On December 20, 2021, 34 revitalizing projects in 22 counties across Pennsylvania received $6 million in Keystone Communities Program grants to help them form economic recovery partnerships.
McKees Rocks, PA (one of the winning communities). Photo: Leepaxton via Wikipedia.
“The Keystone Communities Program supports towns and cities with initiatives that grow and stabilize neighborhoods and encourage partnerships between the public and private sectors,” said Governor Tom Wolf.
“My administration is proud to support these projects that will build stronger communities, attract new residents and businesses, and boost our economy,” he added.
Since January 2015, the Wolf Administration has approved approximately $38 million through the Keystone Communities program to fund 247 projects statewide.
These include façade grants for businesses, accessible housing projects, public infrastructure improvements, and other projects to strengthen communities and downtown districts.
The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) administers the program.
Here are the 34 approved projects:
Allegheny County:
- Action Housing Inc.: $700,000 to complete construction of the Second Avenue Commons homeless facility in Pittsburgh;
- Community Kitchen Pittsburgh: $91,020 to upgrade the training facility to provide onsite food preparation and service experience;
- Hazelwood Initiative Inc.: $205,909 for phase 3 of the Hazelwood Affordable Rental Preservation Program – acquiring 20 apartments to provide long-term affordable housing;
- McKees Rocks Community Development Corporation: $250,000 to remediate and stabilize a commercial building at 602 Chartiers Avenue;
- Municipality of Mt. Lebanon: $22,250 for planning related to the second phase of the transformative streetscape project in Mt. Lebanon’s Main Street-designated corridor; and
- Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation: $50,000 to continue façade improvements along a targeted area of downtown Wilkinsburg, including Penn Avenue.
Beaver County:
Aliquippa Economic Development Corporation: $216,500 for Neighborhood Sidewalk program streetscape improvements.
Blair County:
Altoona Blair County Development Corporation: $500,000 to redevelop the “Green Church” in Hollidaysburg into a mixed-use commercial structure.
Butler County:
Zelienople Borough: $223,605 to complete phase 3 of the Zelienople Revitalization and Economic Development project, including upgrades to the more than 50-year-old infrastructure along State Route 19 from West New Castle Street to Grandview Avenue.
Centre County:
Philipsburg Revitalization Corporation: $23,280 for the renovation of a two-story brick building located at North Front Street in the historic downtown district of Philipsburg
Clearfield County:
Downtown DuBois Inc.: $50,000 to continue the façade program, which improves downtown DuBois by offering grants to businesses and property owners.
Cumberland County:
Center for Independent Living of Central Pennsylvania: $200,000 for the Home Accessible Services program to assist adults and people with disabilities in multiple counties.
Delaware County:
Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery & Delaware Counties: $365,836 to construct four affordable housing units on Dudley Avenue in Lansdowne Borough.
Erie County:
- Corry Community Development Corporation (DBA Impact Corry): $50,000 to continue residential façade improvements in the City of Corry; and
- Our West Bayfront: $165,000 to redevelop three vacant properties into affordable housing units in the City of Erie.
Greene County:
Franklin Township: $175,000 for renovations to Crawford Park’s multi-purpose building
Lackawanna County:
NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania: $50,000 to implement a façade grant program for Main Avenue and Luzerne Street in West Scranton.
Lancaster County:
City of Lancaster: $450,000 for a streetscape improvement project along South Ann and Juniata Streets in the city’s designated Elm Street neighborhood.
Lawrence County:
- DON Enterprise Inc.: $50,000 to establish a façade program for businesses in the Elm Street-designated Lower East Side neighborhood of New Castle City;
- DON Enterprise Inc.: $500,000 for phase 2 restoration of the Wright Building – a vacant, mixed-use building located in the City’s Elm Street designated neighborhood on East Washington Street in New Castle; and
- Lawrence County: $50,000 to implement a new residential façade program in Union Township.
Lehigh County:
Allentown Housing Authority: $500,000 for phase 1 redevelopment of the Little Lehigh public housing site.
Luzerne County:
- Diamond City Partnership: $25,000 to continue rehabilitation of the Public Square Park in the City of Wilkes-Barre, a designated Main Street community; and
- Greater Hazleton Community Area New Development Organization Inc. (CAN DO): $236,250 for phase II rehabilitation of the Broad & Barrell property at 21-23 West Broad Street in Hazleton.
Montgomery County:
- Ardmore Initiative: $25,000 to continue a façade improvement program in the Ardmore Business District in Lower Merion Township; and
- Pottstown Area Industrial Development Inc.: $320,400 for renovations to the former PNC Bank building, vacant for more than 15 years, in downtown Pottstown Borough.
Northampton County:
Greater Easton Development Partnership: $50,000 to continue a façade improvement program in the Main Street designated area of the City of Easton.
Philadelphia County:
Friends of the Rail Park: $25,000 to create an equitable development plan for the Rail Park – a new, three-mile park under development in Philadelphia.
Schuylkill County:
Borough of Frackville: $35,000 to begin a façade renovations program in the downtown business district of Frackville.
Union County:
Lewisburg Downtown Partnership Inc.: $25,000 to plan for safety enhancements to the nine-block “Market Street corridor” in historic downtown Lewisburg.
Washington County:
Monongahela Main Street Program: $45,000 to reestablish a façade improvement program within the downtown central business district in Monongahela.
York County:
Redevelopment Authority of the City of York: $12,500 to plan for the re-establishment of an Enterprise Zone in West York and North York boroughs and Spring Garden and West Manchester townships.
Statewide:
- Inglis Foundation: $287,500 to continue their statewide program, which provides accessible housing funding to individuals without local access programs; and
- Pennsylvania Downtown Center: $14,950 for a statewide planning project to determine the impact of COVID-19 on Pennsylvania’s Main and Elm Street districts and develop local economic resiliency information.
Historic postcard (author unknown) shows McKees Rocks, PA.