It’s not easy staying on top.

During the past five years, while many towns have suffered the perils of an economic downturn, Kennett Square has prospered. It has gained accolades, such as being dubbed one of America’s coolest small towns by Budget Travel magazine in 2010.

It has also continued to attract new ventures. In 2013, it inaugurated the Mushroom Drop on New Year’s Eve. In 2014, seven businesses debuted, and 2015 is on track to duplicate that trend, said Mary Hutchins, executive director of Historic Kennett Square.

The Kennett Brewing Company and Victory Brewing Company are among the businesses that have already opened this year, she said. Several more are scheduled in the coming months, Hutchins said, adding that one of Historic Kennett Square’s long-term goal is to fill in the blocks between the main downtown area and Magnolia Place, the new complex that includes the Victory brewpub.

Officials say the boom represents a lot of work behind the scenes to keep the area vibrant and appealing, an effort that has to be maintained. Toward that end, businesses, municipal officials and others will soon have the opportunity to help guide future growth in the Kennett region, according to a press release from Historic Kennett Square.

Historic Kennett Square, the Borough of Kennett Square and Kennett Township have hired Todd Poole of 4ward Planning and Mark Keener of the RBA Group to study economic development affecting both municipalities.

Work on the project, which includes an economic development strategy and implementation plan, will begin later this summer and is expected to last until December 2016. Public involvement will be an integral part of the process, the release said.

“Between Historic Kennett Square, Kennett Square, and Kennett Township, we wanted to develop a plan for the future,” Tom Sausen, an Historic Kennett Square board member and chairman of its Economic Development Task Force, said in the release. “It’s important to have a community vision.”

A Vision Partnership Program Grant from the Chester County Commissioners, administered by the Chester County Planning Commission, will fund $35,000 of the $60,000 study. The borough and the township will add $7,500 each, and Historic Kennett Square and Longwood Gardens will contribute $5,000 apiece, Hutchins said.

Chester County Commissioner Michelle Kichline, who co-chairs VISTA 2025, the county’s economic development initiative, said the study complements the county’s goals. “The focus of the study – to provide technical data, community consensus and the vision needed to responsibly guide Kennett’s future development – will improve coordination between the municipalities, the public, and the business community.  It will set priorities for where and how the region grows, while protecting its heritage ...”

Kennett Township Manager Lisa M. Moore explained the rationale for Kennett Township’s involvement. “We felt it was important to be part of this study since the township totally surrounds the borough,” she said. “It is extremely important that we have an agreeable vision for the areas that border both municipalities.”

The project will set priorities for where and how the region grows, the continuation of the borough’s revitalization, and the protection of natural, rural and historic heritage.

Hutchins said a number of developers have expressed interest in the Kennett region, and she believes that having information from multiple stakeholders on what will suit various locations will benefit everyone.

The consultants from 4ward Planning and the RBA Group will focus on seven areas with the most potential for innovative, economic development: the State Street corridor; the Cypress Street corridor; Birch Street from Walnut to Broad streets; Millers Hill, the area on the eastern border between the borough and the township; the Ways Lane area in the township; the former NVF site in the borough; and the area on the west side of Mill Road in the township.

The project will also include the creation of a task force, comprising representatives from the borough, the township, and Historic Kennett Square; Longwood Gardens; the Chester County Planning Commission; and community members. The task force will meet eight to 10 times with the consultants, and a total of three public meetings will be held during the planning process.

Poole will lead the consulting team as the project manager, Keener, RBA Group’s director of urban design, will serve as one of three key staff members on Poole’s team. Four analysts from 4ward and RBA will round out the consulting team.

Some of the tasks included in the project include reviewing planning documents germane to the county and the local municipalities; interviewing stakeholders, such as residents, municipal officials, developers, and property and business owners; conducting a comprehensive market analysis of the Kennett region; developing an economic development plan of action; conducting three public meetings to garner public input on the economic development of the region; and reviewing the township and borough’s zoning requirements as they relate to the seven focus areas.

The consultants will create a draft report of the task outcomes and present it to the task force and the municipalities for review and comments. Once it is approved, a final report will be generated with an executive summary, a PowerPoint presentation, maps, and renderings.

“We have high hopes for this,” Sausen said. “These are areas that have a lot of potential for growth. There needs to be a consensus. And the consultants’ job will be to provide some ideas and get that consensus.”