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JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Under the shadows of a steel mill's rusting carcass, a new Johnstown is slowly taking shape. Quaint cafes and even an upscale bridal shop have appeared in long empty storefronts. Downtown lofts are being snapped up. Biotech companies and high-tech firms have set up shop.
Decades after heavy industry died, taking much of Johnstown with it, this Rust Belt community appears to be regaining its footing. An aggressive city planner, a creative redevelopment authority and tourism officials are trying to turn Johnstown into a postindustrial tourist center with a vibrant downtown.
Since 2004, real estate tax revenues have been flat at about $3.4 million, an indication the city is holding its own after years of declining revenues during the peak of deindustrialization, city manager Curtis Davis said.
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