Taking the Next Step on Downtown Blight and Redevelopment

Sunbury's Revitalization Inc.'s Community Perception Survey showed why this work is important. Of more than 500 respondents, 63% disagreed that downtown buildings are well maintained, 52% disagreed that downtown has inviting storefronts, and only about 23% agreed that downtown has a low first-floor vacancy rate. At the same time, 77% agreed that downtown has quality historic architecture.This demonstrates that the community sees the value and potential in our downtown buildings, but also recognizes the need for reinvestment and property maintenance.

Now that Sunbury has a comprehensive downtown property inventory, the next step is understanding how we use that information. Rather than creating another committee, our goal is to strengthen the partnerships that already exist and create a more unified approach to addressing problem properties and attracting redevelopment and investment. Having that shared understanding also helps us be ready when opportunities arise, whether that is a property becoming available, an interested investor, a funding opportunity, or a new redevelopment partnership. This session was an important step toward turning the information we have gathered into action and building a more collaborative approach to the future of Downtown Sunbury.