2015 Report – (9.5 mg PDF file)

HISTORIC
KENNETT
S Q UARE
2o15 accomplishments
Business Attraction &
Economic Development
Promotion/Marketing
In 2015 over $600,000 was spent in the
downtown on Economic Development for
renovations of buildings or businesses.
Five new businesses opened in the central
business district:
•Nomadic Pies • Houppette • Blown Away
•Sweet Magnolia Bakery • Kennett Brewing Co.
Magnolia Place, a $45 million mixed-use
development at the western edge of town
began construction in the spring of 2014. At
the end of 2015, 55 townhouses were sold and
occupied ranging in price from $320,000 to
$650,000. Victory Brewing Co. opened in the
mixed used building in early April and all 33,
1 and 2 bedroom apartments were occupied
by the end of the year, located above Victory.
HKS applied for and was awarded a $35,000
grant from the Chester County Planning
Commission for a multi municipal economic
development study of seven focus areas in
the Borough of Kennett Square and Kennett
Township. Other funders and partners in the
$60,000 study are the two municipalities;
Longwood Gardens, Genesis HealthCare
and Historic Kennett Square. After an
RFP and interview process, the project was
awarded to Todd Poole and his firm 4ward
Planning; working with Mark Keener from
the RBA Group. The study began on Sept.
1 and is slated to be completed in June. A
goal of the study is to have guidelines and
implementation steps to plan for future
economic development in the area.
• Historic Kennett Square once again partnered with Longwood Gardens on a shuttle during the holiday season. Every Saturday from November 28 to December 26 the shuttle would pick up visitors in Kennett Square and take them to the Christmas display at Longwood. The participants had to pre register for this option and were encouraged to shop and dine in Kennett Square either before or after visiting the gardens. Over 1,000 people took advantage of this option offered by Longwood Gardens.
• Historic Kennett Square also partnered with Longwood Gardens on decorating the holiday tree and creating a pop up park in the pedestrian walkway behind the tree. The park called “Meet My By the Tree” was an outdoor gathering space that was initiated and funded by Tara Dugan from Scout and Annie. Thanks to Longwood Gardens intern Jenna Otto for her time and talent to decorate both the tree and the park; Longwood Gardens for donating some of the lights and decorations; the Borough of Kennett Square public works department for their decorating help and Claire Murray for overseeing the whole project.
• The Third Thursdays outdoor dining events continued during the summer months. These events continue to draw a crowd that enjoys dining in the street while being entertained by musical artists and kids activities.
• The third annual Winterfest was held on a frigid Saturday in February and attracted close to 1,000 people to this outdoor event that successfully raised funds for Historic Kennett Square.
• Partnered with Fig Industries and Longwood Gardens; on four issues of the Fig Kennett print magazine and social media-marketing program. Kennett Fig is a seasonal buy local guide to Kennett Square.
• Continued our partnership with WXPN 88.5 as an avenue to market Historic Kennett Square as a shopping and dining destination. Hired/contracted journalist Monica Fragale Thompson for a series of press releases on topics related to new Kennett Square businesses and news stories.
• Continued with the Kennett Farmers Market every Friday from May to October and the Winter Farmers Market on the first and third Fridays from November to April. Email newsletters with information on current vendors and goods are sent the week of every market. Hired new market manager Cailin Catarius when past manager Abby Morgan moved to a full time job at the Kennett Food Cupboard.
• The Kennett Brewfest attracted a record number of people and raised a record amount of money for the organization.
• Continued to maintain and enhance website –
www.historickennettsquare.com
• Continued to maintain a presence on Facebook and created an Instagram account.
• Enhanced and expanded monthly email newsletter – Around the Square – we now have more than 8,000 subscribers.
Organizational
• Historic Kennett Square hired Alicia Pepper as bookkeeper and office assistant. Alicia is in the office three days a week.
• At the end of the year Historic Kennett Square Board of Directors participated in strategic planning and contracted with the Pennsylvania Downtown Center to prepare a corporate strategic business plan
in the early part of 2016. This plan should be completed by June 2016.
• Continued to develop or maintain partnerships with downtown Kennett stakeholders including, but not limited to:
Borough Council and administration
Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce
Chester County Economic Development Council
Chester County Conference & Visitor’s Bureau
Genesis HealthCare
Exelon Corp.
State Rep. Chris Ross
State Rep. Stephen Barrar
State Sen. Dominic Pileggi
Rep. Joe Pitts
Chester County Commissioners
Anson Nixon Park
Kennett Symphony of Chester County
Kennett Trails Alliance
Kennett Amateur Theatrical Society (KATS)
Kennett Area Restaurant and Marchants (KARMA)
n
n
2015 Calendar of Events
included:
Monthly Art Strolls; Seasonal and Winter Farmers
Market; Memorial Day Parade; Third Thursdays; Murder
Mystery Art Stroll; Halloween Parade; Holiday Parade;
and a series of holiday events including horse-drawn
carriage rides and tree lighting; Winterfest and Kennett
Brewfest.
Design
• The Design Committee granted $33,535 for façade improvements.
• We continue to work with the Beautification Committee on planting in the downtown, including barrels along the sidewalk, large planters at the intersections and hanging baskets.
• New banners for the holiday season were created with cooperation from Longwood Gardens.
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
Board of Directors
David B. Myers
President
Larmore Scarlett, LLP
Nicole Grebloskie
Vice President
Arthur Hall Insurance
Daniel Gannon
Treasurer
Union Street Financial
Anita D’Amico
Rigler & D’Amico LLC
Marnie Conley
Longwood Gardens
Tara Dugan
Scout & Annie
Carrie Freeman
United Way of Southern
Chester County
Jonathan Jordan
Riley Riper Hollin & Colagreco
Ginger Meadows
Genesis HealthCare
Maria Navarrete Olvera
Fulton Bank
Mike Pia, Jr.
South Mill Mushrooms
Tony Poluch
Bryn Mawr Trust
Tom Sausen
Abbott Nutrition
Joseph Scalise
Kennett Square
Borough Manager
Tom Swett
Apartments & Cottages
at 316 S.Broad St.
Staff
Mary Hutchins
Executive Director
Claire Murray
Historic Kennett Square
2015 Income and Expenses
Thank you to these HKS Sponsors who
have donated $2,000 or more
income
Brewfest
Events
Grants & Contributions
Membership & Sponsorship
Unrelated Business Income
$217,634
$84,610
$94,436
$61,919
$58,435
TOTAL INCOME
$517,034
Arthur Hall Insurance
Borough of Kennett Square
Genesis HealthCare
Kennett Township
MacElree Harvey
Longwood Gardens
Mushroom Festival
Pillar Real Estate Advisors
Robert J Waters Jr Trust
expenses
2015
Brewfest
Events
Marketing
Management & General
Unrelated Business Expense
Flash & Façade Grants
$80,510
$79,802
$46,318
$150,934
$66,417
$34,035
TOTAL EXPENSES
$458,016
2015
Union Street Financial
StanAb, LP
Taylor Oil & Propane
Two Stones Pub
Victory Brewing Company
White Horse Group
Foundation, Inc.
106 west state street • kennett square, pa 19348 • 610.444.8188
for more information visit www.historickennettsquare.com