Economic Development Skyrockets In Chester County

MALVERN, PA — More than 150 Chester County business and community community members attended the 12th Chester County Economic Development Council’s annual stakeholders breakfast Friday at the Desmond Hotel here.

Council leaders spoke about the top milestones reached during 2021-2022 fiscal year following the global pandemic, including projects to expand Longwood Gardens and new developments in the Downingtown area.

“Some hear the term ‘economic development’ and picture construction sites and loan closings,” Gary W. Smith, president and CEO of the council, said during the breakfast. "It’s really about serving people by preserving and enhancing the quality of life in our communities.”

The Council’s milestones include:


Opportunities for All:

• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategic Plan, which paved the way for a new Business Resource Center in Coatesville with free access to business coaching.
• First-of-its-kind grant program to support minority- and women-owned businesses that served 51 businesses: 26 minority-owned, 23 women-owned, 7 without a college degree and 7 returning from prolonged unemployment. Read more.

Cultivating Careers

• In-demand agriculture industry partnership, which partnered with Chester County to launch its first agriculture economic development strategic plan and also began training to support worker and youth career development experiences in agriculture and manufacturing.
• In 2021-2022, council’s workforce development initiatives impacted 1,632 youth, 1,556 participating organizations and 986 volunteers. Read more.

Financing Chesco’s Future

• The Chester County Industrial Development Authority and the council finance Longwood Gardens’ most ambitious expansion of its conservatory and surrounding landscape in a century.
• Seventeen acres of Longwood’s Conservatory and grounds will be transformed by 2024 using a tax-exempt loan through council.
• Longwood is one of thousands of projects the authority and council have financed over their nearly 50 years of partnership. Read more.

Loan Growth

Loan growth was record breaking, with loan volume more than five times higher than just four years ago and more than 33% higher compared to the previous fiscal year.
Loans included SBA 504 and 7(a), Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA), and council’s internal revolving loan fund.

Train Station and Development on Downingtown

In the heart of Downingtown borough, construction is underway on the Hankin Group’s new Brandywine Station LP (River Station).

This mixed-use project includes 400 luxury apartments, 10,000 square feet of retail space, a new pedestrian bridge to Johnsontown Park, and will include the future site of the new Downingtown AMTRAK/SEPTA train station.

With assistance from council the project received an International Society of Respiratory Protect award of $1.28 million through the Central and Western Industrial Development Authority to help with the environmental site remediation and clean-up of the site.

Habitat For Humanity

With help from the council’s site selection team, Habitat for Humanity of Chester County found a new location for its corporate headquarters in Phoenixville, as well as a new location for Restore, a home improvement store and donation center. Read more.

More details on these projects are available in the council's 2021-2022 Annual Report here.