Study Conducted on Downtown Retail

The Urban Land Institute recently released a study in conjunction with the borough and the Business Improvement District on how to enhance retail development in the downtown.

The study focused on “what could be done to strengthen the retail mix in downtown West Chester; what obstacles were impeding development downtown; the effect of attracting national or regional chains to downtown on current businesses; the impact of increased tourism on retail; design features to consider when attracting chains; and recommendations for best practices and implementation strategies, including parking management.”

According to the study, West Chester faces several retail challenges including: “gaps in its retail fabric, a lack of high-quality downtown housing, inefficient use of parking, and insufficient stakeholder mobilization.”

In order to remedy these problems the study recommends the following: “including developing downtown housing, strategically recruiting new retail, and improving wayfinding and accessibility. It has also suggested ways to facilitate a higher level of cooperation between the public sector and stakeholders who are invested in the long-term success of the downtown.”

To read the complete report please see the attached PDF in the picture window.