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Redbank Renaissance, Inc.
is a group of area citizens who have incorporated to
revitalize New Bethlehem and the Redbank Valley area by
utilizing its assets. Our members include business
owners, borough council members, bankers, the former school
superintendent and teachers, nurses, doctors, ministers,
retired folks and others who are concerned about the
Redbank Valley. Our organizational structure follows the
trademarked Main Street and Trail Town program structure that was
developed by the National Trust for Historic
Preservation to address revitalization needs with a
comprehensive, long-term approach.
The
four committees and a brief outline of their
responsibilities are:
Design – Downtown
streetscape, buildings, infrastructure and appearance,
sign and façade grants.
Promotion – Marketing, events and promotion
of area image,
community calendar, church directory.
Economic Restructuring – Assistance for
existing businesses and recruitment of new businesses.
Organization –
Legal, financial and reporting requirements, fundraising
and volunteer recruitment and training.
The program has been successful in over 1900 other
communities around the country, including Brookville,
Ridgway, Lock Haven and Warren among others. See the
National Trust’s Main Street Center for more
information:
http://www.mainstreet.org. Our goal is to follow
this model to bring new life to the Redbank Valley for
sustained economic health and the benefit of its
residents.
Please enjoy and use this website and join us in our
efforts!
Our
Current Efforts:
- Redbank Renaissance has been able to do a lot thanks to our supporters with the first 5 year pledge program completed in 2011. Pledges and donations are appreciated to continue our revitalization efforts.
- Design Committee focusing on improvements of appearance of downtown New Bethlehem, including community clean ups, banners and a façade and signage improvement program. For more information on the FAÇADE GRANT PROGRAM see the following:
- Façade Program Manual - PDF
- RRI Grant Application - PDF | MS Word
- Organizing an Artists’ Cooperative to provide a cost effective central location for area artists and craftspersons. For information call Ty Poster, Economic Restructuring Committee Chair, at 814-275-3421. Interested area artists have met and are seeking additional participants and a possible location. Anyone interested in participating should call Sandy Mateer at 814-275-1718 or send an e-mail to scmateer1@comcast.net.
- Redbank Renaissance has purchased banners for the street poles on Broad Street to promote area events or groups, including the Redbank Valley Bulldogs, the library’s Art in the Park and the Chamber’s Peanut Butter Festival. Donations for this effort are appreciated. The banners were custom designed and are of a good durable quality.
- Renaissance was successful in obtaining a grant through Pennsylvania Wilds to install a Welcome to New Bethlehem sign as you come south on Rt. 66 at the Borough line. The sign was installed in May 2010 and was landscaped by the Clarion County Garden Club in September 2010. We hope to work with other community organizations to install 2 more welcome signs at the entrances to the Borough on Route 28.
- 501(c)(3) IRS public charity exempt status approved so that contributions are deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
- Community Outreach & Fundraising
- Business Assistance through Partnerships with Clarion University and The University of Pittsburgh – (Please see upcoming business seminars under “Business Assistance”)
- Marketing & Promotion of the Redbank Valley and its Businesses. See this flyer for things to do, places to eat and business opportunities.
- Worked with Mackin Engineers on a Trail Town study for promoting New Bethlehem as a demonstration Trail Town for the water trail on Red Bank Creek and rails to trails. New Bethlehem Borough was awarded an $18,000 grant for trail town planning through the Northwest Commission and subsequently a $40,000 grant for trail development in cooperation with the Redbank Valley Trails Association. Trail Town Planning Presentation (PDF) Work on a portion of the trail within Borough limits is underway and should be completed this year.
- Working with the Allegheny Valley Land Trust and the Redbank Valley Trails Association, which formed in May 2010, to promote trail development. The group is meeting on the third Monday of each even month at the New Bethlehem Presbyterian Church at 403 Penn Street at 7 PM and in odd months at the Brookville Presbyterian Church. New Bethlehem and AVLT were also awarded a $25,000 grant for a feasibility and planning study for the trail from Lawsonham to Brookville which was completed in July 2011.
- Pursuing Route 28 access for Smuckers
- Community Calendar
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Saturday, May 19th, 2012
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