Williamsport Trade and Transit

The Challenge

In 1995, city officials in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, faced a problem common to many cities: a major underutilized property serving as a high-profile symbol of creeping blight and decline for the city’s urban center. Although redevelopment of the site had been envisioned for years, a number of obstacles stifled progress, including limited availability of funding resources, insufficient development experience, a lack of community consensus on redevelopment plans, and lingering skepticism over the project’s future.

The Solution

With the assistance of Delta Development Group, Inc., today, this site is home to the Williamsport Trade and Transit Centre, a multimillion dollar redevelopment project. In addition to the urban transit station, the Centre includes a 130-room hotel, restaurant and retail space, visitor information center, and a parking deck to accommodate 500 vehicles.

More than 2,500 transit users now utilize the station daily. This “destination” foot traffic has resulted in the rehabilitation of a number of nearby downtown projects, including a 42,000-square-foot structure used for office space and specialty retail shops.

The success of the project was based on Delta’s efforts, including an innovative strategy that identified and secured $5.5 million in financing. Delta provided project management support, including selection of a private developer, completion of the development plan, and negotiations on behalf of the City of Williamsport. Delta also managed ongoing communications with public officials and the general public to build community support.

The success of the Williamsport Trade and Transit Centre has clearly demonstrated positive economic and community benefits for the downtown area. Delta is proud of its involvement in this project, which received the 1997 Outstanding Planning Project award from the Pennsylvania Planning Association.