Filling Downtown Vacancies in the Rust Belt Analyzing the Market Potential for downtown Butler, PA Project Summary Community: Butler County, Pennsylvania Technical Assistance: Market Assessment Former Use: Industrial Downtown Hub Future Use: Thriving Downtown Hub with nighttime appeal Butler, Pennsylvania has a rich industrial history and has solidified itself in American history as the birthplace of the Bantam Jeep. The City of Butler is the County Seat, with many government buildings along the Main Street Corridor, making the area a hub for municipal activity. Outside of government buildings, the Main Street Corridor is also home to over a dozen food establishments, unique gift shops, and medical services. There is a robust daytime presence along Main Street due to the governmental businesses in the area, but most workers return home after the workday instead of staying downtown. Low nighttime activity has limited the vibrancy of the Main Street. The Community's Challenge While there is a rich variety of occupied storefronts with long-standing businesses, there are several vacancies along Main Street. The vacancies stem from several challenges such as the exodus of residents to nearby townships and Butler County, competing suburban retail development, and the slow down of industrial activity in the area. However, the presence of vacant buildings provides an opportunity to boost the vibrancy and attractiveness of downtown. EPA's Land Revitalization Technical Assistance In 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Land Revitalization Program provided contractor technical assistance to Butler County to prepare a market analysis for the Main Street Corridor and inform potential reuse opportunities. The Market Analysis report was based on 10- and 30-minute commute sheds and presented the retail gaps in the community to inform future development. The report also presented a real estate analysis to provide insight on office, retail, and industrial opportunities in the Corridor. From this data the report provided viable reuse recommendations to restore a robust nighttime presence downtown such as restaurants, unique retail, and entertainment spaces. From this report, Butler can move forward with developing ideas and approaching developers while understanding the viable market opportunities along Main Street. Auto Parts, Accessories & Tire Stores Gasoline Stations ting Goods/Hobby/Musical Instr Stores Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers Grocery Stores Clothing Stores Automobile Dealers Bldg Material & Supplies Dealers Health & Personal Care Stores Restaurants/Other Eating Places O 50 lOO 150 200 250 300 ¦ 30-minute commute area ¦ lO-minute commute area Businesses in the top 10 industry groups For more information, contact Joe Nowak, EPA Region 3 Brownfields Program, at Nowak.Joseph@epa.gov. United States Environmental Protection M % Agency Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization 560-F-22-028 ------- |