The Tacony Community Development Corporation's main objective is to revitalize the Tacony community. As a Main Street organization, we are driven by the principle that combining historic architecture, targeted promotion, strong organization, and a little bit of economic diversification can go a long way to reviving a community's commercial corridor. We have used these principles to focus our efforts on programs like the Storefront Improvement program and Small Business Saturday, and are sure to take regular walks up and down Torresdale Avenue to engage business owners and residents alike.
Reinvestment Statistics
Since our last update in May 2015, we've seen the completion of our second round of storefront programs and the launch of our third and final round. Tacony is also seeing a food revival along Princeton Avenue, where Lorenzo's Cafe, Puddin's Cake Corner, and SawTown Tavern have all opened doors since last spring. Additionally, Denofa's Deli, a longtime favorite, has just re-opened its doors to a revamped shop with an even better selection of prepared and dry foods than ever before.
Along with these projects, Tacony has also benefited from the opening of the Tacony Library and Arts Building and the reintroduction of storefronts to a few formerly vacant properties. All told, about $415,000 has been invested in the neighborhood's businesses in the past 15 months.Additional Progress
Building on the success of our targeted investments and management along the Torresdale Avenue commercial corridor, there has also been an uptick in new investment from private citizens and developers off the Avenue. The housing market is really beginning to pick up, with newly renovated homes listed nearly every week. The highlight of these renovations is the Tacony Savings Fund, which was recently purchased by a pair of Brooklyn artists and musicians looking for an historic, affordable, authentic community. They found just the spot!
Many larger, long-awaited projects are finally underway, such as the expansion and renovation of the Tacony branch of the Free Library and the renovation of the Mary Disston School building. A huge undertaking, the revitalization of the former Disston Saw Works grounds, is also making steady progress. The new campus of MaST Charter School, which will be located on a piece of the Disston property, is moving towards groundbreaking, and planning continues on reworking the road network that connect Tacony residences to the Delaware River.
We can't wait to see what the next year has to bring!
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