Under The Alliance for Health Equity’s Community Voice Initiative, found here on the website, visitors can access data from the Community Report by category, including Health, Education, Housing, Employment, Well-Being, and Economic Revitalization. Taking a closer look at the issue area of Economic Redevelopment, the percentage of vacant businesses in cities found within the Coatesville Area School District remains high in certain locations relative to the region and state based on 2021 data.

At the high end, 20 percent of all business addresses were vacant in Modena, while almost 19 percent of business addresses were vacant in Coatesville. Other affected cities within the report include Caln, Pomeroy, Thorndale, Westwood, and South Coatesville. 

Comparatively, Chester County had nearly 10 percent of all business addresses vacant, the Philadelphia Metro Area had nearly 7 percent of business addresses vacant, and Pennsylvania had nearly 12 percent of all business addresses vacant. You can view the full report, including maps, the price per square foot of rental space in Chester County, and additional economic development data, by clicking here. You can also access the recently published 2022 Annual Report by clicking here.

Small Business Development Centers and Business Incubators

PolicyMap data shows there are no Small Business Development Centers or Business Incubators located within the boundaries of the Coatesville Area School District, according to the Small Business Administration and The International Business Innovation Association (InBIA). InBIA is a trade group serving over 2,100 business incubators and related organizations worldwide. Business incubators are programs that provide support services and resources for entrepreneurial companies during their “start-up” phase. The InBIA provided PolicyMap includes a list of business incubators in the United States. 

Within the Economic Redevelopment Report, small business incubators are signaled by an orange square, and business incubators are signaled by an orange diamond, found here. We see a concentration of both in the immediate Philadelphia region, as well as locations near West Chester, Wilmington, and throughout the entire metro area. However, none currently exist within the Coatesville Area School District, according to available data.

The Coatesville Growing Greater: Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy

In an effort to combat this issue, the Coatesville Growing Greater: Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Report from Coatesville 2nd Century Alliance set a goal to “support local entrepreneurs to start and maintain new businesses.” Their strategy includes an attempt to “reinvigorate this effort through the collaborative efforts of a task force of providers.” To learn more, click here to access the Coatesville Growing Greater: Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Report. 

For more information on The Alliance or to get involved, please visit the website, and for further insight on Health, Education, Housing, Employment, and Well-Being in the Greater Coatesville area, follow the blog.

Learn more at The Alliance for Health Equity.