A Formula for Revitalization Using Esri Business Analyst for planning project By Matthew DeMeritt, Esri Writer Hershey, Pennsylvania, experienced a sudden and unexpected loss of visitor and resident patronage in its downtown. In 2008, Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, an entertainment and hospitality company dedicated to preserving the legacy of Milton S. Hershey, hired a GIS consulting firm to help attract consumers back to the area. Retail trade area analysis is a necessary part of any civic development plan. To find a target market and gain knowledge about local consumers, geographic information must be carefully considered. Because GIS software specializes in extracting and aggregating geographic data, it is an ideal platform for conducting this analysis. Esri Business Analyst, which incorporates the Huff model (a tool for formulating and evaluating geographic business decisions), was instrumental to the process of successfully reenvisioning Hershey’s downtown. Location-Based Problem The town of Hershey was originally designed by Milton S. Hershey to serve the needs of chocolate factory employees and their families. Built in the early 1900s, the original town included housing for factory employees as well as schools, churches, recreational facilities, and a trolley system. By the early 1930s, downtown Hershey had grown to become the center of activity for Hershey residents, with a bank, theater, department store, hotel, amusement park, and community center. As the town grew and the number of visitors increased, Pennsylvania enhanced the local highway system to accommodate the increase in traffic volume. However, enhanced highways had the unintended effect of directing commerce away from downtown Hershey, enticing residents and visitors to shop in suburban shopping centers. A New Vision In 2005, Hershey Entertainment and Resorts drafted plans to revitalize the downtown. The revitalization effort started with the restoration of a prominent downtown building originally constructed in 1916 for printing candy labels. The newly renovated building opened in the summer of 2006 and is now home to two new restaurants on the ground floor, with the Hershey Entertainment and Resorts corporate offices occupying the two upper floors. Later, an interactive museum, the Hershey 30 ArcUser Summer 2010 Hershey kiss streetlights line Chocolate Avenue. www.esri.com