Lackawanna County commissioned an interdisciplinary team led by ESI, including The Riddle Company and Kimley-Horn, to create an economic vision and strategy for Montage Mountain, which is a major tourism, recreational, and commercial hub in the Scranton region. Montage Mountain is anchored by Montage Mountain Resorts, a year-round recreational destination with skiing, waterpark, and festivals, The Pavilion at Montage Mountain with a capacity of 18,000 for concerts and events, and PNC Field, a 10,000-seat minor league baseball stadium and home to the RailRiders, the AAA affiliate of the New York Yankees. The area is also home to a nationally renowned golf club (Glenmaura National Golf Club), more than 400,000 square feet of retail space, one million square feet of office space, hotels, and housing.
Despite its assets and the success of its key economic drivers, Montage Mountain was in need of a new vision for attracting investment to maintain its competitiveness as a visitor destination, including addressing retail vacancies, alleviating congestion issues during event days, and creating new development opportunities.
Building upon economic, demographic and development trend analyses, review of existing plans and policies, field work, stakeholder interviews, and best practices research, the ESI team developed a economic plan with more than 20 actionable recommendations based on the following strategic goals:
- Improve Accessibility and Connectivity
- Invest in Infrastructure and the Public Realm
- Improve Coordination and Governance
- Expand Tourism & Visitation Activities
- Create Development and Redevelopment Opportunities
- Expand Marketing and Branding Efforts
Lackawanna County intends on using the plan to build consensus, support state and federal grant applications for infrastructure improvements, and identify key investment areas for long-term growth.