The Elm Street Program (ESP) began in Pennsylvania in 2007, modeled on the successful National Main Street Program (MSP). Both programs seek to promote volunteer driven sustainable revitalization and historic preservation efforts related to targeted downtown (commercial) and neighborhood (residential) areas. The Main Street Program has been around for years and is active in all fifty states, the Elm Street Program is unique to Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) is responsible for administering and funding both programs, with technical support and training provided by the Pennsylvania Downtown Center (PDC). The ESP originally offered limited financial assistance to designated communities for operations and neighborhood redevelopment. Beginning in 2012, the programs were amended through the Keystone Community Program guidelines and associated appropriation; generally reducing or eliminating financial assistance available to existing programs and requiring re-designation of all participating communities.

The Board of Directors of the Lewisburg Neighborhoods Corporation (LNC) has been encouraged to seek a Keystone Community Designation. To receive designation, a community organization must generally meet the former program guideline requirements, and demonstrate that there is at least five years of operational funding available and dedicated to sustaining the implementing organization, and a full-time program manager - roughly totaling $325,000 in our case. A Keystone designation may allow the LNC to continue with efforts underway in the previously designated Bull Run neighborhood and to work with the community to target another Lewisburg neighborhood for similar ESP revitalization activity.

Currently, the LNC is working to identify and organize another eligible neighborhood and to prepare a Keystone Community Program designation request. For more information on the Keystone Community Program visit their Website: http://www.keycommres.org