The Manayunk Development Corp. could be at a crossroads.

Or it might just be suffering from a case of mistaken identity.

Either way, the nonprofit remains committed to enhancing the neighborhood's commercial district. That much seems clear.

What's unclear, however, is whether some recent changes will help or hinder its ability to get that job done.

First, the MDC is operating without a full-time executive director. It's previous leader, Loree Jones, left the group in late June to become co-executive director of City Year of Greater Philadelphia. She wasn't on the job a year at the time of her departure.

The director before Jones, Fran Burns, headed the MDC for 10 months before leaving the organization to become commissioner of Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections.

Meanwhile, the MDC might see some substantive changes, thanks to the results of a strategic plan that is being finalized after a year's work.

One recommendation to come out of the plan, completed with the help of consultants, was that the group rename itself the Manayunk Economic Development Corp., to better reflect its mission, one that has drawn criticism from some civic leaders.

During the Manayunk Neighborhood Council's Sept. 2 meeting, its president accused the development corp. of being indifferent to residents' concerns, focusing only on bringing businesses to Main Street - even at the expense of quality-of-life for residents. He was referring to bars and restaurants whose patrons may cause problems in the neighborhood.

"We were complaining about quality-of-life issues, and they were not worried about them," MNC president Kevin Smith said. "MDC is not on the verge of correcting that or taking positive action as I can tell."

Smith said that, while he remains frustrated that the MDC appears concerned only with its own agenda, he also was hopeful that things would change if some of the strategic plan's recommendations were implemented. One is to get more diverse representation by opening more board seats to neighborhood residents.

Until that happens, Smith will continue to keep an eye on things.

"Right now, (MDC) is still disorganized," he said.

Howard Moseley takes a different view. The MDC's deputy director, now serving as its interim executive director, said the organization is in a good place, preparing to unveil new promotions designed to bring together resident and merchant.

"We are willing to help the community in any way that fits within our scope," Moseley said during a sit-down in his office last Friday.

Moseley, accompanied by an assistant, a board member/Manayunk retailer, and a newly retained communications consultant, said people forget the MDC is not a traditional community development corporation. There is a difference, he stressed, and MDC's bylaws specifically state its charge is to boost the neighborhood's commercial offerings.

Rick Sauer, executive director of the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations, agreed ignorance could be a factor, since some people aren't aware of the differences between a CDC and an organization like the MDC.

"There's a number of sort of different models out there for revitalization work," Sauer explained.

Sauer said some community development corporations are more engaged with issues like housing development, while others "focus more on strengthening the shopping district." And while some take a "broader approach to neighborhood revitalization strategies," his sense is that the MDC is focused on Manayunk's commercial corridor, "trying to fill vacancies and storefronts."