February 20, 2025
Check Out Imagine Berks' latest
News
Updates
In February 2025, the Berks County Board of Commissioners formally adopted the Growing Berks Agriculture plan. This plan is an outgrowth of the IMAGINE Berks plan which focuses in on the key role that agriculture plays in the Berks County economy.
To learn more about the Growing Berks plan, click here.
The Berks County Planning Commission is preparing to start the process of updating the Berks County Comprehensive Plan, commonly referred to as a Comp Plan. This plan serves as a guide for the county and municipalities on the goals, objectives, and future trajectory of the county.
On March 27, 2025, David Hunter, BCPC Executive Director will present at the County Commissioner’s board meeting detailing the kickoff and what to expect over the next 18-24 months.
Across Berks County, we have 5 main streets: Boyertown, Hamburg, Kutztown, Reading, and West Reading. Each of these communities offer unique experiences, stores, and amenities worth seeing for yourself.
The Berks County Board of Commissioners adopted the Infrastructure Loan Fund guidelines on December 19th, 2024. The Berks County Industrial Development Authority, or BCIDA, will be managing the $5M loan program meant for local municipalities, municipal authorities, and other select entities. The guiding principle of the fund is to help unlock further investment in the county which will result in a boost in real estate taxes following the project’s completion.
For more information, check out BCIDA’s website.
Berks County is home to countless miles of trails, dozens of parks, and waterways perfect for enjoying on a warm summer day. The Greenways, Park, and Recreation plan highlights these assets and amenities and continues to support projects to enhance our greenspaces. In the first year, 11 projects were awarded over $170,000. These projects ranged from riparian buffer repair to accessible water features at a community pool. As implementation continues, more project awards will be announced in Spring 2025 to continue the plan’s implementation.
In 2022, the Berks County Board of Commissioners allocated $5.7M towards broadband infrastructure support and an additional $600,000 towards digital literacy programming. The Berks County Intermediate Unit, Berks Community Health Network, and Connections Work each are administering programs addressing digital literacy throughout Berks County.
For more information about the work being done locally to address the digital divide, click here.
Our
Key Principles
Principles
The following overarching principles are the foundation of the plan and inform the individual goals and strategies herein.
- Leverage the County's position as a regional partner
- Prioritize investment in redevelopment activities, including industrial, commercial and residential projects
- Invest in strategies that support the retention and creation of "opportunity jobs"
- Ensure public accountability in plan implementation by reporting back on progress
- Invest in development that increases the tax base of Berks County
- Recognize and support the growing diversity of Berks community
Learn about
Our Goals
Our Goals
The following represents a summary of our plan's goals, strategies, and metrics.
(Hover over the boxes below for more information)
(Hover over the boxes below for more information)
Housing
Housing
Goal: Address the county’s needs for new housing and redeveloped housing that is accessible and attainable
Learn MorePlacemaking
Placemaking
Goal: Invest in and highlight community assets that provide access to a variety of arts, culture, greenspace, and recreation opportunities for all residents
Learn MoreTalent & Economic Mobility
Talent & Economic Mobility
Goal: Invest in Berks County’s greatest asset – its people – by supporting structures to connect residents to opportunity jobs so that they may more fully contribute to and benefit from the Berks County economy
Learn MoreBuILD
BuILD
Goal: Encourage industrial and commercial redevelopment and support land development that increases the tax base.
Learn MoreSmall Business & Entrepreneurship
Small Business & Entrepreneurship
Goal: Support small businesses and encourage the entrepreneurship to enable the creation of high-growth ventures, main street amenities, and wealth-building for residents
Learn MoreStrategic Planning Efforts
From Vision to Reality
Reality
In August 2022, the Board of Commissioners adopted Berks County’s first Strategic Economic Development Action Plan, IMAGINE Berks. The plan provides a guide for thoughtful decision- making about our economic prosperity, identity, and sustainability with three years of actionable goals and strategies.
