On May 4th, George Pitcher, president of the DCDC/Dormont Main Street, provided the following update to those in attendance at the Dormont Borough Council meeting:
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Good Evening Members of Council, Mayor, Solicitor, Assistant Borough Manager and All Attending Tonight’s Meeting:
My name is George Pitcher and I reside at 1011 Peermont Avenue in Dormont. It has been a little over a year since I last spoke to you regarding the Dormont Community Development Corporation (DCDC) and “Dormont Main Street”. I say “Dormont Main Street” because those are the words you will be hearing the most going forward regarding our main goal of improving the downtown Commercial-Business District in Dormont. The primary reason for coming before you this evening is to provide an updated report on our work efforts over the past year and also outline some of the plans we have for the next year.
Some of the major tasks undertaken by Dormont Main Street and the DCDC Board of Directors over the past year include:
* Finalizing a detailed 501c3 Non-Profit application and filing with the I.R.S. 501c3 status is a requirement of both the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, the prime proponents of the Main Street Program.
* Obtaining the necessary corporate insurance to cover the operations of the DCDC and Dormont Main Street.
* Obtaining a Doing Business As designation which better represents what we are all about. That designation is “Dormont Main Street”. We have also developed a logo and several business forms for our program.
* Several DCDC Board Members and Committee Members have attended conferences and seminars for Main Street Program Updates and Training.
* Start-up of three (3) of the four (4) Standing Committees as part of the Four Point Approach established by the National Trust have been formed and meet regularly. The fourth (4th) committee is presently being formed and will be starting their monthly meetings by the end of this month. The Four Standing Committees, all volunteers, are really the meat of the Dormont Main Street efforts and will be setting priorities and developing projects to further the goals of the program.
* Conducted several fund raising events including the 2nd Annual “A Taste of Dormont” and a Mystery Dinner. These fund raising events are necessary to cover the general operating expenses of the organization.
* Implemented a Phase I Cigarette Litter Prevention Program through a grant received from Keep America Beautiful. Through this program we were able to purchase several Ash Receptacles for the Business District. Doing actual physical counts of cigarette butts in a selected area has shown a very noticeable reduction in cigarette butt litter.
* Worked closely with Allegheny County and its contractor (CTAC) to prepare an updated, comprehensive and current Business District Inventory. This Inventory will be a valuable tool for use by all of the committees of Dormont Main Street.
Although the above accomplishments my not be very visible, they are necessary to lay the foundation for a successful long lasting program of improving the Commercial-Business District of Dormont.
So what are the planned “Dormont Main Street” work efforts for the coming Year?
1. The four (4) standing committees will continue to meet to establish plans and projects to be implemented this year and beyond. For instance, the Design Committee has set a Work Plan to establish design standards for Streetscape Improvements and Building Façade Upgrades. Studies of the Business District will be undertaken, (i.e., conduct a study for potential upgrades and revisions to Borough Signage).
2. Continue meetings with the Business Community including conducting at least one informational meeting for the General Public. We would encourage all to visit our web site (www.dormontmainstreet.org) for periodic program updates. We wish to thank Borough Officials for establishing a link to our web site on the Home Page of the Borough of Dormont’s web site.
3. Continue to conduct fund raising events to support the general operating expenses of the organization. On September 19th, Dormont Main Street will have its 3rd annual “A Taste of Dormont”. The event will feature food samples from several Dormont eateries. There will also be several local wineries present as well as a micro brewery. This will be a fun gathering to promote the Dormont Business District. Other fund raising events are being planned for the upcoming year.
4. Continue with other Business District Promotions. Dormont Main Street will be sponsoring a Car Cruise during the Centennial Week. It is scheduled for Friday evening, July 3rd, from 6:00 P.M to 8:00 P.M. for the entire length of Potomac Avenue. Businesses will be encouraged to extend their hours of operation for the Car Cruise event. Thanks to input from Council President, Dormont Main Street will also be working with a Buy Local Campaign thru the American Independent Business Alliance for the week leading up to and thru the July 4th weekend. We wish to call it “Discover Dormont – Buy Dormont”. The Businesses in Dormont will be solicited to participate in the program by offering discounts on the purchase of merchandise and services through out the week. “Dormont Main Street” has a long term goal of promoting a Buy Local Campaign not only for the Centennial (Independence) Week but through out the year and beyond. We will be developing a promotional program that would entice residents to support the local businesses.
5. As part of the Centennial Celebrations, Dormont Main Street will be sponsoring a Centennial Banner Contest through the Keystone Oaks art students. There will be a number of banners (prepared by KO Students) hanging from lamp posts and utility poles through out the Business District commemorating our 100th Birthday. The banners will be judged and prizes will be awarded.
6. We will be continuing the Cigarette Liter Prevention Program. Dormont Main Street has been successful in receiving a 2nd grant from Keep America Beautiful to expand the distribution of Ash Receptacles to other areas of the Business District.
7. Continue to prepare a complete and in-depth application to the State for Official Designation as a Main Street Community. With this designation, Dormont Main Street would expect to receive assurances of continued funding for a number of years to pursue the programs being developed by the standing committees.
8. Receiving the 501c3 Non-Profit Status will allow Dormont Main Street to pursue major fund raising activities to secure financial support for the visible Nuts and Bolts Projects that will require considerable dollars to undertake.
In closing, I wish to thank you for the opportunity to provide this update report for “Dormont Main Street and the Dormont Community Development Corporation. It is expected that the program will be around for many years to come to support improvements to the Commercial-Business District of Dormont. At this point, all the work associated with the program is being undertaken by volunteers. Down the road a Main Street Manager will be hired to manage and implement this program. It takes a great deal of planning and well thought out projects that will assure a long lasting continuous Main Street Program. We thank you for your continued support of Dormont Main Street.