Pottstown, Pennsylvania A ULI Advisory Services Panel Report October 20–25, 2019 Advisory Services Pottstown, Pennsylvania A Vision to Spur Economic Innovation A ULI Advisory Services Panel Report October 20–25, 2019 Urban Land Institute 2001 L Street, NW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20036-4948 uli.org About the Urban Land Institute THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE is a global, member-driven Peer-to-peer learning is achieved through the knowledge organization comprising more than 46,000 real estate and shared by members at thousands of convenings each year urban development professionals dedicated to advancing that reinforce ULI’s position as a global authority on land use the Institute’s mission of providing leadership in the and real estate. In 2019 alone, more than 2,400 events were responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining held in about 330 cities around the world. thriving communities worldwide. Drawing on the work of its members, the Institute recognizes ULI’s interdisciplinary membership represents all aspects and shares best practices in urban design and development of the industry, including developers, property owners, for the benefit of communities around the globe. investors, architects, urban planners, public officials, real estate brokers, appraisers, attorneys, engineers, financiers, More information is available at uli.org. Follow ULI on Twitter, and academics. Established in 1936, the Institute has a Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. presence in the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific regions, with members in 80 countries. The extraordinary impact that ULI makes on land use decision-making is based on its members sharing expertise on a variety of factors affecting the built environment, including urbanization, demographic and population changes, new economic drivers, technology advancements, and environmental concerns. COVER PHOTO: Deb Kerson Bilek/ULI © 2020 by the Urban Land Institute 2001 L Street, NW | Suite 200 | Washington, DC 20036-4948 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of the whole or any part of the contents of this publication without written permission of the copyright holder is prohibited. About ULI Advisory Services THE GOAL OF THE ULI ADVISORY SERVICES is to bring the representatives of financial institutions, and others. In finest expertise in the real estate field to bear on complex land fulfillment of the mission of the Urban Land Institute, this use planning and development projects, programs, and policies. Advisory Services panel report is intended to provide objective advice that will promote the responsible use of land to enhance Since 1947, this program has assembled well over 700 the environment. ULI-member teams to help sponsors find creative, practical solutions for issues such as downtown redevelopment, land ULI Program Staff management strategies, evaluation of development potential, growth management, community revitalization, brownfield Paul Bernard redevelopment, military base reuse, provision of low-cost and Executive Vice President, Advisory Services affordable housing, and asset management strategies, among Thomas W. Eitler other matters. A wide variety of public, private, and nonprofit Senior Vice President, Advisory Services organizations have contracted for ULI’s advisory services. Deborah Kerson Bilek Each panel team is composed of highly qualified professionals Vice President, Advisory Services who volunteer their time to ULI. They are chosen for their knowledge of the panel topic and are screened to ensure their Paul Angelone objectivity. ULI’s interdisciplinary panel teams provide a holistic Director, Advisory Services look at development problems. A respected ULI member who has previous panel experience chairs each panel. Lauren McKim Callaghan Director, Advisory Services The agenda for a five-day panel assignment is intensive. It includes an in-depth briefing day composed of a tour of the Jacqueline Canales site and meetings with sponsor representatives, a day of Director, Advisory Services hour-long interviews of typically 50 to 100 key community Kelsey Steffen representatives, and two days of formulating recommendations. Director, Advisory Services Long nights of discussion precede the panel’s conclusions. On the final day on site, the panel makes an oral presentation of Georgia Gempler its findings and conclusions to the sponsor. A written report is Senior Associate, Advisory Services prepared and published. James A. Mulligan Because the sponsoring entities are responsible for significant Senior Editor preparation before the panel’s visit, including sending extensive Laura Glassman, Publications Professionals LLC briefing materials to each member and arranging for the panel Manuscript Editor to meet with key local community members and stakeholders in the project under consideration, participants in ULI’s five-day Brandon Weil panel assignments are able to make accurate assessments Art Director of a sponsor’s issues and to provide recommendations in a compressed amount of time. Deanna Pineda, Muse Advertising Design Graphic Designer A major strength of the program is ULI’s unique ability to draw on the knowledge and expertise of its members, including Craig Chapman land developers and owners, public officials, academics, Senior Director, Publishing Operations ULI Acknowledgments On behalf of the Urban Land Institute, the panel would like to thank the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation for extending the invitation to visit Pottstown and identify recommendations and best practices for economic development and investment of this postindustrial community. In inviting ULI to town, the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation builds upon the longstanding relationship between the borough and the Advisory Services Program. The panel is also grateful to the borough of Pottstown, the Pottstown School District, Pottstown Hospital Tower Health, and Pottstown Area Industrial Development Inc. (PAID), for supporting the work of the panel. In particular, the panel thanks Howard Brown, David Kraybill, Joshua Warner, and the staff of the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation, as well as Peggy Lee Clark of PAID, for their hospitality, knowledge, and diligence in answering the panel’s many questions throughout the week of the panel’s visit. The panel is also grateful to the staff and active members of ULI Philadelphia for their insights and support. Finally, the panel would like to thank the more than 70 institutional stakeholders, including community members, business and nonprofit leaders, and representatives from Pottstown who shared their perspectives, insights, and experiences with the panel over the week. Contents 2 24 ULI Panel and Business Growth and Project Staff Workforce Development 3 27 Background, Assignment, Housing Strategies and Key Recommendations 30 7 Financing and Study Area and Implementation Surrounding Context 34 9 Summary of Creating a Cohesive Recommendations Mission 38 13 Conclusion Boosting Economic Development in Pottstown 39 About the Panel 18 Catalytic Economic Development Opportunities KELSEY STEFFEN/ULI ULI Panel and Project Staff Panel Chair ULI Project Staff Mike Higbee Deb Kerson Bilek Vice President, Economic Development Vice President, Advisory Services & Community Resiliency Kelsey Steffen Thomas P. Miller and Associates Director, Advisory Services Indianapolis, Indiana Carly Bushong Director, Meetings & Events–Business Operations Panel Members Rebecca Gale Brittany Campagna Journalist President Inner City Investments Nashville, Tennessee James Hardy Chief of Staff and Deputy Mayor for Integrated Development City of Akron, Ohio Akron, Ohio Jeremy Hurlbutt Master Planner, The Maryland–National Capital Park and Planning Commission Prince George’s County Planning Department Upper Marlboro, Maryland Emma Littlejohn President emma + co Charlotte, North Carolina Donna Schumacher Architect Donna Schumacher Architecture San Francisco, California Kyle Talente Vice President and Principal RKG Associates Alexandria, Virginia 2 A ULI Advisory Services Panel Report POTTSTOWN AREA HEALTHAND WELLNESS FOUNDATION Background, Assignment, and Key Recommendations A POSTINDUSTRIAL PENNSYLVANIA BOROUGH, Pottstown is facing challenges in how to be economically competitive in the 21st century. The Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation requested that a ULI panel recommend how to create innovative economic development projects that jump-start growth, develop a comprehensive strategy for job enabling and housing in Pottstown, and come up with ways in which such projects could be funded. Pottstown is located in the tricounty market area, where and many houses cost nearly as much to upgrade or renovate Montgomery, Berks, and Chester counties connect, and as their overall value. Many of the region’s public housing includes the school districts of Pottstown, Daniel Boone, residents have concentrated in Pottstown, and landlords have Boyertown, Spring-Ford, Owen J. Roberts, Pottsgrove, and not always held up their part of the bargain in keeping homes in Perkiomen Valley. The tricounty area has a population of livable condition. 241,550 and is expected to grow slightly, to an estimated 250,000 persons living in the area by 2023. Nevertheless, Pottstown has resources: a population with pride in the region, a nationally ranked private high school that Pottstown faces greater struggles than its neighbors, including attracts students from around the globe, a nonprofit hospital funding its school district. Its education levels are the lowest