ULI Philadelphia’s Central Pennsylvania Council hosted a panel and tour of Camp Hill Borough on October 24, 2019. Historically, the borough’s commercial corridor, Market Street, evolved with an inconsistent retail mix due to little planning. In 2016, a ULI Technical Assistance Panel was convened by Camp Hill Borough to help develop and promote the business corridor.

Comprised of sixteen experienced ULI members, the team interviewed key stakeholders, identified several key issues, and provided specific recommendations, which can be found in the Camp Hill Borough TAP Report.

Together with area business owners and community members, the Borough collaboratively executed on these recommendations to get Camp Hill to its current day upswing. The panel’s discussion provided attendees a recount of what has culminated along Camp Hill’s commercial corridor since the TAP Report was released and the walking tour gave attendees a glimpse into how the area will be transformed in the coming years.

The panelists consisted of:

• Brad Jones, President and CEO of Harristown Development Corporation
• Richard Jordan, President and CEO of Smith Land & Improvement Corporation
• Lisa DeCavalcante, Owner of Little Black Dress
• Sue Pera, Owner of Cornerstone Coffeehouse
• Anne Deeter Gallaher, Owner and CEO of Deeter Gallaher Group (Moderator)

During the conversations, several key factors that led revitalization of the town emerged. The first emphasis was on the developer’s role in a town’s commercial progression. “Rick Jordan and his father [of Smith Land & Improvement Corporation] were the catalysts for the action that’s been happening in the past year,” commented Sue Pera, a long-time business owner in Camp Hill. Lisa DeCavalcante, the owner of the shop where this event was held, also commented, “Rick is a great, caring landlord. His office is also right across the street from us.”

Richard Jordan, a 12-year Camp Hill resident, told the audience about the synergistic relationships he has with his tenants. He mentioned Lisa has been referring him new business tenants all the time, most of which are women-owned. These word of mouth referrals have since led to an organic growth of women-owned businesses in the area. The neighbors collectively acknowledged the importance of having a developer in a thriving local business community who understands the small business model, provides a safe and clean retail space at market rate, and establishes longer term relationships with tenants.

When asked about his own experiences working in Camp Hill, Richard praised the Borough’s leadership for their role in helping make the Neighbors & Smith Development Project become a catalytic center along the corridor. “The Borough was extremely helpful and accountable. They recognized the value of our development for the community.” Richard also stressed the importance of “having people who are willing to invest because recommendations only do so much.”

Brad Jones subtly encapsulated this crucial component of having committed and proactive business owners, landlords, and key stakeholders in a town’s overall development when he referenced the story of how a sole woman organized the community to pass a referendum in 2017 to change the Camp Hill’s Prohibition-era “dry” status to its modern day status as a “wet” town that can now legally serve alcohol – a welcoming door for more businesses and restaurants to plant themselves in the up-and-coming Market Street community of Camp Hill.