Leechburg residents are getting the chance to share their ideas.
A group of Penn State New Kensington business students is working on a marketing plan for the borough to attract homeowners and visitors.
“We want to emphasize the hidden gems and the little treasures Leechburg has to offer,” said Madaline Struhar, a student leading the project.
She is working on the plan with colleagues Jack Ford, Zachary Zampogna and Dominic Ruediger.
The study is looking at a few facets of the town, including how Leechburg can shape its identity post-industrialism and change its perceived image concerning the environment.
“For a while, people didn’t want to swim in the (Kiski) river because it was orange,” Struhar said. “We’re trying to change that stigma and idea.”
In 1971, the Kiski River was declared the most polluted river in the United States. Orange and yellow seepage from abandoned coal mines dotted the riverside where creeks meet the river. Various forms of wastewater also were predominant.
The acid mine drainage was controlled, and the Kiski is a popular spot for kayaking, canoeing and fishing.
Struhar, 26, of Upper Burrell is leading the team through a series of steps, including interviewing residents, business owners and those who work in Leechburg, and releasing surveys.
“The feedback has been great,” she said. “We’ve gotten so many responses from posting on NextDoor and Facebook. Everyone has been very transparent and supportive.”
She said a lot of feedback has focused on the town’s lack of visibility to other communities and wanting to know more about what’s happening in the borough.
Richard Herko, a management and entrepreneurship professor at Penn State New Kensington, said Leechburg Mayor Doreen Smeal reached out to the university for student assistance with the plan.
Smeal said contacting the university was a bit of a guess on whether she could find the right help.
“I really had no idea what I was asking for,” Smeal said in a text.
Herko said the request reached the school’s business department, and he met with Smeal.
“I hope it makes a difference in changing the perception of Leechburg as a steel town to a tourist town,” Smeal said.
Herko said the university fields a lot of requests for student assistance, and supervisors assess the work before assigning projects.
“I’m the first one in,” Herko said. “I’m going to make sure it’s the right situation for a student.”
He said Smeal took him on a walking and driving tour and discussed ways the students could be compensated for their work. Struhar said she, Ford and Zampogna are receiving credit in exchange for the study. Ruediger is volunteering his time.
Smeal said the students are also helping to launch a website called Live Leechburg. She hopes it will be up and running soon.
“They’re great kids,” Herko said. “When they have a skill or passion they can contribute, they just want to help out and they just want to be involved.”
Herko helped the students throughout the process, including making plans for getting the word out about the borough’s 175th anniversary this year.
Struhar said they’ve all been learning the attractions of the town, including the Tow Path Trail, Riverfront Park, the Hyde Park walking bridge and the town’s murals.
“Everyone’s kind of fallen in love with this little town,” Struhar said.
