Coatesville has been undergoing a renaissance of sorts recently, with more than 40 economic development projects currently in the works, writes Kenny Cooper for WHYY. 

“Coatesville has made a tremendous turnaround from the perception of being an unsafe community, where they don’t have restaurants or places to eat or entertainment or resources for people to come in and just enjoy themselves, to a city that is on the rise,” said James Logan, city manager. 

However, the city’s location along Brandywine Creek has put a target on it. Extreme weather intensified by the climate crisis has significantly increased the severity of frequent flooding — and Coatesville’s aging stormwater system has been struggling to deal with this. 

Modernizing stormwater infrastructure and increasing its capacity is crucial to the city’s survival. However, no upgrades to the 60-year-old system have materialized so far. 

The main issue is funds. Coatesville officials estimate that necessary improvements will cost at least $9 million. Comparably, the city only brought in $10.7 million in revenue in 2020. This means that it might take quite a while before the city has the necessary funds for the required upgrades. 

Read more about the stormwater system in WHYY. 

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