Who We Are

Scranton Tomorrow is a 501 c(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan community and economic development organization working to establish Scranton as the premier urban center of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Our headquarters are located at 307 Linden Street in historic Downtown Scranton.

 

Scranton Tomorrow is a volunteer-based organization whose members are as diverse as the greater Scranton community. Volunteers and supporters include business leaders, public officials, entrepreneurs, property owners, developers, educators, artists and community partners - all united in a love for the City of Scranton and a commitment to reach its greatest potential. 
 

What We Do

The mission of Scranton Tomorrow is to mobilize resources to enhance a vibrant environment for Scranton residents, businesses, and visitors. We work diligently to establish, manage, and accomplish our City's shared goals and objectives. Through collaborative efforts, we strive to: 

 

• Foster economic development in the Downtown Scranton Business District;
   

• Create and promote opportunities for business development and serve as the voice of the downtown business community;
   

• Maintain, a safe, clean and green downtown to enhance the charm and vitality of the historic business district;

 

• Preserve and promote Scranton's history and architectural landmarks;

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• Facilitate partnerships among like-minded organizations, businesses and individuals.

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Our Story

Scranton Tomorrow has a long history of service to the community, dating back to the early 1990s with a grass-roots effort to improve the quality of life for those who lived and worked in the City of Scranton. Like many mid-sized cities across the county, Scranton's economy faced challenges and a struggling downtown. In keeping with the spirit of those who founded Scranton and Lackawanna County, this small group of visionaries forged ahead with determination, creativity, and ingenuity.
 

"Vision is the gift of seeing clearly what may be. And the more we dream and plan about what may be, the more we can see just what we might achieve. Vision truly does expand our horizons, and the grander our vision, the more glorious our accomplishments."

 

- Monsignor Joseph G. Quinn,

Chairman, Forging the Future, February 11, 1998

 

In 1992, Scranton Tomorrow was founded as a non-profit organization. Shortly thereafter, its leaders developed Forging the Future. Through this visioning process, Scranton Tomorrow identified emerging community leaders and instilled a sense of a brighter future for area residents. Everyone in the community was encouraged to participate. A blueprint for a change was drafted, resulting in an era of positive change that continues 25 years later.

Some changes appeared as new events of projects, such as First Night Scranton, a family-friendly New Year's Eve celebration that attracted thousands of people to downtown annually; CityPride, a citywide beautification program held each spring; the Summer Solstice Art Walk in downtown Scranton venues; or the creation of the Pennsylvania Film Festival. Other changes were iconic, such as relighting the Electric City Sign on top of the Board of Trade Building at 507 Linden Street. 

And yet others were transformative, such as the creation of Scranton Today Channel 61 on public access television, and the Downtown Renaissance project to introduce residential living in our historic downtown. Scranton Tomorrow earned the designation as a Main Street organization by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and was selected as a Nationally Accredited Main Street Program by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Pennsylvania Downtown Center. 

In early 2017, the National Resource Network recommended that Scranton Tomorrow serve as the City of Scranton's Economic Development agency for Scranton's recovery plan. Scranton Tomorrow has been active in the city for 25 years, and is poised to take on this assignment and lead the change. Serving the business district in this important leadership role will allow us to bring individuals and institutions together to collectively enhance our urban core. We are now in a position to form an official Business Improvement District (BID) within the next 3 to 5 years.