Area legislators announce grants for Valley towns, schools

About $20 million in funding was distributed to communities for improvement projects.

Several Mon Valley municipalities received a slice of about $20 million in Local Share Account funds and other state resources for projects.

Legislators in Allegheny, Washington County and Westmoreland counties made the announcements this week. The funding is through Act 71 of 2004, which provides for the distribution of LSA funds, which are generated through the county’s share of gaming revenues.

The Public School Facility Improvement Grant provides funding to public school districts and area career and technical schools for eligible facility improvement projects.

Some awards were funded by the Statewide Local Share Account, a revenue stream from the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act, which provides for the distribution of gaming revenues through the Commonwealth Financing Authority to support projects in the public interest in Pennsylvania.

“Holistically, this is local share account money that goes back into the local communities every so often,” said state Rep. Nick Pisciottano, D-West Mifflin. “For the grants I received in my area and in Allegheny county at large, these are important community projects – supporting local firefighters, supporting local police, local schools, and neighborhoods. These are all very important priorities that we are able to assist with this money from the gambling revenue stream.”

Here’s where some of the money went:

Allegheny County

Pisciottano announced Wednesday that over $1.7 million in state grants were awarded to support renovations to municipal buildings, ADA upgrades and other development projects across the 38th Legislative District, according to a release.

“Working to drive more tax dollars back to our local neighborhoods is one of the most important aspects of my job as a state representative,” Pisciottano said in the release. “I can’t thank my colleagues in the Senate enough for working alongside my office to deliver these investments in our communities. Once complete, these projects will have an immensely positive impact on the lives of my constituents.”

Glassport was awarded $850,000 to renovate the recently purchased building that will house the entire municipal administration and police department facilities, according to the release. The funded project includes new exterior and interior doors, security updates such as cameras, keyless entry and an intercom system, and repairs to holding cells and restrooms.

According to Pisciottano, this was a big investment to help Glassport get a new municipal complex off the ground and to help with community needs because their old borough building had significant problems in the past.

“So they moved to a different building, which is good for the community because it has more space, houses the borough operations, the police department and also shared spaces and tenants in there that will drive revenue and business in Glassport,” Pisciottano said. “That award was to help them get ready for community needs so I am excited that we were able to get that done. We are looking forward to Glassport being able to get money to enhance their community center.”

Community Specialist Corp. was awarded $374,409 was given to for the purchase of 10 new passenger vans to support transportation for local students, the release said.

Dravosburg also received funding, including $160,387 to the borough to purchase and install 21 ADA-compliant ramps to increase accessibility for sidewalks in the borough. $50,976 was given to Dravosburg Volunteer Fire Department for firehouse renovations. Rep. Andrew Kuzma, RElizabeth Township, also announced Wednesday that he secured more than $2.7 million in Local Share Account grants and a Public School Facility Improvement Grant from the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) for projects in the 39th Legislative District.

“All of these projects are key to the vitality of the Mon Valley, but I am especially pleased to assist the Elizabeth Forward School District rebuild its high school after a devastating 2023 fire,” Kuzma said in a release. “The building is almost 70 years old and already needed work before flames destroyed the auditorium and severely damaged other parts of the building. Within days of this event, I began my dogged advocacy to secure funding to help. My tenacity to always assist my neighbors in the Mon Valley will never decline.”

The $1.6 million Public School Facility Improvement Grant to Elizabeth Forward will be used to replace its HVAC system and boilers that were damaged in the fire. Work hasn’t started on the HVAC system, according to school district Superintendent Keith Konyk, but there will be new air conditioning, unit ventilators, air filtration and more.

“We are going to get cleaner, cooler air in the building and that’s really what that money was geared toward,” Konyk said. “It’s definitely exciting, and we are working on several other grants, so we are going to keep working on those things. Fortunately, everything came through and it will help bring our building up to the next level. Construction costs are really high these days, so this really helps the district continue on this path forward.

Konyk added that he, along with School Board President Thomas Sharkey, have been in constant communication with Kuzma and Jim Brewster, D- McKeesport, to get this grant and many more grants into the district.

“The whole entire time I have been working with these guys to try to get something for these kids and this district so we’re very thankful that it came through for us,” Sharkey, who has been advocating for money since the fire, said. “We are ecstatic to get any and all the help we can get. There’s a lot of moving pieces going on.”

“That came about because the Superintendent came out to Harrisburg, and we were able to get him in front of all the right people,” Kuzma said. “He made his pitch to the appropriations chairs in the House and Senate and he did a really phenomenal job. We were able to advocate for that and get it through. There are many grants coming that we are looking forward to getting.”

State Senators Camera Bartolotta, R-Carroll Township, Brewster and Devlin Robinson, secured LSA funding for projects in Elizabeth Borough and Township, Jefferson Hills and Union Township as well.

Elizabeth Borough will be receiving $100,000 for sidewalk reconstruction along Center Avenue from Elkin to Third avenues, which has been an ongoing project for the borough.

Scott Craighead, the borough’s manager, said in Tuesday’s borough meeting that the borough will start with the sidewalks, and hopes to start paving the roads, including Third Avenue.

Elizabeth Township got $750,000 in LSA funding to update its municipal complex, including HVAC, restroom, lighting, meeting rooms and parking.

They also got $139,000 for renovations to the Buena Vista Fire Hall to increase functionality, longevity and safety as well as $100,000 to upgrade its municipal garage.

“As our administrative and police departments have grown, we need more space,” Elizabeth Township President Josh Walls said. “We plan to add a new wing to the rear of the building for a new code department office and an expanded police department. The code department now has three employees, including two inspectors and one administrative assistant, while our police department consists of 22 employees, including 20 officers, our chief, and an administrative clerk. Additionally, we’ll be updating the HVAC system / bathrooms / lighting / and meeting room.”

Walls said Elizabeth Township is excited and grateful for these awards, and their community and residents will directly benefit from these grants for many years to come.

“As a township, we decided to re-invest into our original municipal complex, after a cost analysis deemed a brand new facility was simply not a reality we can afford, Walls said. “These grants will give life back into our facilities, and allow critical upgrades that will only extend the life of our facilities. To say that we are excited about these grant awards, would put it mildly. These upgrades would not be possible without the support of State Rep Kuzma, and State Senator Brewster.”

West Elizabeth Borough will get $220,000 for demolition of 20 homes to eliminate blight.

Jefferson Hills Borough will receive $119,400 for maintenance and safety upgrades at Beedle, Gill Hall Community and Andrew Reilly Memorial parks.

“Elizabeth Township and the fire department really needed help and so did West Elizabeth,” Kuzma said. “ I would say that you are only as strong as your weakest link and West Elizabeth has more abandoned houses per capita than any other town in the district, so that was definitely a priority of mine to get all those abandoned houses torn down. But it worked out, and I will keep on advocating for it in the future.”

Washington County

Bartolotta announced Wednesday that state grants totaling nearly $5.7 million have been awarded to the 46th District through the CFA.

The projects will improve public safety, create additional recreational opportunities and renovate community spaces, according to a release from Bartolotta’s office. It will improve communities in Greene and Washington counties – lowering the costs for infrastructure projects that can be quite expensive.

It will also be used to increase safety by addressing blight and offer people great places to gather both indoors and outdoors, according to Bartolotta.

“I’m just very happy to have been able to advocate for some much-needed tax dollars coming back to our district,” Bartolotta said. “I’ve received so many thank you letters from different groups and organizations that are finally able to address major projects and, because of this funding, many are able to forgo raising taxes to make up the difference.”

The first portion of grants were awarded through the CFA’s Local Share Account (LSA) Program, which funds projects concerning the public interest, community improvement and economic development using gaming money generated by casinos.

Washington County Redevelopment Authority received $135,000 to replace “call for aid” pull-cords in three senior housing facilities.

Additionally for the 39th District, which contains some of Washington County, Union Township received $133,769 to replace the Snee Bridge over Peters Creek.

Westmoreland County

State Rep. Eric Davanzo also announced Wednesday that grant funding was awarded to several local governments within the 58th Legislative District, including grants to Mount Pleasant Borough and South Huntingdon Township.

“Local governments work hard at keeping tax rates low while still providing the services that residents have come to expect and rely on,” Davanzo said in a release. “Grants like these allow important projects to occur but keep local governments from having to saddle residents with outrageous bills.”

In South Huntingdon Township, two grants were awarded to assist with public works. A $162,000 grant will replace a 22-year-old backhoe and loader that is continuously out of service for repairs. Township officials have also received an almost $300,000 grant to replace a current salt shed with a new 52-foot by 56-foot building.

Also announced were grants provided by the Public School Facility Improvement Grant Program. Yough School District received nearly $2 million in grants to replace heating and air conditioning equipment and to replace windows at several schools.

The Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Center also received a nearly $2.5 million grant to make energy efficiency improvements at its New Stanton facility. The project is expected to save taxpayers at least 30% annually in energy costs.

The City of Monessen received $75,000 to complete a planning study for the downtown business district and Monessen City School District – $966,187 to replace the roof at Monessen Elementary School.

North Belle Vernon Borough received $82,590 to purchase and install a backup generator for the fire department and North Huntingdon Township Municipal Authority received $800,000 to upgrade the Larimer Pump Station.

Rostraver Township also received funding, $545,960, to purchase 10 dash cameras for their police vehicles and to renovate an industrial property into an annex building that will house a secondary public works building and a police substation. Rostraver Township Sewage Authority got $200,000 for pump replacements at the Sweeney Fellsburg Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Sutersville was awarded $206,474 to mill and repave Fourth Street and West Newton Borough received $104,375 to purchase a new public works truck.

“We’re just happy to bring money back into the district,” Davanzo said. “The state LSA is to help the communities without putting a burden on new maintenance and infrastructure and without putting it on the backs of the taxpayers.”