Black Horse Pike Regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy

FINAL BLACK HORSE PIKE RCEDS REPORT NOW AVAILABLE

2009-09-03T16:24:00.001-04:00

The Black Horse Pike Regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (RCEDS) is available for download (pdf, 14mb).

(Draft) Final Black Horse Pike RCEDS

2009-07-29T10:13:00.004-04:00

The Black Horse Pike Regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (RCEDS) is available for download (pdf, 12mb) and review.

Draft Center-Based Revitalization Plans (Introduction & Broad Strategy Statements)

2009-01-14T16:48:00.005-05:00

During Meeting #8, we reviewed the basic strategies for each of the cores and nodes. You can download and review the introduction and broad strategy statements for each of the draft plans by clicking here. We look forward to your feedback. You can e-mail bhp@bkurbandesign.com or post a comment to this blog posting.

Cores and Nodes

2009-01-06T16:26:00.005-05:00

Q: How might you come up with a revitalization plan for a 4-mile long section of a corridor that passes through more than 8 municipalities?

A: Try breaking it up into smaller parts. The map below shows the planning areas for these "center-based revitalization plans." Click on the map to see an enlarged version.

September's Community Visioning Workshops

2008-10-21T10:05:00.013-04:00

The September Community Visioning Workshops have concluded. Summaries of each meeting and "place profiles" that describe key issues for each municipality are available for download. See what your municipality—and your neighboring municipalities—are considering as part of this regional economic development strategy. Be sure to post any comments, questions, or suggestions to the blog. The consultant team will begin to draft the revitalization plans for each community, which will be presented at our December 2008 Steering Committee meeting. More details about this meeting will follow soon.

September 13, 2008 | Audubon, Audubon Park, Haddon Township
Place Profile | Workshop Summary

September 20, 2008 | Haddon Heights, Mt. Ephraim
Place Profile | Workshop Summary

September 25, 2008 | Bellmawr, Brooklawn
Place Profile | Workshop Summary

September 27, 2008 | Runnemede
Place Profile | Workshop Summary

Announcing September's Community Visioning Workshops

2008-08-28T10:18:00.014-04:00

All members of the public and the local business community are encouraged to participate in one of four visioning workshops to guide future revitalization efforts in the Black Horse Pike region. Each 3-hour workshop will focus on a portion of the region. We will discuss ideas for improving marketing, design, bicycle access, pedestrian safety, traffic, parking, new development, etc. Refreshments will be provided.

Reservations are required as seating might be limited. E-mail bhp@bkurbandesign.com to reserve a seat or if you have any questions!

Saturday, September 13, 2008, 9 a.m. to noon
for Audubon, Audubon Park, Haddon Township
Audubon Senior Center, 247 Oakland Ave, Audubon, NJ

Saturday, September 20, 2008, 9 a.m. to noon
for Haddon Heights, Mt. Ephraim
Bell Avenue Fire Station, Mt. Ephraim, NJ

Thursday, September 25, 2008, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
for Bellmawr, Brooklawn
Bellmawr James “Bud” Mullen Community Center, 29 E. Browning Road, Bellmawr, NJ

Saturday, September 27, 2008, 9 a.m. to noon
for Runnemede
Harry Williams Complex – Senior Center, Broadway and Black Horse
Pike, Runnemede, NJ

Black Horse Pike Region Business & Customer Survey

2008-07-14T17:26:00.008-04:00

We'd like to learn more about the needs, concerns, and ideas of Black Horse Pike region business operators and customers. Please take a few minutes to complete this ONLINE SURVEY. The results of this survey will help to advance the overall purpose of this project, which is to support local governments and businesses within the Black Horse Pike region so they can, cooperatively, take greater advantage of economic development opportunities within their communities.

Monthly Spotlight: Nashua, NH

2008-06-15T16:30:00.003-04:00

“Every new building sets the standard.” That’s what one city official in Nashua, NH urged when developers proposed constructing a Burger King along Main Street. The city had completed a master plan that aimed to unify the pedestrian-oriented northern part of Main Street with the more hodge-podge, auto-oriented southern part. The developers initially wanted to build a restaurant with a traditional layout (parking in front with drive-thru on the side). The city negotiated with the developers of the Burger King to modify the layout to be more pedestrian-oriented and the building design to blend better with Nashua’s traditional architecture.

"We are at a critical point in how buildings need to be situated in the downtown. Every new building sets the standard," said the city official to The Boston Globe (January 9, 2003). "We would love to point to Burger King as a good example of how Main Street south will be developed. We are looking to them to truly demonstrate leadership with regard to this part of the downtown."

The resulting design is pictured below. Good job, Nashua and Burger King developers!

Near-Term Project #1: LOGO

2008-05-20T10:48:00.008-04:00

During Meeting #3, Steering Committee members brainstormed ideas for a logo for Black Horse Pike as a NEAR-TERM project for improving the BHP corridor through branding/identity. The following are some of the ideas and suggestions that came out of the meeting. What do you think about them? Chime in on this blog with your own ideas and suggestions.

*Incorporate the Black Horse.
*Use color in the logo.
*Consider a different, customized horse for each town.
*Get more people involved in the design process. Hold a contest and advertise it in each of the towns and schools. Establish parameters for the design.
*Businesses could sponsor horses/banners. Banners in each town should have the same logo but have different colors.
*The logo could have a tag line, such as "[town] proudly supporting Black Horse Pike."

Near-Term Project #2: WEBSITE

2008-05-20T10:30:00.003-04:00

During Meeting #3, Steering Committee members brainstormed ideas for a website for Black Horse Pike as a NEAR-TERM project for improving the BHP corridor through branding/identity. The following are some of the ideas and suggestions that came out of the meeting. What do you think about them? Chime in on this blog with your own ideas and suggestions.

*Get the domain www.bhp.com or www.bhp.org.
*Create a business directory. Organize the content by business type rather than by town.
*Consider a listing fee for businesses to be in the directory.
*Get links from the municipal websites.
*Consider advertisements and promotions on the website.

Near-Term Project #3: COORDINATE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS

2008-05-20T10:15:00.003-04:00

During Meeting #3, Steering Committee members brainstormed how the developments standards of the various BHP municipalities could be coordinated to improve the BHP corridor. The following are some of the ideas and suggestions that came out of the meeting. What do you think about them? Chime in on this blog with your own ideas and suggestions.

*Coordinate signs. White Horse Pike began a process of coordinating sign standards among the various municipalities.
*Use development standards to attract certain types of businesses.

Monthly Spotlight: Girard Avenue

2008-05-14T16:49:00.004-04:00

One of the outcomes of last month's Steering Committee meeting (Meeting #2: Corridor Issues & Opportunities) was a list of near-term priorities for improving the Black Horse Pike corridor. Branding/Identity were on people's minds, with developing a logo for the Black Horse Pike being one of the most important near-term activities. This takes us to May's Monthly Spotlight, which is on Girard Avenue in Philadelphia.

A major east-west artery in Philadelphia, Girard Avenue businesses and residents banded together in 2003 to create the Girard Coalition. The goals of this organization are to stimulate commerce, increase foot traffic, and grow the population of the Avenue. Shortly after its formation, the Girard Coalition undertook a corridor planning process to conceive of and prioritize improvements to the Avenue. One of the priority activities was to brand Girard Avenue with a unique logo. The resulting logo reflects the reactivation of the trolley line and the resurrection of the historic trolley cars. The logo appears on banners along the entire length of the street. Visit the Girard Coalition on the Web.

Meeting #3: Near-Term Projects & Business Survey Brainstorm

2008-05-08T09:38:00.001-04:00

We look forward to see you at Meeting #3, which will will take place on Monday, May 12, 2008, 7:00 PM, James Bud Mullen Community Center, 29 East Browning Road in Bellmawr. The topic is "Near-Term Projects & Business Survey." We'll take the ideas from Meeting #2 to the next level and also brainstorm with you the best questions and approaches for surveying existing businesses in the Black Horse Pike Corridor. This survey will be critical for understanding the needs and capabilities of BHP-area businesses and informing the comprehensive economic development strategy.

Monthly Spotlight: El Cajon Boulevard

2008-04-09T11:58:00.003-04:00

Every month we'll feature a "spotlight," a case study of a planning issue that could help inform our work together in the Black Horse Pike region. These spotlights are not meant to prescribe specific solutions for the Black Horse Pike region, but rather to help generate ideas and discussion. This month's spotlight is El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego, CA.

The history and evolution (and, therefore, the character) of El Cajon Boulevard is strikingly similar to that of Black Horse Pike. A major east/west route, El Cajon Boulevard evolved into an important auto-focused commercial corridor. By the 1940s, hotels, motels, gas stations, and auto-dealerships were the predominant business-types, and the architecture of buildings and signs were often whimsical and eye-catching. The construction of a major freeway and shopping malls in the 1960s and 1970s gradually drew business and customers away from El Cajon Boulevard. In response, in 1979 the El Cajon Boulevard Business Improvement District (BID) was formed, which evolved into the El Cajon Business Improvement Association.

Meeting #2: Corridor Issues and Opportunities

2008-04-02T12:13:00.009-04:00

We look forward to seeing you on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 7:00pm at the James Bud Mullen Community Center at 29 E. Browning Road in Bellmawr for the next project meeting. The topic is "Corridor Issues and Opportunities." We will discuss some of the ideas that came out of Meeting #1 and select specific ones to move forward with in the near term. A detailed meeting agenda can be downloaded from the Meeting Materials section on the left sidebar.

Newsclip: Another Look at Regional Development

2008-03-31T09:53:00.003-04:00

This recent opinion piece from the Toledo Free Press reinforces the notion that successful economic development requires a regional approach. "Central cities depend on surrounding towns and communities just as smaller towns and communities surrounding our central cities depend on them. The success of one is success for all; the failure of one is failure for all."

Welcome BHP-area Business Owners, Municipal Officials, and Residents

2008-03-26T13:06:00.009-04:00

Welcome to the blog/website for the Black Horse Pike Regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. The purpose of this project is to support local governments and businesses within the Black Horse Pike region so they can, cooperatively, take greater advantage of economic development opportunities within their communities. To read a Project FAQ, see the sidebar at the left for a link to the PDF.