Forest City may become the first “Trail Town” on the D&H!
NEPA Rail-Trail, Forest City Business Alliance to Present “Forest City – A Trail Town”
September 27, 2016 – The Rail-Trail Council of NEPA in conjunction with the Greater Forest City Business Alliance (GFCBA) will hold a presentation on Wednesday, Oct. 5 exploring the opportunity for Forest City to become the first “Trail Town” along the D & H Rail Trail in Susquehanna County.
The free event is open to the entire Greater Forest City community and will be hosted in the Forest City Regional School District Auditorium from 6 pm to 8 pm.
“Forest City is a small-rural town with many opportunities for revitalization,” states, Erin Debish, President of the Greater Forest City Business Alliance. “Investigating the opportunity for us to become a “trail town” is putting the focus on community and economic development around tourism and outdoor recreation. We’ve already begun collaborating with our Borough Council on identifying priorities for revitalization around the connection between the trail and our Main Street business district.”
The GFCBA, Rail-Trail Council of NEPA, Forest City School District and Forest City Borough Council have been working together to better promote each other and increase community awareness. Earlier this summer, a new student-designed bike rack was installed near the Erie Street trail-head to promote trail users to stop and support the many local Main Street businesses located just a few steps away from the trail. The Rail-Trail hosts a number of events throughout the four seasons that draw tourism from the surrounding Mid-Atlantic states. Their feature annual event, the D & H Distance Run, held each September draws over 400 runners with its start and finish line at the Forest City trail-head.
In an effort to further promote tourism, the GFCBA, Borough Council, Rail-Trail Council of NEPA and the Endless Mountain Heritage Region will soon unveil a new sign that depicts a way-finding map of the GFCBA member businesses as well as capturing the culture of living in Susquehanna County. An unveiling ceremony with local and county representatives will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 11 a.m. in the parking lot of Zazzera’s Supermarket, where the sign will permanently reside. The GFCBA continued its efforts to promote tourism by producing a visitors brochure highlighting their member businesses including the recreational opportunities along the D & H Rail-Trail and in the greater Forest City area. The brochure was placed at Pennsylvania Visitor’s Welcome Centers, along the major rest-stops along the PA Turnpike and at numerous local establishments that draw visitors and tourists. Additionally, the town is currently undergoing a street-scape project to improve the function and aesthetics of it’s Main Street.
“We have many projects in the works and on the horizon to reignite a sense of pride in our quaint town,” notes Debish. “Our main objectives are to help our small businesses be profitable and to make our community a more desirable place to live and to visit. We couldn’t be more excited about this trail-town presentation and we really hope to gain the support of the entire community.”
The “Trail Town” presentation will be a fun evening filled with entertainment provided by the Forest City Regional High School Band and Chorus. Finger foods will be featured by local GFCBA member businesses with raffles, bake sales and more. The presentation will also include the unveiling of new websites for the Forest City Borough and the Business Alliance with computers available for community members to navigate through these new sites.
Forest City Regional High School is located at 100 Susquehanna Street in Forest City, Pa.
