Butler, central region a hub for county
The city at the near center of Butler County is also the center of activity for the municipalities that surround it, and government officials recognize Butler as a prominent place for not only commerce, but for social activity as well.
Although the city itself has seen its population decrease slightly since 2010, Butler County’s chief of economic development and planning Mark Gordon said the center of the county is in healthy shape economically. This is because surrounding areas continue to see growth, and new businesses in downtown Butler continue to give people reason to visit the city.
Gordon named Belleville International as an example of opportunity in central Butler County, because the company recently bought property in the city that is easily accessible.
“They hire a lot of people that walk to work,” Gordon said. “They’re reinvesting and actually expanding. They purchased the building across the street, the old steel warehouse, and are doing an expansion.”
Transportation infrastructure is being expanded on more than just roads — the Butler Transit Authority board of directors have discussed adding more trips to its five routes, which are based around Butler. From July 2023 to June, the route that travels through Butler to locations such as Moraine Point Plaza and Butler Commons gave more than 58,000 rides, and numbers on the other routes weren’t too far behind.
John Paul, executive director of the transit authority, said the Commuter, which has routes between Butler and Pittsburgh, gave a little over 19,000 trips last fiscal year. He said the number of trips given on local routes shows that the authority needs to prepare for more people needing bus service within Butler.
While the city may be limited by the availability of space, the surrounding areas continue to see infrastructure developments meant to make travel easier. Namely, Connoquenessing and Franklin townships have seen major construction projects over the past few years, which Butler County Commissioners Chairwoman Leslie Osche said could lead to further growth in those areas.
“Growth is evident in Connoquenessing and Franklin townships as opportunities increase along the (Route) 422 and Route 68 corridors,” Osche said. “Entrepreneurs and small business owners are investing in this town and elected city officials are taking a city ‘turn around’ and management seriously with the assistance of (state Department of Community & Economic Development) and other resources.”
Gordon said Butler County is lucky to have a nationally recognized community college in Butler County Community College, which not only offers locals a place to go for higher education, but has its own programs and opportunities that enrich the community. A community college, Gordon said, can help a community keep its population.
“You can’t talk about the city or county without talking about the community college,” he said. “They have ideas to demonstrate their commitment to the community.”
Butler city has a higher population of people between the ages of 25 and 34 compared to the surrounding areas, according to 2022 U.S. Census data.
Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy concurred with Osche, and said the city, as the center point of the county, is a hub of activity for people in its surrounding vicinity. In addition to new businesses, events like the Moon Markets, Foodie Fridays and annual events like the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival and the Butler Fall Festival create activity in the downtown area.
“We’ve had a few new businesses pop up, and that’s always a plus,” Dandoy said, “because not only is it providing residents with goods and amenities, but it’s also providing income into the city for taxes and residents.”
Audrianna Bly, president of Butler Downtown, said Main Street has several reasons for people from around the region to visit and tackle several activities in one trip.
“Someone could go to the Penn Theater, then go to Tannin and Tonic or Johnny’s Bar, the Chop Shop for dinner, then go see a show,” Bly said. “I think that just creates a lot of opportunity for people to come and visit more than one place.”
Dandoy said he has seen the streets crowded with people even on days when there are no events taking place. He credits this to the synergy between establishments in downtown.
“When other businesses see those things in our downtown area, then they want to be part of it,” Dandoy said. “We also have Johnny’s, Tannin and Tonic wine bar … Hobnob Theatre being in there has increased traffic on the weekends, and the Penn Theater seems to be on the right track.
“It keeps Main Street going in a longer extended period than just the day.”
Gordon said there is no single key to a healthy economy for a place like Butler, but the center of the county has good bones in its human connections. In addition to the city, East Butler and Butler, Connoquenessing, Center, Clearfield, Oakland and Summit townships are within Butler Area School District, which Gordon said is a unifier.
Gordon also commended the school district’s superintendent Brian White for his work addressing the needs of its student population.
“Things that unite the community, there’s lots of that — Friday night football,” Gordon said. “(White) is doing innovative things for students who historically may have been the outcast or found it difficult in the traditional classroom structure. He runs programs for students allowing them to finish their degree at the Boy Scout camp. Those things don’t happen everywhere, but they happen here.”
In addition to high school sports, Osche pointed out that a significant percentage of people in the county are members of volunteer fire departments, or involved with them in some way. Mike Pflugh, the chief of Unionville Volunteer Fire Company, said membership at the department has recovered after falling a few years ago, and it now boasts about 40 members.
The expansion project at the station, which added stay-in rooms and living space for firefighters, has also bonded members of the company with one another and the community.
“We have a kitchen, three other bedrooms that our guys can spend the night in if they want,” Pflugh said. “It’s a great group of gentlemen and ladies here who work hard and together.”
Rob Shuler, chief of the Herman fire department, said the company has 44 active members, who he also described as tight-knit with one another. Although the company seems to cover more and more calls each year, Shuler said morale is good within the department.
“We’re all there for each other, we obviously care about our community,” he said. “We have been truly blessed over the years with the members we have and friendship we have.”
The merger of Butler Health System and Excela Health into Independence Health System in 2023 is also a pillar of central Butler County, and Gordon said Butler Memorial Hospital’s plans to offer a residency program will help bring talent to the area.
Even with all the development in the center of Butler County, Gordon said the area’s housing remains at lower costs than the southern area of the county, and he expects more people in Western Pennsylvania to find opportunity here.
In Gordon’s words, Butler County is his home not just because it’s where his house is, but because it feels like home.
“I think you'll see the city of Butler as a niche opportunity for first time homebuyers,” Gordon said. “This area, Butler County, it feels like home. It’s nice to walk down the street and hear, ‘Hey, Mark,’ and it’s so and so.”
