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Downtown Inc. outlines 2024 gains, Codorus beautification grant and BID renewal plans
Summary
Downtown Inc. director Sarah O'Brien briefed council on 2024 accomplishments including a $15 million grant for Codorus Creek beautification, a $500,000 tree grant, new downtown wayfinding signs and the upcoming Business Improvement District (BID) renewal, and said ARPA funds will bring public restrooms to downtown.
Sarah O'Brien, director of Downtown Inc., told York City Council that the downtown nonprofit and its partners reported multiple projects and grants in 2024 and outlined priorities for 2025, including a major Codorus Creek beautification grant, a tree canopy study funded by a $500,000 grant and a planned BID renewal.
O'Brien said Downtown Inc. secured a $15,000,000 grant for the Codorus Creek Beautification Project and that the project is currently in the permitting phase. She told council the organization raised more than $1 million in philanthropic and grant funding in 2024 to amplify a BID assessment of $112,000.
Why it matters: Downtown Inc. manages the downtown Business Improvement District and coordinates placemaking, economic development and public safety work that affects business owners, visitors and residents in the downtown area.
O'Brien outlined 2024 highlights: installation of 50 pedestrian and vehicular wayfinding signs; a clean-and-green team that collected more than 9,000 pounds of litter and performed about 5,000 man-hours of work; awards totaling roughly $149,000 in Bloom loans and grants; $12,000 in first‑Friday grants; $31,000 in façade grants; and programming that drew tens of thousands of visitors to downtown events. She also said a welcoming communities grant this year will total $18,000, with a $3,000 earmark for Foundry Park programming.
O'Brien told council the current BID is due for renewal at the end of 2025 and that the BID has run on a five-year cycle since 1998; Downtown Inc. plans stakeholder engagement this spring and does not intend to request a higher assessment rate. She also announced that ARPA-funded public restrooms are planned for downtown this year and that Downtown Inc. will coordinate installations with city staff.
O'Brien thanked York City departments and partners — including the parks department, public works staff and the York City Police Department — for collaborative work on public safety, placemaking and maintenance. She said Downtown Inc. will continue projects including the Codorus Greenway permitting, the Yorktown Hotel commercial spaces, Ballpark Commons work and expansion of the downtown ambassador program.
No formal vote was taken; O'Brien invited council and the public to upcoming outreach and said materials and a downtown investment guide would be released in the coming weeks.
