On Saturday, the following question was posed on the Altoona PA Facebook page: If you had the mayor as a captive audience what suggestion for our area would you give this week? Here’s what we heard back:
“Bring in jobs other than retail so the blue collar worker could make a decent living.”
“I agree with you…”
“Reinvigorate our downtown! It is central to reviving our community. Stores, theaters, restaurants, and museums are key. Open the district up to big businesses by offering the buildings for cheap and lower property taxes. Think what something like an Imax would do for downtown. If you have one successful venue, others will follow. Other towns have done it and so can we.”
“Real jobs. Not McDonald’s and the mall. Let’s get our hands dirty, make an honest living and work for what we have and need.”
“Since there is no downtown any more, Altoona isn’t the same. When I visit now, I just see my relatives and fight my way back home through the congested Pleasant Valley Blvd. I miss all the downtown stores that were there when I was a kid. Lancaster, PA is doing a great job revitalizing downtown and I know Altoona can, also!!”
“I think Altoona needs to get on the ball and get more energy efficient like they are up in state college with their traffic lights and what not to start and as street lights burn out replace them with led lights some for building and business’s and no downtown should not be grandfathered into any of this it should be mandatory they should also be fixing sidewalks and making them more user friendly and also putting walk signals on plank road and on 17th street I think its nice that they are fixing some sides walks around 6 & 7 avenues and I hope they take 7th avenue down to at least the new junior high school with new sidewalks and trees also trees would be nice along chestnut avenue and on plank/pleasant/valley view blvd Lastly Altoona needs to fix and replace all old and missing signs along all roadways”
“Secede from Pennsylvania, cut taxes, enlist the citizenry to send the riffraff back to Jersey, Philly and NYC, then watch the place prosper.”
What do you think? Comment below!
ILoveAltoona.com has produced the Blair County Family Fun Card. 
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Great ideas …. I would have to add that a total revitalization to the down town area would be key. I would love to own a boutique there, but I know there is absolutely no foot traffic.
Bring in some fabulous bars, eateries, boutiques, and change the horrible street signs. Make it a desirable place to want to be – I’d definitely open a shop there!
Erin, our downtown getting revitalized is something that many people have been wanting to see for years… but it’s been a major uphill struggle. We’ve gained ground in restaurants and lost ground in retail the past 3-5 years. Penn State’s major investment is getting students down there; and there is definitely some foot traffic, but not like you see in many other downtowns. It seems we need some “anchors” that draw people to go there.
ILoveAltoona.com is planning to feature an article soon on the good news that few people know about that’s happening Downtown.
I agree with sending all of the riffraff back where they came from. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter what businesses you put downtown or how visually appealing you make it, people are not going to frequent the area because of all of the riffraff that is hanging about in downtown and it’s surrounding area. I know I only go downtown if I have to go to the post office and after dark, I hate to even drive through it. I am not the only one that feels this way. I feel that until something is done to make people feel safe and comfortable there, people are not going to go downtown unless they have no other choice.
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