Pa. redevelopment grants for Lehigh Valley projects now up to $50.5M awarded this fall
State lawmakers representing the Lehigh Valley announced a new round of local grants totaling $19,564,737 from the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program.
These grants awarded as of Nov. 18 are in addition to $30,950,000 awarded through Oct. 31 in the 2022 round of RACP grants for private, public and nonprofit projects in Lehigh and Northampton counties.
Statewide, this latest round of grants brings to $916.25 million the total funding awarded this year from the program.
RACP is a Pennsylvania grant program administered by the state Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational and historical improvement projects. The funded projects are authorized in the Redevelopment Assistance section of a Capital Budget Itemization Act, have a regional or multi-jurisdictional impact, and generate substantial increases or maintain current levels of employment, tax revenues, or other measures of economic activity, according to a description from the office of state Sen. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh.
Browne joined state Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, in announcing $6.5 million in RACP funding to relocate and expand Lehigh Valley Health Network’s existing 17th Street Emergency Department in Allentown to the ground floor of an adjacent medical office building that is also owned by Lehigh Valley Health Network. The current Emergency Department has not been renovated in over 30 years.
“We’d like to thank Sen. Pat Browne and Rep. Mike Schlossberg for leading the way in securing this funding along with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Gov. Tom Wolf for this gift that will enable LVHN to modernize and expand our 17th Street emergency room increasing access to people living in Center City Allentown,” Dr. Brian A. Nester, president and CEO of Lehigh Valley Health Network, said in a statement.
State Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Lehigh/Northampton, announced RACP funding for St. Luke’s Anderson Campus Expansion in Bethlehem Township ($4,314,738); City Center Investment Corp.’s The Marquis Parking Garage at 27 S. Third St. in Easton ($3,500,000); and the Majestic Hanover Flex Center Business Park at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, ($2,500,000).
“The Lehigh Valley delegation has once again stepped up to the plate in a bipartisan fashion to deliver investments in projects that will reach beyond municipal boundaries,” Boscola stated. “The Lehigh Valley delegation recognizes the importance of working together to further these redevelopment projects, which promote economic growth and improve communities throughout the region.”
Majestic’s grant is for construction of backbone public infrastructure on unimproved land owned by the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority to be used as a flex park. This includes surface improvements (road paving, striping, curb, gutter, sidewalk, and adjacent landscaping, fire hydrants, street lights, etc.), subsurface wet and dry utilities (water, sewer and storm pipes, electrical and telecom lines, conduits and vaults, and natural gas lines) and other improvements as needed, according to state Rep. Ann Flood, R-Northampton.
“Similarly to St. Luke’s, the Lehigh Valley International Airport is a vital asset to our region, and I am incredibly excited to see these funds be put to good use by creating a business park that will be located across the street from the airport,” Flood stated. “This will open up the opportunity for more jobs in the region and encourage economic growth.”
State Rep. Zach Mako, R-Lehigh/Northampton, announced the release of $1.5 million from the program to construct a new public works building in Lehigh Township. The money will be used to build the facility on vacant land located in the current municipal complex. The building will be large enough to house all trucks and equipment and include a lift and two service bays, according to Mako. A separate storage area will allow for a place for signs, barricades and other supplies to eliminate clutter and tripping hazards. In addition, there will be a small office/training room, lunchroom and modern bathroom facility with shower.
“Lehigh Township’s current public works facility was built in 1958,” Mako stated. “This aging facility cannot meet the current needs of the township and having to store equipment outside in a variety of weather conditions has resulted in rust, early deterioration and decreased longevity of the life of this equipment. I’m pleased to be able to assist with the needed funding to get this project completed.”
RACP grants previously announced this fall awarded $14.1 million for projects on one-time Bethlehem Steel land — one of the nation’s largest brownfield sites. That included $7 million for ArtsQuest for the adaptive reuse of Steel’s old Turn and Grind Shop at SteelStacks on Southside Bethlehem as public programming space to feature nationally touring education programs, science- and arts-related exhibits, and expansion of ArtsQuest’s festivals including Christkindlmarkt, Oktoberfest and Musikfest. Additional RACP grants of $1 million each were awarded to redevelop the former Banana Joe’s nightclub in Allentown and ongoing infrastructure upgrades at Lehigh Valley International Airport.
Following is a table looking at this latest round of RACP funding, with project descriptions provided by the state Budget Office. Click here to view it