By Richard L. Gaw
Staff Writer

Since its inception a few years ago, the 16-member Route 1 Economic Development Steering Committee has been identifying its initiatives as a “marketing tool” that local townships and municipalities can use for attracting potential economic growth to their communities.
Among those ideas has been the development of a website, specifically targeted to prospective business leaders who are considering the idea of locating along the corridor.
On March 28 at the Technical College High School's Pennock Bridge (TCHS) campus, the committee met over lunch to see the roll out of its official website, which was presented by TCHS senior Vince DiGiacomo, who designed the site under the guidance of TCHS teacher Phillip Fuchs.
The interactive and informative site – www.route1economicdevelopment.org – includes several colorful splash pages filled with photographs, and a full menu of headers that provide visitors to available properties along the corridor; a list of local resources; a “newsroom” that includes the latest news about the corridor; a list of sub-committees; and a Why Here? page, that provides a broad overview of Southern Chester County and a list of the businesses that have incorporated along Route 1.
The committee also discussed its proposed preamble and mission statement. The proposed preamble reads: “The men and women who make up the Steering Committee of the Route 1 Economic Development Initiative of Southern Chester County endeavor to support the goals of the municipalities and businesses situated along the Route 1 Corridor, and to be of service to the communities that seek economic and growth development.”
The committee's proposed mission statement reads: “The Route 1 Corridor business  community of Southern Chester County envisions a region that works together to provide opportunities for its citizens and expand the region's tax base and diversity, thereby stabilizing taxes, creating attractive destinations for commerce and development; protecting our agricultural base and conserving the picturesque landscapes, and building on a sense-of-place as a leading and healthy region and excellent place to live, work and stay.
“Through voluntary conversations with and among municipalities along the Route 1 Corridor, as stewards we promote quality of life in concurrence with preservation, selective economic development, and smart growth development.”
Additional reports were given by land development and municipal sub-committee chair Dennis Melton; infrastructure sub-committee chair Bill Hostetter; economic development sub-committee chair Bob Norris; housing sub-committee chair Daria Payne and land preservation and open space sub-committee chair Peter Kjellerup.
The Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce will be hosting “Outlook 2017: Southern Chester County Municipalities Update Along the Route 1 Corridor” on June 8, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the chamber's offices on 8 Federal Road in West Grove. The luncheon will invite representatives from 13 municipalities whose boundaries back up to the corridor to give updates on economic current initiatives, and proposed projects, in their respective districts. Those municipalities on the invitation list will be the townships of East Marlborough, East Nottingham, Kennett, London Grove, Lower Oxford, New Garden, Oxford, Penn, Pennsbury and Upper Oxford; and West Grove Borough, Avondale Borough, and the Borough of Kennett Square.
To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, e-mail [email protected].