Bala Avenue Public Art Plan

Lower Merion, PA

The Bala Avenue Public Art Plan was created to accelerate arts-based improvements along Bala Avenue, a historic commercial corridor beloved in its community. Once a thriving town center with a movie theater and an array of local businesses, Bala Avenue now struggles with significant long-term commercial vacancy and a lack of investment. Due to this, the commercial core of Bala Avenue remains the ‘hole in the doughnut’ despite being surrounded by thriving, growing communities.

The Plan was created through a public visioning process, which revealed a community-wide hope to grow a creative commercial corridor with arts-based activation methods, including public art, creative branding, and cultural programs. The Plan offers a roadmap for initiating public art and cultural initiatives to bring neighbors together and create a vibrant streetscape and creative community spaces.

The Public Art Plan was created for Lower Merion Township in cooperation with the City Avenue District and the Bala Avenue of the Arts non-profit.

See the plan here.