rally around a shared vision for its future where borough government, property owners and business owners collaborate on removing regulatory obstacles while promoting the necessary investments to businesses, public places, sidewalks, storefronts and social media so that patrons and visitors have a great first impression of Honesdale and are quick to become loyal returning patrons.”

The plan lays out more specific steps that could be taken toward that goal: enhance the downtown streetscapes; connect river and the town via parks and trails; enhance and share downtown parking; transform the park and shop lot; promote downtown living; encourage facade enhancement; and enhance gateways and promote greening.

“The plan is an artist’s rendering, it doesn’t mean that that’s exactly what we’re going to end up doing; it’s the artist’s view of what can be done,” Burns said. “We need to go and get engineering plans to see what can be implemented and what we have to hold back on.”

Burns said that, based on findings during the surveying process, the public’s top priorities are repairing sidewalks and connection to trails. She said that, due to delays in the grant application caused by the pandemic, the GHP has had to wait on retaining an engineering firm and figuring out what project is going to come first. At press time, Burns was still waiting for the PA House of Representatives to vote on how much LSA grant money the GHP will receive for the next phase of its project.

“That LSA grant is what we’ve been waiting for, and it’s been on hold because of COVID,” Burns said. “So we’ve been hanging out, waiting for this LSA grant to come through... unfortunately, all of our other plans are based off of this one.”

Included in the revitalization plan is an in-depth financial roadmap toward reaching the goals it lays out. The consultants identified more than 20 grants and what projects each one could cover.

“It is vital to the success of these projects that individuals, businesses and partners make donations today. With your donation, Honesdale Borough residents, business owners and all nonprofits benefit from these updates,” Burns said in an email. “While Honesdale’s authentic small-town charm and sense of community remain strong, the community needs to continue to evolve. Honesdale proudly leverages its already beautiful downtown infrastructure to build its future providing a great opportunity for entrepreneurs, small businesses and investors. Revitalizing Honesdale is consistent with GHP’s values and mission to promote, build and invest in our community.”

In a phone call, Burns stressed that the proposed improvements would not just be cosmetic; she said they would have a direct impact on the local economy.

“It’s not just going to look pretty... it’s going to affect the bottom line,” she said. “The borough will have money; they’ll be able to do more; the banks will be able to give out more loans—it all plays hand in hand.”

The full 72-page revitalization plan can be found at www.honesdaleborough.com/hats-new/public-announcements.

Honesdale, Improvements, GHP, Planning

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  • lucastgreen

    I plan on reading the plan when I have time.

    I hope we get traffic lights on Main st. Browsing Honesdale’s friendly storefronts would be so much nicer without drivers zipping by on your other side treating a busy two-lane street w/ parking like the town highway.

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