| Annville Center Dedicated |
06.07.12 |
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For more than 20 years, Dick Charles has worked on the Annville streetscape project—a renovation that would eventually create the Annville Center Plaza at the intersection of Rtes. 422 and 934 in Annville. The township held the grand opening of the plaza Thursday morning with a special presentation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and ceremonial fountain activation.
View photos from the event here.
Charles, president of the Annville Economic Development Association (AEDA), began his work on the renovations in 1990 as Lebanon Valley College’s vice president for advancement. In 1997, when he retired from LVC as vice president emeritus, Charles decided to make the streetscape project his highest personal priority.
“At the start, some of the thinking was, ‘How can Annville take advantage of being located at what is perhaps the busiest intersection in Lebanon County?’” Charles said during his opening remarks. “And so, while the traffic this morning may interfere with our projection, keep in mind that it is that very traffic that we are looking to at least stop and patronize some of the businesses and merchants that are located here in Annville by making use of our additional facilities.”
Expanding on earlier streetscape projects, Annville Center features additional downtown off-street parking spaces, pedestrian walkways, and a small park and fountain on the corner of the property.
The next and final phase of the project is to renovate the facades of the adjacent buildings, which should be completed by early fall. Two of the four properties have been sold, and Charles said he would like to see the other two sold and all four properties filled by this time next year.
LVC provided $250,000 to earlier streetscape efforts and another $250,000 to the Annville Center. College President Dr. Stephen C. MacDonald was part of the groundbreaking ceremony in October and the grand opening on Thursday.
“The space that we see here and behind me illustrates perfectly how the township and the College are indivisibly bound to one another,” MacDonald said. “The back yards of the houses of Annville and the community become the front yards of the College. This geographical intimacy insists upon town and gown collaboration. That’s what we see here today.
“Lebanon Valley College is pleased to have been, from the beginning, one of the partners in the planning and financing of Annville Center. We were there at the table at the beginning—in the initial conversations that posited the conceptions and sketched the idea for the conversion of this space to new purposes. This attractive project is just the latest example of many instances of civic creativity between LVC and the community.”
Though she could not attend the grand opening, Rep. Mauree Gingrich sent a certificate recognizing the event and that will be displayed at Annville Town Hall.
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