The Borough of Hatboro is a 1.5 square mile town that is big on character and is filled with big promise as well as big opportunities which include a business district placed on a highly visible main street shopping corridor with over 16,000 vehicles passing through daily. Hatboro’s small town feel and history attracts residents, motorists, and visitors alike and its walkable downtown allows patrons to easily visit businesses. Our residents maintain an adoration for everything Hatboro and this mentality helps businesses in Hatboro flourish and become an essential part of the community. Development in any town takes time as it takes a zoning and development plan that ties back to the Master plan of the Borough and also takes a collaborative approach in working with the town, its residents, planners, zoning and planning boards, local businesses impacted, as well as developers to create a win/win for everyone.
Hatboro’s Department of Economic and Community Development is the first point of contact for new businesses as well as developers looking to provide commercial and residential opportunities, or established business looking to invest and expand within the Borough. The department is committed to maintaining a business friendly relationship and works to ensure all appropriate agencies are working to guide the applicant(s) through the process of establishing a business in Hatboro and we can also help to identify commercial space in the Borough that may meet the needs of a new or growing business.
The Department works closely with Borough businesses to include them in Borough community activities and have opportunities for businesses wishing to reach a regional audience by sponsorships or in-kind support of our larger community events. Last year alone Hatboro had roughly 12 events which were all made possible by sponsorships and/or in-kind donations from our businesses who also care about the community all of us reside in.
The Borough maintains a Directory of businesses located in the Borough with an app that was launched last year to assist residents, draw more people to our business community, and hopefully help spread the word about all things Hatboro. This app includes an Interactive Business Map that provides users with directions to businesses in Hatboro along with descriptions for businesses as well as contact information right at their fingertips.
Active and vibrant downtowns attract visitors and tourism is valuable to every community. When people visit, they spend money at small businesses which then gets recycled throughout the community many times over. Even if downtown development doesn’t impact you directly, it has indirect impacts that affect your wallet and quality of life in a very positive way as it generates more property tax revenue and less expenses allowing us to send the difference in neighborhoods all over.
Hatboro’s Department of Economic and Community Development looks forward to doing our best to ensure our businesses and community continue to thrive in 2023!