DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP CORE STRATEGY Mission We work to ensure downtown remains the heart and soul of the Lewisburg

Vision Downtown Lewisburg will be the cultural and economic magnet for the region

Values We believe in the… Power of vision effecting proactive change Invincibility of partnering for the sake of community Necessity of respectful and inclusive interactions Magic of hometown pride and warm welcomes

We Believe… An authentic sense of place enriches daily life Our common roots of heritage and place bind us together Small businesses are the catalysts for a vibrant community economy Lewisburg deserves trustworthy stewards of community resources

Our Strategic Purpose The Lewisburg Downtown Partnership engages stakeholders to create cultural and economic vibrancy in downtown Lewisburg for the benefit of the greater region. With strategic partnerships and good financial stewardship, the LDP provides effective full-time management for the downtown business district

Strategic Plan 2014-2020, Organizational Overview

Economic Development--We Take a Long-Range, Proactive, Cooperative, Project-Based Approach to Business Recruitment and Retention •Business Retention Committee runs the ambassador program for downtown businesses and executes projects that support business success •Business Expansion Committee oversees market analysis, business mix and works to provide opportunities for expanding existing businesses and creating new ones

Promotion--Promoting the Downtown as a Destination •Business Forum: We plan promotions and events; provide a place where all downtown businesses have a role and voice; and promote the concept that "we are all in this together" •Project Committees: We provide a 501c3 umbrella and financial oversight for committees that work autonomously on events or projects that support the LDP mission

Mission: Ensure downtown remains the heart and soul of Lewisburg

Historic Preservation and Design--We Promote Preservation, Beautification & Accessibility

Organization--Successfully Connecting a Positive Downtown Experience to the Region

•Historic Area Review Board (HARB) HARB is a Borough entity that enforces Lewisburg Borough's Local Historic District ordinance. •Historic Preservation & Design Committee: We work on projects in collaboration with the Lewisburg Neighborhoods Corporation that effect accessibility, signage, historic character and other physical assets necessary in a strong downtown business district

•Executive Committee: We bring the strategic plan to fruition, create and monitor the annual work plan, oversee organization image and governance •Finance Committee: We spend money wisely in accordance with our strategic goals and have enough funds to sustain the organization •Membership Committee: We make sure our board and committees are populated with engaged volunteers who each bring a necessary skill set to the LDP and are well-trained for their volunteer experience

2014-2016 Strategic Plan, LDP Strategy Wheel

Economic Development

Promotion

• Use the Ambassador program to engage and support downtown businesses • Promote the Value of Buying Local • Collect Information Necessary to Inform Business Expansion & Retention Efforts • Enhance Dining & Entertainment Cluster • Use a Business Expansion Approach to Recruiting New Business • Encourage Entrepreneurship

• Drive Promotion of Downtown as a Destination • Increase Amount & Circulation of Downtown Foot Traffic • Build a Spirit of Collaboration among Downtown Business Owners • Expand Art Offerings

Vision: Downtown Lewisburg is the cultural and economic magnet for the region

Historic Preservation and Design

Organization

• Increase Accessibility of & to Downtown Lewisburg • Encourage Flow of Foot Traffic throughout Entire Downtown Area • Reinforce Downtown's Brand through Enhanced Use of Green Space, Art and Beautification • Build Greater Understanding Of Value of Historic Preservation

• Strengthen & Expand the LDP's Role as Collaborator & Catalyst • Make Sure LDP is Understood and Visible in the Community • Streamline Committee Organization and Communication to Ensure Effective Committees

LEWISBURG DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN 2013-2020 Economic Development

Values 12-17 ; Tactics 49-73

TACTICS & BENCHMARKS Lead VALUES 12 Use the ambassador program to engage and support downtown businesses . BENCHMARK: Decrease average number Retention of businesses that close annually

14

Downtown employees

16

Promote the value of buying local. BENCHMARK 1: Locate at 2 businesses that sell locally produced goods downtown. BENCHMARK 2: Measure results of sales promotion Action 53 : Research national buy local programs and create fact sheet Action 54: Execute a PR campaign using traditional and social media

Retention Retention

Action 55: Identify ways to offer locally-produced goods for sale downtown Action 56: Develop a downtown sales promotion that promotes and rewards buying local

Expansion Retention

2016 2014

Business Forum

Collect information necessary to inform business expansion & retention efforts. BENCHMARK: Publish market analysis Business research; distribute to new & existing businesses; post on website; begin use of benchmarking tool (Action 61) Expansion

2020 2016

2014-2015

BUEI, SBDC, County , KIZ

July-14

Enhance downtown's dining and entertainment cluster. BENCHMARK: Add 2) new dining experiences as identified by market analysis to downtown offerrings by 2020 Action 62: Survey customers, restaurant owners & use on-line reviews to quantify existing dining experience

Expansion

2015

Action 63: Offer guidance to restaurants on using social media sites, especially Yelp Action 64: Share findings with existing and potential restauranteurs Action 65: Develop a restaurant guide; companion web page and robust Yelp presence

Retention Expansion Bus Forum

2014 2016 2016

Use a business expansion approach to business recruitment. BENCHMARK: Assist five existing businesses in expanding Business their existing business or starting a second Expansion 2014 2015 2015

Action 66: Develop collaborative relationship with Meridian Development Corp and Miller Wellness Ctr. Action 67: Share market analysis results and prospectus reports with prospective business network Action 68: Develop network of prospective business owners, including successful business owners looking to expand and Bucknell alums Action 69: Locate an anchor to replace services lost by CVS when they relocate Action 70: Locate an anchor in the 100 or 200 block

17

2015 Ongoing Ongoing

Action 57 : Conduct a professional level market analysis using local resources Action 58: Set benchmarks for diverse business mix based on analysis results, including expanded retail offerings positioned to satisfy customer base preferences and small business employers offering innovative products and services, and high-quality jobs on upper floors Action 59: Identify unmet retail market niches and create prospectus reports for each Action 60: Share demographic information with existing and potential businesses Action 61: Develop benchmarking tool to quantify downtown economic vibrancy

15

Timeframe

Ongoing

Action 49: Education and communication through at least 3 ambassador visits each year with downtown retail businesses regarding LDP initiatives Action 50: Implement downtown employee PR program that provides training about the LDP and downtown attractions Action 51: Hold one event annually that engages all downtown businesses Action 52: Train ambassadors in business retention practices

13

Partners

2014 2020

Expansion

Encourage Entrepreneurship. BENCHMARK: 1) Locate 5 businesses downtown by 2020 that fill gaps identified in Business market analysis action 59; 2)Conduct customer intercept surveys downtown to gauge success of improving business mix Expansion

County, SBDC, Incubator, Chambers, SEDA-COG, Major employers

Action 71: Foster an investor network looking to create innovation & vibrancy in downtown

2017

Action 72: Use results of market analysis to determine entrepreneurial opportunity Action 73: Develop strategy for recruiting/creating entrepreneurs & instilling an entrepreneureal mindset

2015

Ongoing Tasks and Objectives

Continue Identifying Ways to Support Existing Businesses

Retention

Lewisburg Downtown Partnership Strategic Action Plan 2013-2020 PROMOTION

Values 44-7: Action Items 14 -31

VALUES TACTICS and BENCHMARKS 4 Drive Promotion of Downtown as a Destination. Benchmark: 1) Develop customer intercept survey to measure results 2) Track and increase media impressions

5

6

Lead

Partners

Action 14: Hire part-time PR staff person to focus on website, e-newsletters and social media Action 15: Increase methods of directing market to tourists at events, lodging and dining

Finance Business Forum

SRV Tourism Bureau

2014 2016

Action 16: Update Marketing Plan and Branding Strategy using results of market analysis Action 17: Keep up with leading edge technology, including mobil optimized promotion opporptunities

Business Forum

Expansion & Retention

2015

Action 18 : Execute a summer event with Arts focus that builds summer traffic

Business Forum

Campus Theatre, Weis Ctr, Downtown Art Gallery

2015

Action 19: Create a program that encourages downtown businesses to get to know and recommend other downtown businesses

Business Forum

Action (ED 70): Locate an anchor in the 100 or 200 block Action 20: Identify and Implement effective cross-promotion project

Expansion Business Forum

Retention

2020 2017

Action 21: Utilize ambassadors to spread information in person

Business Forum

Retention

Ongoing

Action 22: Develop a brand statement that helps downtown business owners understand the Lewisburg brand and how they can participate in enhancing it Action 23 : Change focus of meetings from reporting to engaging and inspiring

Business Forum

Retention

2015

Business Forum

2014

Action 24: Use one meeting annually to evaluate downtown's Miracle Momentum

Business Forum

2014

Action 25: Develop town-wide loyalty promotion for downtown employers

Business Forum

2018

Increase Amount and Circulation of Downtown Foot Traffic. Benchmark: Increase overall pedestrian counts by 5% annually and equalize counts throughout entire downtown within a 20% variation by 2020

2017

Build a spirit of collaboration among business owners. Benchmark: Increase attendance at Business Forum meetings from 7 to at least 15, on average, by 2020

Action 26: Recognize a downtown business owner or employee in the monthly e-newsletter who demonstrated the Staff "We are all in this together" mindset

7

Timeframe

2015

Expand Arts offerings in downtown. Benchmark: 1) Track and increase number of arts events and arts media impressions monthly; 2) Track and increase attendance at downtown art events Action 27: View all downtown events as anoccasion for engaging Campus Theatre, Weis Center & Samek

Staff

Action 28: Use Arts Collaborative to surface existing arts events and use them to promote downtown

Staff/ Intern

Action 29: Set aside one business forum meeting annually to invite BU and community arts organizations to share calendars and brainstorm

Business Forum

Samek; Campus Theatre; Weis Center; Arts Council

2014

Action 30: Develop Downtown Arts brochure with companion web page

Business Forum

Samek; Campus Theatre; Weis Center; Arts Council

2017

Action 31: Assess current level of arts activity

Business Forum

Samek; Campus Theatre; Weis Center; Arts Council

Mar-14

ONGOING TASKS AND OBJECTIVES Publish calendar and business directory annually Regularly update and maintain website, Facebook and Twitter Continue collaboration with Lewisburg Arts Council Send monthly, promotional e-newsletter Annually execute Miracle on Market Street, Ice Festival, Welcome to the Neighborhood, and ongoing retail promotions Allocate $12,000 promotion line item Carry Lewisburg brand consistently throughout all marketing and promotional materials

Staff Staff Staff Staff Business Forum Business Forum Staff

Ongoing Ongoing

Lewisburg Downtown Partnership Strategic Action Plan 2013-2020 HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND DESIGN VALUES 8

9

10

Values 8-11;Tactics 32-48

TACTICS and BENCHMARKS Increase accessibility of and to downtown Lewisburg. Benchmark: Set goals for the LDP as a catalyst for these actions and benchmark through the relationship policy

Lead

Action 32: Offer LDP as a willing partner and advocate developing a comprehensive signage and way-finding plan from Route 15 to Downtown Lewisburg Action 33: Assist with the implementation of the Route 15 Corridor Plan as it relates to wayfinding and access to downtown (pedestrian, bicycle, motor vehicle)

Union County Planning Union County Planning

EBT, Kelly Township, Bucknell, PennDOT

Dec-14

County Planning Dept, Boro PC, Boro Traffic Committee, BVRec

Ongoing

Action 34: Identify and pull together stakeholders to bring a long-term, comprehensive parking management plan to the Borough that balances the needs of businesses, employees, shoppers, visitors, and residents

Borough

Borough, County Planning Dept, Boro Traffic Committee, Boro PC, LDP

Dec-15

Action 35: Assist with the extension of the BV Rail-Trai to Downtown Lewisburg

BVRec

County, Borough

Dec-15

Action 36: Assist with the implementation of the Bull Run Greenway to link the BV Rail-Trail, St. Mary's Park, Downtown, and Bucknell

BV Rec

BVRec, County, Borough, LNC

TBD

Timeframe

Action 37: Assist with securing funding to implement of the Arts Bridge Project linking Bucknell, downtown and the Susquehanna River at Soldier's Park

Samek Gallery

Weis Center, BVRec, Arts Council, Susq Greenway, SRV Visitors Bureau

Ongoing

Action 38: Advocate for the development of the Bull Run Greenway to link the BV Rail-Trail, St. Mary's Park, Downtown, and Bucknell Action 39: Advocate for the creation of a walking loop between Hufnagle Park and Soldier's Memorial Park, using public art and/or signage to encourage circulation Action 40: Identify and execute way to use wayfinding signage and/or targeted promotion to circulate traffic between downtown, Street of Shops and Wolfe Field

BV Rec

County, Borough, LNC

Ongoing

Design Committee

Traffic Committee; Borough; BV Rec; LNC; Community Park Street of Shops, Packwood House Museum, Borough;

Action 41 : Participate in the community design process to envision Solidier's Park as a riverfront park

Borough & LNC

BV Rec; Susquehanna Greenway Partnership;

Ongoing

Action 42: Support efforts to bring small, community programs to Soldier's Park

LNC

CommUnity Zone; BU Service Learning Community Garden

2014

Stadler Center; LNC Lewisburg Arts Council; LNC

2017 2018

Encourage flow of foot traffic throughout the entire downtown area. Benchmark: 1) Use relationship policy to set goals and track progress in actions where the LDP is not the lead organization; 2) Increasing traffic counts in the 100 & 200 blocks by 50% by 2020

Reinforce Downtown's brand through enhanced use of green space, public art and beautification. Benchmark: Create 2) new or expanded spaces

Design Committee

Promote the value of historic preservation. Benchmark: Develop one Preservation Week event by 2016; Generate at least one press release and monthly Facebook posts/Tweets annually beginning in 2015.

2018

Design Committee

Action 46: Celebrate Preservation Week Action 47: Use Include social value media as part to share of the historic LDP PR photos Plan and information Action 48: Recruit HARB member to LDP Board

ONGOING TASKS AND OBJECTIVES Administer the Lewisburg Loans Program Partner with HARB

16-Dec

Design Committee

Action 43: Assist with the extension and promotion of the Poetry Path Action 44: Assist with the creation of a public arts plan and walking route - using existing art and planning for new installations Action 45: Create inspired spaces

11

Partners

LNC; HARB LNC; Exec

Design Committee Design Committee

2015 2014 2014

Lewisburg Downtown Partnership Strategic Action Plan 2013-2020 ORGANIZATION VALUES 1

Values 1-3; Action Items 1-13

TACTICS and BENCHMARKS Strengthen and Expand the Partnership's Role as a Collaborator & Catalyst. Benchmark: Achieve 100% of relationship policy goals annually

Lead Executive

Action 1: Partner with Visitors Bureau and others to hold 2 Newcomer Meetings annually Action 2: Create new or stronger partnerships while working on collaborative projects in other Pillars.

Partners

SRV Tourism Bur

Action 3: Reassess applying for Main Street Designation and add maintaining relationships with the State and PDC to the Relationship policy. Action 4: Share strategic plan with partners and request their input into key initiatives for next 18 months

2

Make Sure LDP is Known and Understood in the Community. Benchmark: 10% annual increase of attendance to annual meeting

Fall 2014 start Annual workplan January-14 Jan-March 2014

Executive

Action 5: Institute an Annual Community Meeting of partners, supporters and newcomers, including a Charlie Pollock Volunteer of the Year Award Action 6: At Newcomers Meetings, distribute a takeaway that promotes the website and encourage new residents to sign up for the promotional newsletters Action 7: Hire part-time PR person to keep in touch with partners, supporters and newcomers

November-15 Fall 2014 Finance

Action 8: Create PR plan and review annually

3

Timeframe

March-14 January-14

Streamline Organization and Communication to Ensure Effective Committees. Benchmark: 20% Improvement in evaluation scores annually maintaining a 65% or greater score Action 9: Develop simple evaluation tool to measure effective Board and committee communication and function and administer annually

Executive

Action 10: Establish a regular pattern for updating planning documents and incorporating new initiatives

Executive

September-14

Action 11: Develop orientation and reorientation process for board and committee members Action 12: Create page for each committee with minutes and supporting documents on the board portal

Membership Staff

September-14 January-14

Action 13: Create checklist to ensure annual review of policies, procedures and benchmarks

Executive

September-14

ONGOING TASKS AND OBJECTIVES Ensure an effective system of Program, Staff and Operations Evaluation Ensure effective management of Board Finances and Funding Plans Ensure that all Board Policies are current, relevant, and fulfilling necessary legal requirements for the Organization Ensure that LDP Board and Committees are populated with engaged, informed volunteers and Board and Committees have appropriate mix of skills

Executive Finance Executive Membership

Membership

September-14