This week, borough council will be voting — and hopefully passing — an initial contract with Barth Consulting Group to retain them as our acting Main Street Manager. This role has been discussed in prior musings and I am excited to see this position potentially come to fruition this week.
Over the last several years, Lansdale has had its share of success in attracting new businesses. However, as we continue to build back from the pandemic, we need to supercharge these efforts by dedicating someone to this endeavor. Barth Consulting works with communities to better understand where their challenges are today in their business districts and how we can work toward building the downtown district that we want to see.
The good news for Lansdale is that one critical component of this process is already underway and, to some extent, completed. If we want to grow our business district, we must create a desirable marketplace for businesses to access a growing population of people with means. As many of you know, Lansdale has grown from 16,000 people in 2010 to over 18,000 people in 2020. With that growth, has come a decreased average age (38) in the borough which is lower than the state-wide average (40), a median household income (~$67,000) that is above the state-wide median (~$63,000), and an employment percentage (~69%) that remains well above the state-wide average (~60%).
Add in the walkability of our community, the density of this growing population with means, and the easy access to public transportation and you have a borough that is ripe for businesses of all kinds to call us home.
So, why do we need Barth Consulting then if we have all of this going for us?
The first important reason is that Lansdale is not alone in the growth and development. Souderton, Ambler, Perkasie, and others around us have all experienced similar changes, though not nearly as dramatic, and they are investing in having someone tell their story to the business community. To remain competitive, we need a team dedicated to taking Lansdale’s unique story and marketing it to business owners on a regular basis. If we want to build a more vibrant downtown, we need to invite people to come be a part of what we are building, and Barth Consulting can do that on our behalf
The second reason is that we need someone who can work directly with business owners to support their business after they arrive in Lansdale. Not every business needs someone to help them navigate the process of launching a business in a new location. However, for those that do need help, having access to a professional service that can provide insight, data, and direction will dramatically increase their chances of success. It is this type of partnership that we want to foster and encourage that will, ultimately, keep our downtown thriving long into the future. It is not enough to just attract businesses to the borough; we then need to take the time to help them be successful in their endeavor which will ultimately help make Lansdale better as well.
I am excited to see us, hopefully, bring Barth Consulting onboard as our operating Main Street Manager and look forward to the positive improvements their team can help make to our community. Through the improved marketing, we will hopefully be able to fill more storefronts in the community and expand our already growing downtown core. Then, through the added level of support Barth Consulting can offer, we will be able to help them be more successful once they arrive and keep their businesses, and our community, moving forward together.
(Mayoral Musings is a weekly op-ed column submitted to North Penn Now, courtesy of Lansdale Borough Mayor Garry Herbert.)
See also:
Mayoral Musings: Lansdale’s Road Work Plan for 2022
Mayoral Musings: Lt. Gov. John Fetterman to Make Campaign Stop in Lansdale Wednesday
Mayoral Musings: Lansdale Electric Holds The Line As Rates Rise
Mayoral Musings: Lansdale Police Annual Report Preview
Mayoral Musings: A Quick Rundown of Lansdale’s Snow Plowing Procedures
