Lansdale is growing and growing fast. As noted in prior musings Lansdale Borough’s population is now around 18,800 people within three square miles. We are one of the densest locations in Montgomery County. With a growing population, specifically within the desirable target market of millennial families (median age in Lansdale is now 38), businesses will be interested in joining our active and lively community.
In the next several months, a winery, a new Greek restaurant, a new grocery store and a Spanish market are all opening their doors for the first time in our community. In addition, we have several thriving businesses that are looking to expand and grow. Round Guys, Backyard Beans, Boardroom Spirits, Well Crafted, Wister’s, Mama Thai, Carlee Meyer’s Gym and Scent & Sip — to name a few — are all looking for ways to enhance their business and partner with the community. With this much business activity in the borough, it is impossible to imagine our borough manager being able to keep up with every single business. We need a Main Street Manager who can help us prioritize, coordinate, and enhance our relationship with businesses in the borough, while also helping market the community to potential new business ventures.
The idea of hiring someone, or hiring a consultant, to specifically manage our business growth is not a new concept. Perkasie and other surrounding communities have been working with a local consultant for several years, while Ambler hired a person on staff to help manage their Main Street growth.
Specifically, this role would be managing three important attributes to downtown success: people, personalities and business needs. They would be responsible for meeting with business owners and understanding — intimately — their business plans, needs, and how the borough can help them be successful making the role a critical liaison between our borough management and the businesses themselves. Obviously, this will help the borough work more closely with our business partners to help them reach their business goals, while simultaneously helping keep our community vibrant and active.
Additionally, a Main Street Manager would play the role of a lead marketing consultant for business growth and development. They would be able to help us craft messaging and marketing that effectively communicates how and why someone should choose Lansdale as the ideal home for their enterprise. Currently, we do not have a substantive marketing plan for the community, and this is critical if we are going to continue to attract businesses to the borough over an extended period. Having a single person or consultant who can help us act quickly to marketing shifts will benefit Lansdale and every business that is already here as it will also attract new customers to our community.
In conversation with Economic Development Committee (EDC) Chair Councilwoman Carrie Hawkins Charlton and Borough Council President Denton Burnell, I was heartened to hear that the topic of a Main Street Manager is very much on the agenda for EDC. It has been discussed previously with that group and was not ultimately moved forward in the past due to various factors, including most recently the COVID pandemic. I am glad to hear that the committee has recently re-engaged on this and will be actively pursuing the right way to move forward.
While it may seem odd that a moderate sized community would need to dedicate resources to business development and growth, it is not unheard of. Only a few decades ago, the role of borough manager was non-existent in small and moderate sized communities. The change to a full-time borough manager helped build successful and thriving small towns across the country because it was a dedicated resource wholly focused on building a more effective and efficient local management system.
The same is true of a Main Street Manager. Dedicating resources and investing in our success and growth is the way to properly manage our growing borough. It creates the opportunity for businesses to coordinate their growth with the community and work together with borough staff to achieve mutually achievable goals. The creation of this role will keep Lansdale a great place to live, work, and play for decades to come for both our residents and our businesses.
Let me know your thoughts.
(Mayoral Musings is a weekly op-ed column submitted to North Penn Now, courtesy of Lansdale Borough Mayor Garry Herbert.)
See also:
Mayoral Musings: The Coupling Effect on Policing and Our New Data Reporting System
Mayoral Musings: Flash Flood Watch Issued as Strong Storms Approach
Mayoral Musings: Going Green Update
Mayoral Musings: Local Delta Variant Update
Mayoral Musings: Lansdale Population Leapfrogs Hatfield, Towamencin Townships in 2020 Census
