Harry Lewis, Republican candidate for the 74th State House District.
COATESVILLE – It looks like the future of the city’s economic redevelopment is going to be a major issue in this year’s state legislative races.
On the heels of state Sen. Andy Dinniman’s move last week to champion economic redevelopment in the city, Harry Lewis, the Republican candidate for the 74th State House District, Tuesday formally requested PA Senate Majority Leader, Dominic Pileggi and State House Majority Leader, Mike Turzai pass expanded legislation that would make the city eligible for a City Revitalization and Improvement Zone (CRIZ).
But, there’s a hangup. The city is currently too small to be eligible for such a designation — the minimum population is 30,000 — and the CRIZ designation is only issued to two cities in the commonwealth per year, so not only is the city going to have to make its case for need, it will need a change to the law, too.
Established in the 2013 state budget, a CRIZ, according Department of Community and Economic Development cited by the Lewis campaign, is “an area of up to 130 acres, comprised of parcels designated by a contracting authority, which will provide economic development and job creation within a political subdivision. State and local taxes collected within the CRIZ will be used to repay debt service to stimulate economic development projects within the CRIZ.”
Although likely an uphill battle — some 200 cities in varying degrees of distress in the commonwealth could be eligible for the designation if the population limits are waived — Lewis said he is joined by a broad, bipartisan coalition of leaders, including City Council President Joseph Hamrick and Vice President David Collins as well as local business owners and county leaders.
“It is essential to the future of Coatesville that we attract new businesses to our community, and with them, family sustaining jobs for our citizens,” Lewis said in a statement issued by his campaign.
Lewis said his time as a school teacher, coach and administrator showed him up close the problems that the city’s poor business environment causes the greater community and while he knows it will be a difficult battle, he said he feels it will be successful.
“I’ve worked alongside three generations of Coatesville families in my over forty years as an educator, and time and time again, a lack of jobs in our community has caused a great burden on its families,” he said. “A CRIZ would attract new businesses and much needed jobs as well as bring new hope to a city that so desperately wants to thrive. And, after bringing together this broad, bipartisan coalition of leaders and witnessing their commitment to this endeavor, I am confident we will be successful.”
