Coatesville is caught in a catch-22 with respect to redeveloping the Coatesville Flats and beyond. As state Sen. Andy Dinniman put it in a recent Daily Local News article, “the development community wants the train station to come in before moving forward with a project, while PennDOT says they won’t build a station unless development comes in to the city.”

Plagued by leftover recession issues and an unproven market that doesn’t sit easy with the banks and financial institutions needed to back a redevelopment plan, the Coatesville Flats area is languishing with lots of potential but no interest.

To its credit, the 28-acre industrial and commercial zone sits along a high-traffic route.

“It’s going to take someone with vision and assets who really sees an opportunity here,” Brandywine Health Foundation CEO and President Frances Sheehan said in the report.

Until then, a lot is at stake for community leaders.

“The reality is this is the biggest project in the city, and it’s important that this gets done right,” Chester County Economic Development Council consultant Dave Sciocchetti said. “It’s really important that the effort gets put into it to move the city in the right direction. It takes time to get it right.”

Read more of Coatesville’s predicament in the Daily Local News here.