Investing in small businesses in cities such as Allentown would create economic opportunity across Pennsylvania, state Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger said during a recent visit to Allentown.
Siger toured downtown businesses and explained how the $25 million “Main Street Matters” initiative proposed by Gov. Josh Shapiro would deliver great dividends. 
“Main Streets matter – and if we want to attract new businesses to Pennsylvania, support entrepreneurs, and create good paying jobs, then we’ve got to make sure our communities have healthy, vibrant Main Streets lined with shops and small businesses,” Siger said.
He spoke to a crowd of business, community, and government leaders outside the Downtown Allentown Market on March 1.
“Main Streets are at the heart of a local community, the heart of a local economy. And that means something a little different in each place,” he said, noting that Allentown and the Lehigh Valley have created economic momentum.
“As we see new opportunities from federal programs like the CHIPS Act, we believe this area is poised to take advantage,” Siger said. “That focus on innovation, on advanced manufacturing, aligns really well with the goals we've set forward in our 10-year economic development strategy.”
Shapiro proposed the Main Street Matters program during his budget address in February where he asked the state Legislature to authorize an additional $600 million for economic development, including $500 million to make sites shovel-ready so Pennsylvania can compete with other states for new projects.
The governor’s budget proposal seeks to fund the strategies included in the new statewide economic development plan that Shapiro unveiled during a visit to the Lehigh Valley in January.
Main Street Matters would be administered through the Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED). It would build on the existing successes of the current Keystone Communities Program in supporting downtowns, main streets, and surrounding neighborhoods.
During his visit to Allentown, Secretary Siger and local leaders visited Zahra, a restaurant at the Downtown Allentown Market specializing in Middle-Eastern cuisine; the Da Vinci Science Center, which is building a new facility just up the street that is scheduled to open later this year; the Allentown Vision Center; and Sterner’s Stems.
Local and state officials expressed their support for Main Street Matters.
“I've worked with mayors across the country, and we have an uncertain future in our downtowns,” Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk said. “And we need this type of work, this type of investment, to help us figure out what downtown is going to look like for the future. There is a promising future in the downtown. We're grateful for Da Vinci Science Center and investment at the Archer Music Hall and the investment at the Moxy hotel.”
“This program is a fantastic step for Allentown, for Whitehall, for Slatington, for Alburtis, for Emmaus. It's for all of the main streets, because this is why this area is vibrant. This is why this area is growing,” said Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong.
“When we invest in our main streets, we're investing in our core identity,” said state Rep. Peter Schweyer.
“The Main Street Matters proposal is a huge investment in bringing the downtown to life,” state Sen. Nick Miller said.
State Rep. Mike Schlossberg said programs that boost urban business districts help to boost the entire region: “They don't just impact the people who live and work in downtown Allentown.”
“Programs like Main Street Matters will help cities like Allentown continue to reinvent themselves,” said State Rep. Josh Siegel.
(Photo: Pennsylvania DCED Secretary Rick Siger talks with Samantha Younes, owner of Zahra in Allentown).