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Historic East Linden - an original Blueprint Community - is on a roll
 When FHLBank Pittsburgh and 15 partners launched the Blueprint Communities neighborhood revitalization initiative in 2005, the 22 Pennsylvania communities selected were told that with a solid vision, strong strategic plan and plenty of hard work, more dollars could flow their way.
In Historic East Linden, an enclave of Kennett Square, PA comprised of just 70 homes and 300 residents, the dollars are flowing. And the community is making the most of them.
Having completed nine of the ten Community Level Goals used to track the progress of a Blueprint Community, the BC Team in East Linden saw success breed success: first, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Elm Street Program presented the historic neighborhood with $436,000 in grant money for a variety of uses. Then, this spring, the Wachovia Regional Foundation committed $90,000 a year for the next five years to support a steady stream of resident leadership and youth development programs.
Asks Shannon Cortigine, neighborhood manager for Historic East Linden: “If community services are concentrated in a small area like our own community, will the positive results be magnified? We and Wachovia will see what happens as a result of this intensive commitment,” adding that Wachovia’s funds will be applied to programs such as computer classes, career development training and creative arts programs for youth.
As for the separate Elm Street grants, Cortigine reports that 25 applications were approved for façade improvements of owner-occupied homes and that work on seven homes has already been completed - installation of new windows and screen doors, gutter replacement and coats of fresh paint. Thanks to a 2006 fundraiser, neighbor helped neighbor, raising the 10 percent in matching funds required by the Elm Street Program so the owners of the rehabbed homes didn’t have to pay a penny.
What’s next for Historic East Linden? Cortigine counts the ways. “We intend to open up our façade improvements program to investor-owned properties, repair several homes with interior code violations, lay new pipes in the street to improve water pressure in some homes, install seven new street lights and add some signs and trash receptacles.”
Meantime, Historic East Linden’s Blueprint Communities Team continues to meet monthly. And there’s no telling what project they might have up their sleeve.
To learn more about the progress Historic East Linden is making, call Shannon Cortigine at 1-610-925-1880 or email her at smcortigine.abh@comcast.net
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