Press Release
Phoenixville's Main Street Manager Barry Cassidy was inducted to the Keystone Society for Tourism on June 4th, 2010 at the Governor residence in Harrisburg. Cassidy received the award in the "Inspiration" category as an "Agent of Change" in Phoenixville.
The award was given for Cassidy's implementation of an arts and entertainment economic development strategy in Phoenixville and Philadelphia's South Street Headhouse District. Cassidy successfully repositioned each district in the regional marketplace. In both districts Cassidy worked to curb aberrant behavior on the street by establishing a new "vibe" on the street based on the implementation of the arts strategy that includes murals, live music and responsible hospitality.
During Cassidy's tenure in Phoenixville the borough has grown in assessed value by approximately 140 million dollars at a rate of 20.25%. Phoenixville Borough has been the fasting growing community and now ranks number one in assessed value of all boroughs in Chester County.
Cassidy inherited a Main Street program that was on the verge of losing state funding and built the program into one of the most productive in the Commonwealth. He expanded the scope of the project to include housing as well as commercial development. He has been responsible for securing approximately 8 million dollars in grants for various projects in the Borough including parks, streetscape and housing development.
Cassidy is a resident of Downingtown where he resides with his wife Karen McMichael in Main Street Village town home community, a brownfield reclamation project he initiated during his tenure of Main Street Manager in Downingtown. In addition to Lock Haven he has served as the revitalization coordinator in DuBois, Downingtown and Philadelphia's South Street Headhouse District.
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