Allegheny County – November 1, 2022 − Today, Pennsylvania State Senator Wayne Fontana announced $17,083,467 in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grants for the 42nd Senatorial District. This funding is in addition to the $25.7 million in state funding Sen. Fontana announced last week.
“It is wonderful to see so many impactful projects, in neighborhoods across the district, receive RACP awards,” said Senator Fontana. “This substantial state investment in our community shows what is possible when businesses, nonprofits, state and local government, and the community come together.”
Sen. Fontana has secured over $67 million in RACP funding this year for communities, nonprofits, parks, and redevelopment projects in his district.
Grants announced today include:
Allegheny YMCA, $2 million
This project in the Northside entails renovation and update of all common spaces, kitchen, member fitness facilities including the wellness floor, pool area and locker rooms, and meeting rooms. Rental units will also be renovated on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors with a new configuration that replaces shared bathrooms with private facilities and provides a community room. Rooms and corridor renovations will include flooring, painting and ceilings. Additional work includes replacement of mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems and installation of a sprinkler system, air-conditioning and elevators.
Historic Crawford Grill Renovation, $1 million
This project will renovate the existing Crawford Grill structure on Wylie Ave in the Hill District and add additional buildout for a larger capacity full-service restaurant and an enclosed event space and stage. It will stabilize and restore the original Crawford Grill building. It will include the reconstruction of the large mural in the original bar room rumored to have been created by Andy Warhol, a frequent visitor to the Grill. Connected to the original structure will be a new one-story building to accommodate a full-service state of the art commercial kitchen, a bar and a dining room. Also sharing a common wall with the original Grill, will be a “4-Seasons Courtyard,” a covered indoor area with operable windows, stage, and full HVAC.
Energy Innovation Center, $1.5 million
This project will address the adaptive reuse of the former Connelley Vocational School in the Lower Hill District into Pittsburgh’s Energy Innovation Center. The project will include the demolition of non-historic, non-structural fixtures to allow for the construction of flexible spaces for companies focusing on workforce training, energy innovation, and incubation. Construction will include the installation of new fixtures, highly efficient, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and other infrastructure.
Esplanade Development – Phase II, $10 million
Esplanade is a redevelopment of several brownfield and under-utilized industrial sites to include destination-based attractions, experiential retail and restaurants, rental and for-sale housing, expansive public open space, a marina and public pier, all surrounding the Esplanade’s centerpiece Pavilion. Developers of the project plan to work in partnership with the Chateau, Manchester, and Northside communities to reconnect neighborhoods, provide riverfront access on the Ohio, and create a destination for locals and visitors alike to enjoy.
Montour Sports and Athletic Complex, $2 million
Friends of Pittsburgh Professional Soccer is redeveloping this 78-acre site in Coraopolis designed to offer community access to nontraditional sports fields. This project includes the construction of seven outdoor soccer fields and the support amenities that include bleachers, concession stand, restrooms, and parking areas. This project will connect the previous phases of development, which include the Allegheny Health Network Sports Medicine facility.
Sheraden Park Rehabilitation – Phase II, $583,467
The project will include improvements to the Rest Area/Park Building, Grill Area, Hiking Trail Additions, Children’s Discovery Garden, Hillside Dog Park, Wilderness Education Area, ADA-Accessible Community Garden and Apiary. The funding will also include site preparation, grading, landscaping, signage, stair repair, pedestrian lighting, and safety improvements. Also included is the addition of roughly 6,800 linear feet of cleared, graded trail additions and water control elements within Sheraden Park.
RACP is a Commonwealth grant program administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects. A full list of grant recipients can be found online.
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