OGONTZ AVENUE REVITALIZATION CORP

WE TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH TOWARD COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION, BY FOCUSING ON OUR FIVE PILLARS: BUSINESS & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ARTS & CULTURE AND GREENING SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING!BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTOARC CONTINUES TO WORK HARD TO IMPROVE THE BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC CLIMATE IN WEST OAK LANE AND THE ENTIRE NORTHWEST PHILADELPHIA REGION. CREATING CONDITIONS THAT WILL ALLOW BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY TO THRIVE IS KEY TO OUR OVERALL STRATEGY. OARC'S BUSINESS & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS HAVE ATTRACTED DOZENS OF NEW BUSINESSES TO OUR AREA, CREATING NEW JOBS IN THE COMMUNITY, GENERATING REVENUES, AND PROVIDING NEW SERVICES TO THERESIDENTS HERE. OUR COMMITMENT TO BUSINESS AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHWEST PHILADELPHIA HAS RESULTED IN TARGETING AND DELIVERING ASSISTANCE IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:MARKETING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO VARIOUS BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS IN NORTHWEST PHILADELPHIA; SUCH AS THE WEST OAK LANE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION. NEW BUSINESS ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAMS, SEMINARS, AND WORKSHOPS, CO-SPONSORED BY COMMUNITY COLLEGE "POWER UP" PROGRAM AND GOLDMAN SACHS 10,000 SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM. THESE EVENTS ARE DESIGNED TO HELP ASPIRINGENTREPRENEURS AND EXISTING BUSINESS OWNERS GROW AND IMPROVE THEIR SKILLS.IN THE PAST OARC HAS COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION OF THE OGONTZ AVENUE STREETSCAPE PROJECT. GRANTS FROM THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA'S RESTORE PHILADELPHIA CORRIDORS PROGRAM AND THE STATE'S REDEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE CAPITAL PROGRAM (RACP) FUNDED THIS $2.6 MILLION PROJECT. IMPROVEMENTS AND UPGRADES WERE MADE TO A TEN BLOCK STRETCH OF OGONTZ AVENUE; INCLUDING SIDEWALK AND CROSSWALK PAVING FEATURES, ROADWAY CURBS, LANDSCAPING, BENCHES, AND PEDESTRIAN LIGHTING. THIS PROJECT IS STRENGTHENING THE LOCAL ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE BY IMPROVING THE APPEARANCE OF ONE OF THE MOST HEAVILY TRAVELED STREETS IN NORTHWEST PHILADELPHIA. RESIDENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE ALSO BENEFITED FROM THE ADDED SAFETY AND PEDESTRIAN-FRIENDLY ELEMENTS RESULTING FROM THIS PROJECT. IN JUNE 2010, WE ACQUIRED THE OLD CLUB JAGUAR BUILDING FROM THEREDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF PHILADELPHIA. THE PROPERTY, SHUTTERED BY THE CITY AS A NOTORIOUS NUISANCE BAR. OARC RECEIVED A $1.2 MILLION RACP GRANT TO REDEVELOP THE SITE. TODAY, IT'S A THRIVING COMMERCIAL SPACE THAT HOUSES OARC'S HEADQUARTERS AND OTHER RETAIL BUSINESSES USE THE FACILITYTO DEVELOP THEIR BUSINESS PLANS. AS PART OF THE OGONTZ AVENUE FACADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND THE NORTHWEST FACADE IMPROVEMENT GRANT PROGRAM, MORE THAN 45 STOREFRONTS WERE UPGRADEDIN WEST OAK LANE. STOREFRONT MARKETING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCETO SEVERAL BUSINESSES ON OGONTZ AVENUE. OARC WILL PROVIDE INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATION TO BUSINESS OWNERS FOR GROWTH, SUSTAINABILITY AND PROFIT. IN ADDITION TO THE INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATIONS, OARC HOSTED A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS FOR BUSINESSES INTERESTED IN IMPROVING THEIR DISPLAYS. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IT ALL BEGAN IN 1983 WITH A GROUP OF PASSIONATE AND DEDICATED COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS WHO WANTED TO ASSIST THE NEWLY FOUNDED OGONTZ AVENUE REVITALIZATION CORPORATION BY ENCOURAGING SHOPPERS TO RETURN TO THE 7100 BLOCK OF OGONTZ AVENUE AND TO FOSTER COMMUNITY PRIDE. THIS GROUP WAS KNOWN AS FRIENDS OF OARC AND THEY WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE OARC ADMINISTRATION, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE COMMUNITY TO CONVERT WHAT HAD BEEN A VACANT STRIP MALL INTO A BUSTLING, VIBRANT SHOPPING CENTER. FROM ITS INCEPTION, OARC HAS ALWAYS WORKED DILIGENTLY TO MAINTAIN CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE RESIDENTS, BUSINESS OWNERS, AND ELECTED OFFICIALS TO ADVANCE ITS' MISSION OF STIMULATING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVETHE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE RESIDENTS IN WEST OAK LANE. BY PARTNERING WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE) MAINTAINING AN OPEN-DOOR POLICY AND A GRASS-ROOTS STYLE, OARC HAS BEEN ABLE TO WORK SMARTER TO ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSION, AND DEAL HEAD-ON WITH THE CHALLENGES THAT FACE THE WEST OAK LANE COMMUNITY.WE HAVE OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS PARTNERED WITH STATE REPRESENTATIVE ISABELLA FITZGERALD TO PRESENT OR SPONSOR (5) NEIGHBORHOOD SHREDDING EVENTS, NORTHWEST PHILLY SPRING FESTIVAL, ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT BUSINESS SUMMIT AND HAVE PROVIDED COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS TO USE AS POLLING LOCATIONS. WE ENGAGED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMERS URGENT 365 TO PRESENT APPLYING FOR COLLEGE SEMINARS, HOLISTIC CONFLICT RESOLUTIONS FOR WEST OAK LANE CHARTERSCHOOL AND MARTIN LUTHER KING HIGH SCHOOL. WE PARTNERED WITH PARKWAY NORTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL (PNWHS), MALCOLM JENKINS FOUNDATION AND GOALSETTER TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO THE STUDENTS OF PNWHS TO OPEN BANK ACCOUNTS. WE PARTNERED WITH UPPER ROOM MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH TO PROVIDE WEEKLY FRESH FOODS FOR THE COMMUNITY OF WEST OAK LANE. HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PROVIDING NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS WITH SAFE, SECURE HOUSING IS IMPORTANT FOR ANY COMMUNITY. DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE AND MARKET RATE RENTAL AND FOR-SALE HOUSING IN WEST OAK LANE IS A PRIORITY FOR OARC. FOR MORE THAN 38 YEARS, WE HAVE WORKED DILIGENTLY TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY ONE OF THE MOST LIVABLE NEIGHBORHOODS IN NORTHWEST PHILADELPHIA BY WORKING WITH REALTORSTO SELL RESIDENTIAL HOUSES AND COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AND RENTAL HOUSING OWNERS TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE COMMUNITY.ARTS AND CULTUREARTS AND CULTURE HAS PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN THE REVITALIZATION OF WEST OAK LANE. EARLY ON, WE RECOGNIZED THAT DRAWING PEOPLE HERE FROM BEYOND THE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THE VITALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE COMMUNITY AND ITS COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR. WE BELIEVE IN THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF THE ARTS, AND THE IMPACT IT CAN HAVE.OARC'S WEST OAK LANE JAZZ AND ARTS FESTIVAL, PHILADELPHIA'S PREMIER MUSIC AND CULTURE EVENT, HAS BEEN AN EFFECTIVE TOOL IN REBUILDING THE COMMUNITY AND BRINGING ATTENTION TO EVERYTHING WEST OAK LANE HAS TO OFFER. ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED AS A MEANS TO SHOWCASE AND MARKET OARC'SACCOMPLISHMENTS, THE FESTIVAL PLAYED AN ENORMOUS ROLE IN REBRANDING WEST OAK LANE AS A DESTINATION COMMUNITY OF CHOICE. SINCE THE FESTIVAL BEGAN IN 2004, NEW FAMILIES HAVE MOVED HERE IN RECORD NUMBERS, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ATTRACT RETAIL AND COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES TO THE AREA AS WELL. ALL OF THIS HAS HELPED TO CREATE A TREMENDOUS SENSE OF PRIDE HERE. IN THE PAST THE WEST OAK LANE JAZZ & ARTS FESTIVAL WOULD TAKE PLACE ON THE 7100-7400 BLOCKS OF OGONTZ AVENUE AND WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A HUGE OUTDOOR EVENT TO PROMOTE WEST OAK LANE COMMUNITY AND THE OGONTZ AVENUE COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR, A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE IN NORTHWEST PHILADELPHIA.AS THE EVENT BECAME MORE POPULAR AND GREATLY ATTENDED, WE CALCULATED OVER A HALF MILLION PEOPLE (500,000) ATTENDED THIS EVENT FROM 2004 TO 2013! THE ATTENDANCE OF THE EVENT CREATED REVENUE TO THE COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS, THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA AND PROVIDED WORLD CLASS ATTRACTION TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF WEST OAK LANE. THIS EVENT WAS A YEARLY LANDING SITE FOR FAMILY REUNIONS AND FAMILY VACATIONS!!GREENING SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVINGTHANKS TO A LOT OF HARD WORK BY OARC VOLUNTEERS, PARTNERS AND STAFF, THE SEEDS OF CHANGE ARE SPREADING THROUGHOUT THE NORTHWEST. WE HAVE WORKED HARD TO MAKE WEST OAK LANE AND OTHER COMMUNITIES IN THE NORTHWEST AMONG PHILADELPHIA'S GREENEST COMMUNITIES: THIS MEANS A COMMUNITY THAT'S MORE LIVABLE, MORE ATTRACTIVE AND MORE VALUABLE. WE WORK HARD TO KEEP OUR COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS "GREEN AND WHOLESOME-LOOKING, BY CLEANING THE AREAS OF OGONTZ AVENUE AND STENTON AND WASHINGTON LANE. OARC HAS COLLABORATED WITH FOOD MOXIE, CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMERCE DEPARTMENT AND THE PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT TO CREATE AN OPEN RAIN GARDEN AT THE CORNER OF STENTON AVENUE AND WASHINGTON LANE AND A GREENHOUSE THAT PRODUCES FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES!OUR SUSTAINABLE GREENING EFFORTS KEEP OUR BUSINESS DISTRICTS NEAT AND ATTRACTIVE FOR NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS WHO REGULARLY TRAVEL THESE STREETS TO BUY GOODS AND SERVICES.IN YEAR 2020 TO 2024 WE HAVE INCORPORATED A FOOD INSECURITY PROGRAM WITH A LOCAL CHURCH, IN THE 4 YEARS WE HAVE SERVICED OVER 4,000 OLDER ADULTS IN PROVIDING FOOD BOXES OF (FRUITS, VEGETABLES, CEREAL, MILK) AND A $10 GIFT CARD FROM A LOCAL SUPERMARKET. 2023-2024 WE HAVE COMPLETED A MURAL IN THE COMMUNITY AND REVAMPED THE WEST OAK LANE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION FOR GREAT ACCESS TO THOSE IN THE COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS. WE HAVE COMPLETED SHREDDING EVENTS WHICH INCLUDES THE SHREDDING OF PAPER AND COLLECTION OF OLD ELECTRONICS.