“I think we’re doing good work on that,” Markey acknowledges. “There were roads that may have been put in 30,40, 50 years ago when stormwater wasn’t really thought about too much, and now it’s a hot topic. So, we are trying to secure some federal and state funding, and we have to address some of those areas.” Council President, David Moran emphasizes, “That was a tough choice that we had made to not just put black top over the roads as we repair them, but to look at the structure of the road, the storm water, the sewer lines that are in there. The trouble with that is, you end up spending a lot of money, and it goes underground where nobody ever sees. But when the road is done today, it’s set up to last us 20 years.” REVITALIZING DOWNTOWN AND ENHANCING QUALITY OF LIFE In partnership with the CDEC,Archbald is working to secure funding for an envisioning grant to help shape the future of the borough’s downtown. According to Kane, this plan will specifically focus on the corridor surrounding access to the Heritage Valley River and the Lackawanna River Heritage Corridor. “There’s a lot of growth opportunities there to really think differently about that space,” he shares. “With this envisioning grant, we really want to get feedback from Council, from residents and business owners in the borough, and really come up with a creative path forward for how we could further develop that neck of Main Street. We want to make it that great corridor for our business community to grow and thrive, focusing on small business.” By improving signage, accessibility, and connections between the downtown area and the riverfront, the hope is to create a seamless experience for visitors and residents, encouraging more foot traffic and business growth in the process. “We have a lot of people that pass through the river trail but might not necessarily be connected to the downtown. So, we want to make sure those opportunities happen, so folks can stop and visit local businesses and learn a little bit about the history of the town as well,” Kane details. Strong partnerships with the region’s educational institutions also play a role in Archbald’s growth. “The University of Scranton and Marywood University have collaborated on several projects within the borough to really help us grow and re-envision and enhance our quality of life,” Kane expands.“It’s really exciting to have those resources right in our area to be able to help us grow and tackle some issues as a borough.” A BOROUGH WITH A VISION Looking ahead,Archbald is committed to sustainable 52 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 04
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