I’m glad the people in charge
of Reading’s revival have finally figured out what the city needs to prosper –
the ReDesign Reading Community Development Corp.
The new group joins a crowded
field of economic-development organizations in Berks. Their well-paid
professionals quote the vaguest goals and the fuzziest measurements and seem to show
the least progress compared to other cities in the region.
ReDesign Reading Community
Development Corp. Executive Director Brian Kelly, on the job for four months, seems
to fit right in. [It’s hard to walk through Reading without tripping over an
executive director.]
He isn’t sure what the purpose
of it all is, Reading Eagle reporter Don Spatz’s story suggests.
Kelly “still is seeking the
best roles for the economic development support agency,” Spatz writes.
“Because so many groups are
focusing on economic development in and around the city, the agency was looking
for what niches are vacant, and aims to fill them.
“Creating a community bank
had been one of those goals, but it's now tabled for awhile [sic]. Kelly said
the agency has chosen four other goals.”
1. To build coalitions not only among the other groups, but with other entities as well [These entities are always proud of their self-reported efforts to collaborate.]
2. Studying public service delivery to make it more efficient
3. To focus on “localizing capital”
4. Economic development support activities
I’d like suggest four alternate goals
for the galaxy of economic developers in Greater Berks to work on:
1. Clean up the horrible blight, now including a collapsed roof, that visitors see on their left as they enter the GoggleWorks arts center parking lot from Third Street.
2. Improve the facades, especially the cedar shake shingles, on the south side of the 500 block of Penn Street.
3. Find two tenants for the vacant strip of retail across Washington Street from the GoggleWorks.
4. Finish one block of the Buttonwood Gateway Development area.Those accomplishments you could take a picture of. The Reading Eagle could report them.
No comments:
Post a Comment