For 15 minutes, Jill Murrin touched on the past, displaying before and after pictures of businesses and homes in the area and showcasing numbers that show the decrease in crime since 2009.
She attributed the positive changes to what is known as the Elm Street Program, which has focused on revitalizing South Scranton through grants for home and business improvement projects and establishing a neighborhood watch.
At an informational meeting Tuesday hosted by United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania and its Elm Street revitalization team, Ms. Murrin, the Elm Street Program manager, also focused on the future, highlighting several projects the team is working on to revitalize South Scranton.
"We are really excited with a few projects; we just need a little funding," Ms. Murrin said. "We have had a lot of success in our first three years, and we think the next couple can be even better."
Among the future plans is the Cedar Avenue Gateway Project - an initiative to improve traffic safety at three-way intersection in South Scranton.
The project, which will cost more than $1 million, is part of an effort to make the intersection at Cedar Avenue, Orchard Street and Front Street more safe.
"There have been many complaints, and a few close calls in that area since the Moosic Street Bridge closed," said Alison Woody, the director of communications at UNC. "It is something we definitely need to address."
While the Elm Street team is waiting on funding for that project, it has already secured the $40,000 necessary to install a number of period street lights along the 500 and 600 block of Cedar Avenue.
Ms. Murrin said the team will "replicate those in downtown Scranton." There is no timetable for the installation of those lights, however.
Designated an Elm Street Program in 2009 by the state Department of Community & Economic Development, South Scranton has since seen an "overhaul" in several areas, Ms. Murrin said.
"This program doesn't just touch on safety of a neighborhood," Ms. Murrin said. "It helps create an image and identity for a neighborhood."
Contact the writer: miorfino@timesshamrock.com, @miorfinoTT on Twitter