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Downtown Inc. details 2025 gains and 2026 plans for York City main street
Summary
Downtown Inc. presented a year-in-review, citing streetscape work, tree plantings, public-art projects, $1.5M in capital grants raised in 2025, and plans for more tree plantings, a public-art toolkit, and continued downtown economic development.
Sarah O’Brien, director of Downtown Inc., presented a concise review of Downtown Inc.’s 2025 accomplishments and outlined 2026 priorities at the Feb. 17 council meeting.
O’Brien told council that Downtown Inc. manages the York Business Improvement District (BID), which assesses one mill on commercial properties downtown and generates about $112,000 in annual assessed revenue. She listed 2025 highlights including five new trench drains on South Beaver Street, planting 100 new trees downtown, inventorying 1,819 trees under an urban-forestry plan, installing creative crosswalks, procuring two Portland Loo restroom units, and helping raise more than $1.5 million in capital project grants. The organization also supported public-safety partnerships and event programming that brought tens of thousands of visitors to downtown.
Looking ahead, O’Brien said Downtown Inc. will continue tree plantings via a remaining DCNR grant, finalize a public-art master plan intended as a toolkit for municipalities and artists, pursue fundraising to complete work at the Yorktown Hotel, and explore an urban trail to connect downtown micro‑districts. She also said the BID will for the first time issue liens to commercial property owners delinquent on taxes.
Council thanked Downtown Inc. for the presentation and invited questions; the item was informational and did not require a council vote.
