ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT > N. 22nd Street
Allegheny West’s North 22nd Street shopping district dates back to the 1930s. After decades of being a vibrant economic and social center of our community, the district underwent an economic upheaval along with the rest of the neighborhood throughout the 1960s.
In response to this decline, the North 22nd Street Merchants Association was established in the 1970s, and from the early days the association and AWF have worked closely together.
Over the past three decades, the association’s members have been dedicated to forging relationships with fellow merchants to coordinate efforts, manage the district and protect its viability. Partly through their efforts, African American and other minority entrepreneurs became attracted to the area and its potential for growth, and opened new businesses.
Virgil Harris, an early president of the association, forged a relationship with the Philadelphia Commercial Development Corporation, which assisted with programs such as Storefront Improvement Rebates, Security Rebates, Technical Assistance and Business Loans. The Redevelopment Authority also assisted the corridor by installing new sidewalks and street lights, and repaving the streets. All of these programs encouraged merchants to reinvest in their businesses and the corridor began to take on a new image.
In the 1990s, AWF and the association collaborated to form the North 22nd Street Revitalization Corporation. Since then, the five blocks of North 22nd Street between Allegheny and Lehigh avenues have been transformed from a run-down business district with high vacancy rates to a bustling retail center. The commercial corridor is currently home to 80 active businesses.
The North 22nd Street Merchants Association, with help from AWF, is currently striving to fill the remaining vacant commercial properties, encouraging investment from the Hunting Park community and the City of Philadelphia. Private investors, without public subsidy, have started the development process on half of the vacant properties.
Over the course of the next 16 months, one of our major goals is to identify five key businesses to fill the remaining vacancies that have not thus far attracted private investment, creating a minimum of 10 new jobs. The Merchant’s Association, under the leadership of Alvin Little, a longtime community resident, business owner and AWF Board member, is also working to expand its monthly shopping guide into a full community newspaper.