DUBOIS – A group of interested citizens, municipal officials and business owners are meeting on a regular basis to discuss life in the downtown residential area. The group celebrates the many good things about living downtown such as close proximity to cultural venues like the Reitz Theater, DuBois Public Library and the Winkler Gallery of Fine Art. Also mentioned at these meetings is the access to great food, beverage and retail establishments too numerous to mention, walking distance to City Park and several grocery outlets. The group is focused on ways to highlight downtown living, showcasing historic homes for sale, and generally promoting a respectful, civil urban lifestyle. A successful large item clean-up was recently held by neighborhood volunteers, using their own pick-up trucks and manual labor, filling three large roll-off dumpsters. Discussion at the next meeting will focus on a Historic Home “FOR SALE” Open House Day in October. More details to follow.
This group is working in cooperation with the DuBois Redevelopment Authority who have already commissioned a strategic plan using demographic and cultural studies of the predominantly Fourth Ward neighborhood. This is being done in preparation for an application for the states “Elm Street” program. According to the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, “the Elm Street program was created to strengthen older historic neighborhoods that characterize countless commonwealth communities”, particularly those adjacent to actively revitalizing downtown commercial districts, like the one in DuBois. This program is funded through the Department of Community and Economic Development. If you’d like to learn more about this group, please attend the next meeting Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Martin’s Grocery Store Community Room (located in front of the store). Questions, please call Julie Stewart at 814-591-2570 or e-mail elmstdubois@gmail.com.