Decades of teamwork between local business leaders and borough management have helped turn downtown Phoenixville from a crime-ridden main drag into a bustling commercial destination with upscale apartments, restaurants, and shops, writes Jim Melwert for KYW Newsradio. 

The downtown was decimated in 1987 after the Phoenix Steel Company closed. 

“We lost retail,” said Jessica Capistrant, president and CEO of the Phoenixville Regional Chamber of Commerce. “We lost restaurants. The world changed and, at that time, we just really did not.” 

Things started to improve in the late 1990s thanks to several events such as a program aimed at improving urban infrastructure that was administered by Chester County. 

Phoenixville Borough Manager Jean Krack said his predecessor began using those funds in 2004 to start to clean up Bridge Street. The Colonial Theatre building, which was saved by the Phoenixville Area Economic Development Corporation, then started bringing in concerts and other events around the same time. All of this was accentuated by the annual Firebird Festival. 

“It created excitement and curiosity,” said Capistrant, “and then we saw more of a boost in people taking a chance on retail and choosing Phoenixville for that.” 

Read more about downtown Phoenixville transforming into a popular commercial destination at KYW Newsradio.

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