SUNBURY — Members of the Sunbury Blueprint Community team started work on rejuvenating the city's downtown, hosting 100 people from 10 communities in Eastern Pennsylvania at the Albright Center Wednesday. Sunbury Revitalization Inc. Acting Executive Director Jody Ocker recently announced Sunbury was chosen to part of the initiative created by HFLBank and administered by Pennsylvania Downtown Center.
Residents of Sunbury could see upgrades, improved housing and new businesses and jobs as part of an exclusive opportunity in Eastern Pennsylvania, Ocker said. Sunbury’s Revitalization Inc. applied for the program and organized a team including Ocker; Derrick Backer, city administrator; Christi Emel, Fulton Bank; Aimee Buehner, Bowen Agency Realtors; Melissa Rowse, Degenstein Community Library; Betsy Kramer, SEDA-COG; Ted Strosser, Strosser/Baer Architects; Edwin Santana, downtown business/property owner; Brianna Apfelbaum Kula, Degenstein Foundations, and Kevin Moll, property investor/developer.
The initiative includes an 18-month training, planning and implementation process. Teams will be aided in developing efforts to enhance quality of life for residents, but building up community assets, engaging residents, improving local housing and attracting new businesses and jobs, according to a report from the group. Sunbury’s team plans to focus on underutilized commercial and residential spaces that might also be in poor condition downtown, attracting employers and entrepreneur.