Chambersburg Downtown Master Planning

Downtown Chambersburg is a blending of old and new. With a nod to its Colonial roots and storied Civil War past, Downtown Chambersburg reveres its history, while supporting and celebrating its prospects for the future.

The preliminary vision statement for the downtown Chambersburg master plan celebrates the blending of cultures and experiences and builds on the prevalent crossroads theme. As such, the initial revitalization concepts will exemplify elements of cultural vibrancy, food-centric development, adaptive reuse, arts related activities, and healthy living.

During the visioning phase, that culminated in 2014, sketches were developed that tell a visual story accompanying each broad edict of the vision statement. For the first phase of the project, we partnered with the PA Downtown Center to co-manage the project, taking the traditional visioning process and adding a more tangible graphic element. Already, the preliminary sketches have inspired creative thinking and more thorough understanding of the application of a vision statement in the context of revitalization planning.

Following a successful visioning process, Chambersburg will be updating their comprehensive downtown Master Plan, which will provide further detailed information related to implementing their vision.

Parking in the downtown setting is often referred to as a necessary evil. However, if planned with care, parking can be an amenity to the setting while providing a needed commodity.

Our work in Chambersburg, providing a Central Core Parking Analysis, reflects this. Data gathered during stakeholder meetings and weekday and weekend parking counts informed analysis and mapping of the area. This led to the creation of alternative concepts for mixed-use development that would include structured parking. Conceptual site plans and renderings brought these alternatives into focus.

A combination of infill development and adaptive reuse will greatly improve the conditions in downtown Chambersburg while providing much-needed parking in the central core.