East Falls Development Corporation 2022 Annual Report

what a year

Dear Friends,

As we begin the new year, the East Falls Development Corporation (EFDC) team is excited to share our 2022 story with you.

From Business Association meetings to transportation studies... From activating the new East Falls River Landing to working to keep our business district clean + green... A whole lot happened in 2022, and we are gearing up for an even better 2023.

Importantly, we know none of this work is done alone. From our friends here in East Falls to our partners throughout the City and Commonwealth, we are grateful for all that you do for our organization and our neighborhood.

Cheers to 2023, The East Falls Development Corporation Family

Our Vision

To create a community that capitalizes on its assets - a strategic location between Center City Philadelphia and nearby suburbs of the Main Line and Northwest Philadelphia; attractions such as restaurants, the Schuylkill River and recreation trails; and rich cultural sites such as Laurel Hill Cemetery and Jefferson University Raven Hill Campus - to reinforce our role as a regional destination that attracts new businesses, welcomes visitors, and encourages new job growth.

SMALLBUSINESS GROWTH

In 2022, EFDC partnered with our local entrepreneurs to relaunch the East Falls Business Association - a space for small business owners to network, share skills and resources, and come together to work on projects that benefit our entire small business community. We also brought small business resources right to East Falls thanks to the Enterprise Center's Biz on Wheels program, and the Community College of Philadelphia's Power Up Your Biz initiative.

Studies show that a cleaner business district is more economically vibrant and environmentally healthy. That is why EFDC is grateful and proud to participate in the City of Philadelphia Commerce Department's PHL Taking Care of Business Program, through which our team engages in commercial corridor cleaning + greening each weekday morning. In 2022 alone, we removed hundreds of bags of debris from our Ridge-Midvale and Conrad Street main streets.

Promoting our East Falls small businesses is key to EFDC's mission and daily work. This year, we transformed our online business directory - so now residents and visitors can search a clickable map and filter by industry. Visit ➡ discovereastfalls.org/businesses, shop local + and encourage others to do so too!

SMALLBUSINESS GROWTH

Enhancing perceived and real safety is key to economic growth. Thanks to generous funding from the Philadelphia Commerce Department, in 2023 EFDC will be able to provide no-cost business security camera systems to between 12 and 15 of our East Falls entrepreneurs. This year we were thrilled that two East Falls businesses received generous grants from The Merchants Fund to help them expand their operations. Congratulations to Thundermug Cafe + East Falls Drycleaners!

In 2022, two of our businesses completed the twelve week, no-cost Community College of Philadelphia Power Up Your Biz Peer-learning training program. Participants receive training in practical business skills, develop a tactical growth plan, and are provided with one-on-one mentorship.

EASTFALLSRIVER LANDING

2022 was a big year for the new East Falls River Landing, an access point to the Schuylkill River for non-motorized boating, fishing, paddling, birding + more on the 4400 block of Kelly Drive.

The Development Corporation + volunteer-run Friends Group not only officially opened this new facility - but thanks to funding from the Schuylkill River Greenways, we partnered with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, the PowerCorpsPHL workforce development program, Tend Landscape Architects, and the Philadelphia Water Department to plant over 200 new native species and 15 trees.

We also activated the space with events galore - Love Your Park Days of Service, volunteer opportunities with Penn Charter School, a bird walk with Audubon Mid-Atlantic, and a Treaty of Renewed Friendship signing with the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania.

TRANSPORTATION STUDY + FLOOD MITIGATION PLANNING

In December of 2021, EFDC was grateful and excited to receive funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Community + Economic Development to conduct a transportation study along Ridge Avenue and Kelly Drive to identify means of safely and conveniently connecting pedestrians and bikers from the new East Falls River Landing and Schuylkill River Trail to our Ridge-Midvale business district.

In 2022, we worked with Traffic, Planning + Design along with PennDOT, the Streets Department, SEPTA, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, and the Philadelphia Office of Transportation, Infrastructure + Sustainability to complete the data collection phase of this study.

Recommendations + final study to come in 2023! Learn more + get involved by sending us a note (info@eastfallspa.com).

In late 2022, EFDC along with the Manayunk Development Corporation (MDC) received funding through the Pennsylvania Department of Community + Economic Development's Keystone Communities Program to conduct a flood mitigation and preparation plan for our adjacent neighborhoods.

In the wake of Hurricane Ida, both EFDC and MDC recognize the importance of bringing together our community stakeholders to proactively plan for what we know will be increasingly frequent and disruptive flooding events.

THE PARKING LOT UNDER THE TWIN BRIDGES

We love partnering with the East Falls Farmers Market and East Falls Beer Garden to activate the Parking Lot Under the Twin Bridges (4100 Ridge), bring neighbors together, and work to support local micro food businesses and other makers. And 2022 was no different!

Keep up with the Farmers Market each Saturday and at eastfallsfarmersmarket.com, and join the East Falls Beer Garden in the warmer months (follow instagram.com/EastFallsBeerGarden for the latest + greatest updates).

A R O U N D T H E

N E I G H B O R H O O D

Our team was proud to replant and add new lighting to the gateway island to East Falls at Kelly and Midvale.

Three new bike share stations were installed right here in East Falls this year! Visit the Parking Lot Under the Twin Bridges (4100 Ridge), Midvale + Cresson, and Ridge + Heritage to borrow a bike and head on a ride to Center City or along the Schuylkill River Trail.

There's no place like East Falls to celebrate the holidays + Deck the Falls. We loved partnering with Thundermug Cafe, East Falls Community Council, East Falls Forward, S&T Bank, the Fire Department, the Friends of Inn Yard Park, the Preston at East Falls and more on tree lightings, holiday happy hours, sip and shops + more.

S T A Y T U N E D

w h a t ' s n e x t ? ( h i n t : a w h o l e l o t ! )

Behind every East Falls business is a story of passion and grit. Keep a look out as we shine a spotlight on the journeyspast, present + future - of our neighborhood entrepreneurs.

In 2021, Hurricane Ida devastated East Falls - and the EFDC team knows that extreme weather and flooding events will only become more frequent + disruptive. That's why our Corridor Management Committee developed a flood preparation + mitigation toolkit to be released in early 2023 - compiling resources, tips and more to prepare, come together to help our neighbors + build our neighborhood's resiliency.