Interested in hearing about Mainspring's plans for the future of Ephrata?
Every January, Mainspring of Ephrata invites all those who live, work, or volunteer in the Borough of Ephrata to hear about our year in review, the plans for the future, and how our community can get involved. Read the summary and view the Mainspring MeetUp 2025 presentation below.
From Vision to Reality: Mainspring MeetUp Outlines the Journey and Its Impact
Missed the Mainspring Meetup? Here’s a brief synopsis of what we shared.
Ephrata’s downtown revitalization efforts have reached a significant milestone with Mainspring of Ephrata’s designation as an Accredited Main Street America program. This prestigious recognition, coupled with our PA Main Street Matters (formerly Keystone Communities) designation, positions our historic borough for unprecedented economic growth and community development opportunities.
The impact of Mainspring’s work is tangible and measurable. In the past year alone, our programs have generated over $435,215 in value for the community, with an additional $38,412 in marketing initiatives and $41,796 in volunteer contributions, totaling an impressive $518,563 in community investment. It’s important to note that 100% of this total is raised. That’s over half a million dollars of grants, sponsorships, and donations poured into our downtown revitalization efforts.
Our collaborative partnerships span over 40 organizations, including:
The dual designations aren’t just titles – they’re powerful economic revitalization assets that provide Ephrata with strategic advantages in our revitalization journey. Through the Main Street America program, Mainspring gains priority access to essential funding opportunities and resources that directly support our economic development initiatives. This includes specialized training, planning assistance, and exclusive opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be available to our community.
Our downtown business district showcases impressive metrics:
At the heart of our approach is the proven Main Street Four Point Approach™, a comprehensive framework that addresses key aspects of community revitalization:
The strategic focus on Main Street over the next five years aligns with our three primary goals:
Our success stories include:
Local businesses are seeing direct benefits. As Ryan Foltz, co-owner of Pour Man’s Brewery, notes: “Pour Man’s consistently experiences an uptick in business when there are events hosted by Mainspring downtown. The first Saturday events during the Summer typically are some of the busiest days of the summer for us.”
Our selection for Governor Shapiro’s Main Street Matters program tour demonstrates the heightened visibility and opportunities these designations bring to our community.
Economic development requires both vision and patience. As we work to attract entrepreneurs and investors to transform conceptual plans into reality, we maintain the historic character that makes Ephrata unique while building a robust, sustainable economic future.Through these strategic partnerships and focused initiatives, Mainspring of Ephrata is laying the groundwork for transformative economic development. Our accreditation and designations provide the framework, resources, and support needed to turn our community’s vision into reality.
As we move forward, we invite businesses, residents, and stakeholders to join us in this journey of creating a vibrant, prosperous downtown that will serve as the cornerstone of Ephrata’s economic future.