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We have been awarded an opportunity to participate in a state and national undertaking with our partners at the PA Downtown Center and Main Street America to bolster our entrepreneurial network! The first phase of this initiative invites business owners to complete a survey assessing both positive attributes and potential stumbling blocks encountered by business owners locally. We encourage you to be forthright with your responses as these are anonymous and not identified by any associated specific reference. Deadline for return of responses is Friday, April 19 with a review of the survey results and discussion of next steps to be held beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the Mifflin County Annex, 101 West Third Street Lewistown. Link to the survey here: Copy and paste into your browser. https://nationalmainstreet.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oOQZoE4EUtGMFE

A $4,881 matching facade grant reimbursement from the PA Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) and Downtown Lewistown, Inc. was awarded toward rehabilitation of a formerly vacant building at 110 Valley Street in the Five Points/East End Neighborhood. The landmark building at the intersection of East Third and Valley Street, owned by Jeff & Bobby Real Estate now houses the dispatch office of Landstar Inway.The building received major upgrades inside and out with the reimbursement grant helping to fund the cleaning of the brick exterior, followed by painting of the facade and placement of three canvas awnings supplied by Mid-State Awning of Bellefonte.Bobby Hammond, co-owner, added that "It is incredibly exciting to partake in a renovation project within the confines of Lewistown Borough. Special thanks to Jim Zubler and…

A $5,000 facade grant reimbursement from the PA Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) and Downtown Lewistown, Inc. (DLI) was awarded for upgrades to a multi-tenant building at 130 East Market Street/131 South Plaza Drive in the redevelopment area of downtown. Flanking the west side of the South Plaza Mall Area, the building now owned by Equity Trust Company fbo: Michael A. Buffington IRA houses Families United Network (FUN) in the East Market Street front with two new businesses, Morgan Chiropractic, and a self-serve location for Reedsville Creamery recently relocating to rehabilitated space along the Mall Area and South Plaza Drive elevation respectively. The building received major upgrades to the existing overhead canopies, masonry cleaning, window painting, lighting improvements and security enhancements. In partnership with Lewistown Borough, DLI coordinated…

A $2,719 facade grant reimbursement, from the PA Department of Community & Economic Development, was provided to East End Coffee Company, 18 East Market Street, in the heart of the downtown. The storefront received improvement in the form of an awning recovering and painting of the two-story masonry structure. In partnership with Lewistown Borough, Downtown Lewistown, Inc. conducted an inspection of the property outlining work to ensure exterior code requirements were met. Following an assessment by the DLI Design Committee made up of community residents, the contractors; Mid-State Awning and Crossiette Painting & Repair completed the work. Ryan Cherry, co-owner, added "Downtown Lewistown, Inc. was extremely accommodating of our timeline for completion of the facade work, flexible with finding the right contractors for our project and the design application process…

Small businesses everywhere have needed to adapt to meet their customers needs and desires during the global pandemic but have these changes/adaptations resulted in greater visitations by you and your family? Think about your experiences in the past and during the previous year to determine how your behaviors may have been impacted by taking this simple survey measuring the downtown and its environs. Copy and paste link if having trouble opening directly. https://reporting.padowntown.org/forms/current-perceptions-of-downtown-Lewistown Thank you for your feedback.

A Public meeting to receive input regarding submission for re-designation as a Pennsylvania Keystone Community will be held Tuesday, June 30, 5:00 to 6:30, in the Stevens Room (lower level) at First United Methodist Church at the corner of North Dorcas and East Third Street (enter from the North Dorcas Street side). This meeting will be an Open House format to allow for greater social distancing with a drop-by type of interaction. In addition, proper masking measures will be in place to protect all attendees. A follow-up meeting to be held later this summer will report out responses and ideas. All are invited and encouraged to attend.

A $5,000 façade grant, from the PA Department of Community and Economic Development, was awarded to Monument Square Center LLC, owner of the former Montgomery Ward Department Store Building on Monument Square. The 1929 art deco structure received improvements in the form of façade cleaning, masonry repointing, and painting intended for long-term maintenance and preservation of the historic property. Through a partnership with Lewistown Borough, Downtown Lewistown, Inc. conducted an inspection of the property outlining work to ensure exterior code requirements were addressed. Followed by an assessment from a Design Committee made up of community residents, the contractor, Ryan L. Ford completed work including the finishing touch of down lighting of the cornice accentuating the art deco features including the "Spirit of Progress" bas relief panel.

This notable landmark building on the corner of North Main and East Third Street houses a state of the art facility connected to a high speed fiber optic line running through downtown. The site is a storied one in Mifflin County history, the former location of Peacock Major's Wayside Inn, that once featured a "drive through" window to distribute "drams to gentlemen who did not care to dismount from their horses or gigs." A recognized site by the Historic Heritage Committee of Mifflin County, the business now occupying the property, Huber & Associates, is storied in its own respect, processing nearly a third of all birth and death certificates generated annually.

In an attempt to ensure available incentives are known and promoted, the Mifflin County Revolving Loan Program highlights are provided here. Mission/Purpose: To provide a supplemental source of financing to support business retention and expansion within the Greater Lewistown area. The Loan Fund is to be used to assist businesses in meeting the bank's lending requirements and to encourage financing of projects by sharing or reducing the risk to financial institutions. Loans are available for businesses located (or are willing to locate) in the Greater Lewistown area encompassing Derry and Granville Townships and Burnham and Lewistown Boroughs. Loans may be used for the acquisition of land and/or buildings, new construction, renovations, leasehold improvements, purchase of machinery & equipment or working capital. Loan Terms: Maximum amount:             $50,000 or a maximum of 50% of the…

Owners of buildings & businesses in downtown Lewistown are invited to apply for up to $5,000 in matching grants to improve the appearance of their facades. Since the inception of Downtown Lewistown, Inc., 43 similar projects have been completed in the Downtown and Neighborhood . This is another phase of that work to assist business and property owners with rehabilitations they want to undertake along with addressing exterior code conditions and allow for the separation of storm water from the sanitary sewer system. More information is available by contacting Executive Director, Jim Zubler at jim@downtownlewistown.com or by calling the office at (717) 248-9606. Application and Guidelines