Six Chester Pike boroughs in Delaware County could see investment and growth coming to their communities with help from a county agency and some matching state grants, writes Gabriel Donahue for WHYY.

The Delco Commerce Center is looking to invest almost $25,000 to drive growth in those communities, which sit along a six-mile corridor.

That money would be matched by a state grant to pay a third-party consultant to come up with a five-year revitalization strategy. 

If the boroughs qualify for a Keystone Communities main street designation, it would be “an opportunity for targeted investment and development,” according to Laura Goodrich Cairns, commerce director for the Delco Commerce Center.

Chester Pike is the main commercial corridor for these communities, yet development has largely stagnated, leaving run-down properties and vacant storefronts.

The nonprofit Chester Pike Corridor Improvement Partners, made up of five municipalities between Ridley Park and Sharon Hill, has created an improvement project for the corridor.

The goal is to attract, retain, and grow local businesses.

“We want to have an engaging business community where the residents want to shop and invite their out-of-town guests to walk downtown and see all the wonderful things said Partner Executive Director Mary Bethea.  

Read more about plans for the six Chester Pike boroughs at WHYY.

Here’s an effort by four families to renovate a small town in a different Delaware County, this time in Ohio.