The ACANA Corridor Revitalization project
The ACANA Corridor Revitalization project objective is to improve the quality of life, employment opportunities and entrepreneurial opportunities for very low, low and moderate-income individuals and very low, low and moderate-income neighborhoods. Recognizing the importance of Philadelphia’s small business sector in achieving the foregoing, ACANA is a recipient of a grant from the Philadelphia Department of Commerce allowing ACANA to assist the City by using a culturally competent community organizing and business development strategy that aims to support the revitalization of three commercial corridors in Southwest Philadelphia: Chester, Woodland and Elmwood Avenues. ACANA brings knowledge of immigrant business and trade and merges opportunity of cultural rehabilitation to successfully bridge both practices and create vibrant businesses on corridors that create jobs, taxable income and community improvement and development. ACANA will target these primary areas: the 5100-5800 blocks of Chester Avenue, Woodland Avenue between 61st and 68th street and the 6500-7400 blocks of Elmwood Avenue and the surrounding business areas.
Grounded in 6 Principles
The project is grounded in six (6) principles: Repositioning of Southwest Philadelphia into a welcoming area, Benefit and strengthen the diverse communities along the corridor, Link and foster economic opportunity, Improve the image and quality of life on the corridor, Collaborate from design to operation, Provide Services, Community Engagement, Economic Development Program
Providing Direct Assistance
ACANA will provide direct assistance to the aforementioned commercial corridors businesses, local neighborhood organizations, and its community residents. This is a concentrated effort to revitalize and bring needed resources to this low and moderate income community. ACANA will coordinate and attend commercial corridor meetings, distribute and collect surveys, provide workshops and solicit City resources to begin organizing and addressing the needs of each corridor. The meetings and surveys will begin to inform ACANA on the potential of creating an area business association.
Guidance for local business
The program will also produce a brochure of business responsibilities that will guide business owners to all appropriate City agencies to enforce existing sanitation, zoning and business laws, regulations and inspections. ACANA will provide technical assistance by way of referrals to businesses in need of support that will include but not be limited to: financing, merchandising, and business expansion.
Connecting with financial institutions
Our program will help to connect with financial institutions (i.e. banks, other financial institutions, KIVA) to obtain financing for business start-up, expansion, working capital, and real estate for business uses. The corridor team will work with technical assistance providers such as Finanta, Score, the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, Women’s Opportunity Resource Center and The Enterprise Center, who will assist with services that include legal assistance, business planning, accounting, tax preparation; merchandising, window displays, sales promotions, public relations and inventory.
Stregthen and grow healthy businesses
The goal of the assistance is to strengthen and grow healthy businesses which will in turn increase employment and the availability of goods and services. The benefit and impact achieved will be retention or creation of jobs or increased availability of goods and services. ACANA shall maintain documentation of this assistance.
For More Information
For more information on the ACANA corridor revitalization project or the ACANA Community Development Corporation,
please contact program coordinator Musa Trawally at 215-729-8225 extension 112 or mtrawally@acanaus.org.
