LINKED IN Jo Ellen Litz

The agriculture museum (Star Barn) offers promise with spin-offs including whole and organic food focuses and will be a unique Lebanon feature. Encouraging statewide networking of natural allies to the ag museum may prove fruitful." Steve

The Industrial Park out at the Alcoa property is astounding ! !  There are so many businesses back there that you can't see from State Drive.  Since the steel mills left Lebanon, it seems to be the smaller companies that have picked up the slack in employment.  Don't know how they compare in pay for their employees, but at least there are places to find work. Rowena

It seems like people always have money to go out to eat. Would love to see one of those at the empty Golden Corral. Sherry

Frankly, I am tired of still one more ubiquitous Dollar Store or drug store.  I wonder how much money leaves Lebanon County during the course of a week's shopping.  Any studies on that?  Estimates? Melanie

More stores at the LVM. Beth

Restaurant would be nicely located where the Golden Corral was previously. Mary

I'm tired of having to drive to Lancaster or Phila for these restaurants. Deb

I have given great thought to this question fro many years. Then recently I spoke with someone who goes to the nation convention that promotes cities to Retail/restaurants and they actually said that people were saying "stay away from Lebanon County PA because they don't want progress" This was evidently a hot issue during the WalMart saga. Bev

Thank you for taking the time to ask people what they want, instead of telling them was is best for them. Which, unfortunately, is the way that government seems to operate nowadays, from school district level, all the way up to Washington, our present administration not excluded. Steve

I’d love to see the Londonderry Shopping Center (aka the abandoned movie theater and Festival Foods) become a Target, Kohls, and TJ Max. I also think I’d love a Wegman’s, but then again, maybe not – as I’d never have any money left from my paycheck after shopping there! Todd

I don't know what it would take to get these businesses to open in Lebanon area. All we have of the national chains is Friendly’s and Ruby Tuesday. Lucille

Perhaps, the Commissioners could get involved in attracting a Target or similar large department store at that site, so Walmart would have some completion, which, in my opinion, is always healthy. But, a couple of years ago, why couldn't the Commissioners have gotten more involved in helping get the proposed Cabela's store in Fredricksburg? As I understand it, the store was built at the intersection of PA 61 and I-78/US 22 in Hamburg, because of opposition from the Twsp. Supervisors to a site at a I-81 and I-78/US22 location. That would have been and ideal business for Lebanon County, considering all the hunters in this area, and would have generated quality jobs and tax revenues for the area, with minimal negative impact on small local businesses. Steven

Any other fish place. Elmer

I think Lebanon has plenty of locally owned businesses that would benefit from our patronage, as opposed to subsidizing for yet another corporate franchise. Janelle

A lot of residents in Lebanon shop other places because there are no places to shop. So the monies that is being spend outside of the Lebanon. Could stay in Lebanon. $$$$$ Myra

They would have little to no competition in the area.

We need a good restaurant in Lebanon County so that we can stop taking our business to Lancaster or Dauphin counties. Mark

My concern is what impact does bringing the national chains to Lebanon have on existing businesses and the quality of life in the County. After fighting traffic and driving mile-after-mile of chain stores, etc in Lancaster recently, I was glad to get back to Lebanon. I'll take the Blue Bird, Quentin Haus, Nikos, Trat Frat, Gin Mill, etc over a national chain any day. We should encourage and assist small business in Lebanon. Tim

I don't have a favorable view on box houses. Big chains present the following issues. They hurt small business. They set up corporate HQ in states that cater to corporations and take their profits there and take the tax dollars there. They make demands to get property tax breaks in the area they move into without consideration on the additional municipal services they will require, leaving the local taxpayer to pick up the tab. The construction is usually run by outside firms and outside subs. This doesn't support local construction jobs and eliminates the local income taxes since the companies are from outside the area. Small business and local investment puts money back into the community. They employ local construction. That results in local good paying jobs that put revenue in the local economy and the local tax base. They pay local property taxes and generate local income taxes, more revenue for local governments [more revenue overall means lower tax rates]. They use local maintenance for upkeep of property and services [big boxes have people that travel the nation]. last but certainly not least, they employ local personnel, usually with better working conditions than the box houses, since they don't look to pick up and move when the tax credits run out or go out of business [Silo, Circuit City, Tweeter, American Appliance,etc...] Commenting on restaurants isn't possible for me because of business relationships. The exception is, a number of national restaurants are franchised, not company owned chains. Franchised units may be locally owned." Scott

A few decent restaurants….you mention Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Joe’s Crab Shack are just a few that come to my mind. I certainly like to patronize locally owned/locally operated restaurants rather than a chain as these mentioned but the restaurant business is a tough business (long hours, weekends, hiring dependable help, etc.) It seems we have a few that are what I would consider good restaurants that have been able and willing to make the commitment a quality restaurant requires but the list is short…Blue Bird, Quentin Tavern. The successful national concerns have certain developers that they work with….they will not deal with a property owner that has a single property to sell. One of these developers that have earned the respect of such quality nationals is Joe Deeren who leads a group of investors that now own the property formerly owned by Tom Siegel…they operate this project under the name of Springwood Development. If we want good retail to come to Lebanon we need to work with developers such as Springwood. I realize some people think people like you and I are just a bunch of “hicks” that have lived in Lebanon County our entire lives and do not know anything! #2 – Other than Wal Mart, Boscov’s, Sears and Kohl’s we don’t have many choices in Lebanon County for department stores? You mention Ollies which I enjoy shopping at but we certainly could use a Target type department store….again Springwood has Targets’ ear and if we are ever going to get such stores to come to Lebanon County we need to work with developers. Sometimes it seems that out of town “developers” (Springwood is all the way from Lancaster!) are given a negative connotation but lets face it, how many people do we have in Lebanon County that have the resources, ability and desire to make things happen when you are talking about a $100M+ project?

Lebanon county really doesn't want any businesses.  We just want to tell businesses how many of their building can be here.  If they have the money to build it then I'm also sure they know there is the clients to buy.  Lebanon county needs to get out of the back woods and understand if we want jobs and tax income there will be a increase in traffic and people.  Go to a wal-mart or a target and look at the parking lots they are full and provide a lot of jobs for people if they want to work and not for peanuts.  The benefits are not bad either.  But to answer your question red lobster, olive garden, target etc..  To get these places you need to have the big stores like target,  best buy, and wal-mart to bring the customers at good shopping prices which then leads to people going out to eat.  for example:   On any Sunday red lobster has a 30 to 45 min wait and then the ladies go shopping and the men do what ever. This is what brings the money in from other areas not just Lebanon county, which we can tend to be cheap.  I'm glad to see someone is looking at this and not just letting Harrisburg and Lancaster reap the taxes from these establishments.  I'm sure there are a lot of merchants that would love to come to Lebanon similar to the wal-mart we just chanced out with dirty politics.  Yes crime could follow but that is part of moving ahead.  People are lining up to hand over their taxes and businesses can help a lot in helping to get extra tax income for the county. Heath

For Red Lobster - We have a continuously growing population of retirees moving into the area from larger areas (Phila., New York, New Jersey) who are moving into the high end developments on the outskirts of the City. They are accustomed to having choices to go out to eat and shop. They want to see names of stores that are familiar names to them. They want them in their neighborhoods and without having to drive an hour to get there. I think the lines that form at the Lancaster and Harrisburg Red Lobsters are an indication that the area could certainly support another one. Pam

"That's my biz - HACC stands by, ready to help aspiring entrepreneurs. But funding for retail is nearly impossible to find - hence, the proliferation of the chains. Ya'll know who PA's largest employer is, right? I'm spending a good portion of my life trying to help undo that statistic!!" "Local entrepreneurs can do similar businesses and their revenues stay here, not getting exported outside the county. Restaurants are a tough go, as 80% don't make it past 5 years. Just because you're a good cook doesn't mean you have the skill to manage a restaurant. If we have to have a big box store, I vote for Target; they give away $3 million a week and support their local communities." Kathy

"A boardwalk pier with diving horses. Probably what it would take to lure it here is global warming." Paul

"I am not picky, something other than fast food. I think something that would attract them is the fact that when it comes to chains all we have is fast-food." Nicole

We don't need another junk store like Ollie's. An Olive Garden or Red Lobster would be nice. Since Eli's closed there are practically no medium cost restaurants that are accessible except Rubys.

Soup Thyme used to be nice for lunch, but they no longer exist. John

Let's get real about this area - we need a higher class of retail business. Not discount stores. Why should we have to shop in Lancaster, Reading and Hbg to get quality clothing and products.

As for restaurants - anything that ISN'T a buffet - all you can eat, would be very appreciated. Sandshell