Live in West Chester? Want to? Follow along.
As West Chester recovers from Ida, we get a look at how Amazon plans to manage energy use at its new West Chester warehouse. Plus, could West Chester finally get its own skate park? What’s happening on the corner of High and Rosedale and Ms. Malena got her Instagram account back. Who’s ready? Let’s get started.
Let’s call this week the calm before the storm. West Chester University students return on Monday followed by what promises to be a contentious school board discussion on whether masks will be required when students return to class on August 30. We also get our first look at the preliminary land development plan for the new 142K sq. ft. Amazon warehouse and a start date for the Everhart Park playground project. Who’s ready? Let’s catch up.
Every summer, on and off, since 1970 West Chester has been hosting its very own music festival. The all day concert has the feel of the another area. Maybe it’s all the tie-dye and crochet-embellished clothing for sale or maybe it’s the concert’s organic beginnings – just a group of musicians and the friends that came to see them play – but there is something nostalgic about the whole production. After being forced to cancel last year due to COVID-19, Turks Head is back and ready to rock 50 (and 1) years after that first concert in the park.
I think we are at that time of the summer when everyone just loses their heads. A respectable long-standing West Chester business is shut out by Instagram. The West Chester Area School District moves its meetings to virtual under the treat of violence and the streets remain un-swept after seven weeks of no street sweeper. And to top it off, the West Chester Halloween parade was cancelled – again. It’s just been one of those weeks. Who’s ready? Let’s catch up.
Nearly 18 months after the start of the pandemic, confusion and hesitancy continues to loom especially when it comes to large gatherings. While some events, like West Chester’s Halloween Parade and Kennett Square’s Mushroom Festival, are back; others, like the Chester County Restaurant Festival, are not. This has left holes in the Borough’s otherwise active events calendar or, as local realtor Renee Ryan likes to think of them, opportunities.
If last summer was all about the art, this summer it’s the outdoor concert. This week Borough Council voted to allow live outdoor music downtown – what will and won’t be accepted. Plus, what’s behind the scaffolding on Gay Street and the future of West Chester’s finances as told by the parking revenue. Parking is heating up. So is summer. Enjoy it while you can – but first, let’s catch up.
Why is it that the School District, more than any other local institution, brings the national debates to our doorstep? This week I break down the latest controversy. Plus, one of West Chester’s more neglected neighborhoods is being marketed as a high-end development opportunity. What’s this mean for affordable housing in the Borough? Plus, events are back, baby! Check out the many ways you can lose yourself this weekend.
“We were all first shocked,” said Selene Abou-Maarouf, member of the newly formed Greystone elementary PTO’s community outreach committee. “Then we made peace with the idea.” This summer West Chester Area School District will open its first elementary school since 1991. A $23.6 million ode to modern design with one strange legacy – there’s no budget for a playground.
West Chester explores a new electricity purchasing strategy that could put us on a path to meeting our renewable energy goals and save us some money – if – we can get some help from our friends. Plus, West Chester PD wants to catalogue all the security camera’s in the borough, what to get for Father’s Day and Square Bar is back! Grab yourself a cheap pint and let’s get started.
A 4/20 win for High Street, West Chester mayoral candidates share their visions for the future and Everhart park gets party-worthy news. Plus a West Chester super-group collaboration and the Borough is doubling its road paving efforts. Will your street be affected? I have the list. Whew. It’s been a big week, let’s unpack it.
