OECD Community Development

The City of Bradford’s Office of Economic and Community Development (OECD) has been passionate over the past three decades in undertaking a number of community development projects to improve the overall quality of life in the area.

Public Improvements

Housing Programs

NPP Phase III

Building a Better Bradford

A Master Plan for the City of Bradford was approved in June 2009. The study area for the plan included the City of Bradford, Foster Township and Bradford Township. The overarching goal of this program was to improve the quality of life for the people living in all three municipalities. This regional strategy included proposals for economic development, zoning, tourism and community development for the whole study area, with focus on improving the center of town.

Strategies from this plan were implemented and significant improvements were made to areas including Main Street and neighborhoods near the downtown core.

Economic Development

  • Exploit identified industry clusters in order to enhance and support a sustainable and competitive local economy.
  • Capitalize on regional retail gap opportunities to help grow the local economy.
  • Provide lifelong learning and skill development opportunities that will lead to a world-class regional workforce.
  • Support and foster new industry, research, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Housing

  • Improve the quality, availability and diversity of housing options in Bradford for homeowners and renters in both market rate and low-income housing.
  • Support and encourage mixed-income neighborhoods.

Urban Bradford

  • Enhance and increase social & economic activity in the downtown core of Bradford.
  • Preserve Bradford’s Historic Downtown core.
  • Support and encourage efforts that make downtown Bradford a place where residents can “live, work and play”.

Community Development

  • Create a clearinghouse of information to strengthen and boost civic pride in Bradford.
  • Encourage the development of places for local students to gather and have fun.
  • Address the demographic and economic realities of Bradford’s declining population.
  • Increase cooperation and collaborative efforts among Bradford’s communities and community leaders.

Recreation and Tourism

  • Welcome visitors to Bradford with attractive lighting, gateways and clear signage.
  • Improve Bradford’s image as a destination and capitalize on the outdoor amenities of the region.
  • Revitalize the Tunungwant Creek and recognize it as an asset.

Sustainability

  • Make improvements to the Bradford community to positively impact the health of residents, the sustainability of the local economy and the
    sustainability of the local environment.

Past community development projects have included:

  • Main Street Streetscape Project

  • Veterans Square Improvements

  • “Project Pride” Neighborhood Improvements

  • Second Ward Neighborhood Partnership Program

  • A four-phase Gateway Improvement Project

  • Onofrio Street Revitalization Project

  • Colonial Heights New Housing Development

  • Old City Hall Restoration

  • Boylston Street/ Kennedy Street Streetscape

Current projects include:

  • Multi-year, multi-phased Callahan Park Improvements

  • Third Ward Neighborhood Partnership Program