Shapiro Administration Celebrates Bipartisan State Budget Win for Pennsylvania’s Main Streets and Downtowns, Visits Small Businesses in Altoona

DCED Secretary Rick Siger met with owners and employees of some of the small businesses that help fuel local and regional growth in Blair County.

Governor Josh Shapiro's bipartisan budget includes $20 million for the new Main Street Matters program to create vibrant downtowns and commercial corridors across PA.

Altoona, PA - Today, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger joined local leaders in touring small businesses in downtown Altoona, highlighting major investments by Governor Josh Shapiro's bipartisan 2024-2025 budget to support downtown business districts, create jobs, and spur the economy across Pennsylvania.

Governor Shapiro's 2024-25 budget includes a $20 million investment in the new Main Street Matters program to support main streets, downtown business districts, small businesses, and local communities across Pennsylvania.

"Governor Shapiro's $20 million investment in the Main Street Matters program, which received bipartisan support, is an investment that will help Pennsylvania communities thrive and compete," said DCED Secretary Rick Siger. "Main Street Matters will provide them with the resources they need to create vibrant main streets where people want to live, work, visit, and innovate. This focus on strong communities and small businesses is essential to help Pennsylvania better compete in attracting and retaining new residents and businesses."

Main Street Matters, which builds upon and modernizes the existing successes of the Keystone Communities program, will be administered through DCED. In May, Governor Shapiro announced nearly $7 million in Keystone Communities grants to support 49 community improvement projects in 25 counties across the Commonwealth - after receiving 117 applications for the program requesting more than $24 million in funding. This demonstrated the clear need for investments by the new Main Street Matters program in the growth and stability of neighborhoods, main streets, and downtown districts to help Pennsylvania's communities and their residents can thrive.

"When government partners with economic development organizations and local businesses, it can revitalize local communities like Altoona," said State Senator Judy Ward. "As elected officials we need to work together to ensure that our local communities have the tools they need to grow and thrive."

During his visit to Altoona, Secretary Siger and local leaders visited Saint Francis University at the Curry Innovation Center and met with the owners and employees of: Altoona Taproom; JJ Hadley & Co. Brewers - Not Just Another Pizza Place; Wildfire | Sustainable Goods + Refillery; and Our Studio-Cafe.

"Main Street Matters emphasizes the fact that research shows that healthy vibrant downtowns elevate the economic health and quality of life in a community,' said Mayor Matt Pacifico, Altoona. "Strong downtowns create jobs, incubate small businesses, increase opportunities for goods and services, protect property values and reduce sprawl."

Run by DCED, the Keystone Communities program encourages the creation of partnerships between the public and private sectors that support the growth and stability of neighborhoods and communities; social and economic diversity; and a strong and secure quality of life. Local governments, redevelopment and housing authorities, nonprofit organizations, community development corporations, and business, neighborhood, and downtown improvement districts are all eligible to apply for this grant funding.

"Main streets across our Commonwealth are not only an important part of our small business economy, but they also create community, are gathering places and enhance our quality of life," said Stephen McKnight, President and CEO, Blair County Alliance for Business and Economic Growth. "We applaud Governor Shapiro's effort to put our main streets front-and-center through the new Main Street Matters program."

The 2024-2025 bipartisan budget delivers on the Governor's key priorities to make Pennsylvania more competitive economically, and includes:

• $500 million for site development, including $400 million for the PA SITES (Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites) program;
• $20 million for the Main Street Matters program to support small businesses and commercial corridors that are the backbone of communities across our Commonwealth;
• $20 million in state funding for small minority-owned businesses in Pennsylvania; and
• $15 million for tourism marketing to boost our economy, attract more visitors, and support good-paying jobs - building on the Governor's launch of the Great American Getaway brand to encourage tens of millions within a few hours' drive to visit Pennsylvania.

You can read Pennsylvania's first economic development strategy in 20 years online. Get more information on how the Governor's budget will create economic opportunity for all Pennsylvanians online.

For more information about the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit the DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Governor's Office, [email protected], 717.783.1116
Penny Ickes, DCED, [email protected]

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