In a neighborhood as historic as Philadelphia's Germantown, the
Germantown United CDC (GUCDC) is an anomaly: The organization isn't yet three years old.
When it formed in late 2011, the community was still reeling from allegations of severe mismanagement on the part of
Germantown Settlement, a social services agency. During its formative months, Germantown United's main goal involved becoming known as a trusted and transparent community partner.
To a large degree, that goal has been accomplished. GUCDC regularly hosts well-attended events and forums, and recently undertook a business district tree-planting campaign.
Now, according to Executive Director Andrew Trackman, the organization is
hiring its first commercial corridor manager. The position's first-year salary will be covered as part of a reimbursable $75,000 grant from the
Commerce Department.
The corridor manager's responsibilities will mainly involve working as a liaison to the business and property owners of the Germantown and Chelten Avenue business districts. They might listen to retailers' complaints, for instance, or help them apply for development grants such as the Commerce Department's
Storefront Improvement Program (SIP).
"We're looking for this corridor manager to be kind of a defacto business association head," explains Trackman. The new employee will also be heavily involved in business corridor cleanup efforts in coordination with the
Germantown Special Services District.
"[Local businesses] need help with capacity and technical assistance," he adds. "We're just trying to improve the overall business climate of the district."
Writer: Dan Eldridge
Source: Andrew Trackman, Germantown United CDC