Indiana, PA – Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger recently joined local leaders in touring small businesses in downtown Indiana, Indiana County, to highlight proposed investments by Governor Josh Shapiro to support main streets, downtown business districts, small businesses, and local communities across Pennsylvania.

Governor Shapiro and his Administration are working to strengthen the Commonwealth’s communities and main streets, including a $25 million proposal in the Governor’s 2024-25 budget proposal for the new Main Street Matters program.

“Governor Shapiro’s $25 million investment in the Main Street Matters program will give communities, like Indiana, the resources they need to create resilient main streets where people want to live, visit, and work,” said DCED Secretary Rick Siger. “This focus on strong communities and small businesses is essential, as Pennsylvania faces more competition than ever in attracting and retaining new residents and businesses. The Governor’s call for $25 million for the Main Street Matters program is an investment that our Pennsylvania communities deserve.”

Main Street Matters, which builds upon and modernizes the existing successes of the Keystone Communities program, will be administered through DCED.

Governor Shapiro and Secretary Siger recently 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 demonstrates the clear need for more state investments in the growth and stability of neighborhoods, main streets, and downtown districts so that Pennsylvania’s communities and their residents can thrive.

“We are proud of the many great communities we have in Indiana County. Investments in main street programs help small towns overcome hurdles, beautify and enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors,” said Representative Jim Struzzi. “We have been fortunate to see great results from these types of programs in the past and look forward to future opportunities.”

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.

During his visit to Indiana, Secretary Siger and local leaders visited with owners and employees of the Philly Street Candle Bar, The 700 Shop, HobbySpeed, Book Nook, and Dan Smith Candies.

“We are honored to have Secretary Siger visit our extraordinary historic downtown and spend time with our wonderful businesses to discuss the efforts by Governor Shapiro to invest in business districts such as ours,” said Sam Kenly, Executive Director, Downtown Indiana. “We appreciate the support the state provides to organizations like ours through the PA Downtown Center and initiatives like this through the newly proposed Main Street Matters program.”

“Downtown Indiana may be the nicest main street community in all of Pennsylvania, and we are proud to have Secretary Siger come to visit our amazing businesses and see our beautiful downtown firsthand,” said Mark Hilliard, President, Indiana County Chamber of Commerce. “Our downtowns provide the heartbeat of our business communities, and we are appreciative of the mission of the Main Street Matters program and eager to see how it can benefit the downtowns in our county and throughout the Commonwealth.”

The Governor’s 2024-25 budget calls for significant investments directly tied back to Pennsylvania’s first Economic Development Strategy in nearly two decades. In addition to the $25 million to create the Main Street Matters program, other proposed economic development investments in the Governor’s budget include: $500 million in PA SITES funding to bring more commercial and industrial sites to Pennsylvania; $20 million to support large-scale innovation and leverage Pennsylvania’s best-in-class research and development assets; and $3.5 million to create and launch the Pennsylvania Regional Economic Competitiveness Challenge to incentivize regional growth.

Governor Shapiro knows that supporting our small businesses and commercial corridors is critical to our communities and economic success – and he and his Administration have been traveling the Commonwealth visiting Main Streets in Allentown, Bedford, Bethlehem, Connellsville, Ephrata, Franklin, Hazleton, Honesdale, Lemoyne, Lewisburg, Media, Mount Lebanon, New Cumberland, Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood, Somerset, West Philadelphia, and Wyomissing to promote his budget proposal.

You can read Pennsylvania’s first economic development strategy in 20 years. For more information on how the Governor’s proposed budget will create opportunity for all Pennsylvanians, visit Governor Josh Shapiro’s Budget website.

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

MEDIA CONTACT:
Penny Ickes, dcedpress@pa.gov

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