Greene County Greene County Industrial Developments, Inc. 300 EverGreene Dr., Waynesburg, PA 15370
sites. The other project funded is in Morgan Township to remove and dispose of railroad ties on the Mather coal refuse site.
(DI) merchant’s business association. Each “Third Thursday” from April through October, in Indiana Regional Medical Center (IRMC) Park, the Borough and DI showcase and present social and entertainment opportunities to engage both the local and the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) communities to “showoff” Downtown Indiana in its best light. Again, this year Indiana Borough and DI partnered to display the live blooming flower baskets on various utility poles. In Homer City Borough, applications for more than $1.8 million of state grant aid for cleaning up downtown eyesores have been authorized by the borough council. The grant applications are among the first of Homer City’s efforts to raise state aid toward a comprehensive $5.7 million plan to make central Indiana County a destination for outdoor sports enthusiasts and those with an appreciation for the preservation of the town’s heritage, ironically, as a pillar of the coal mining industry. Homer City Borough is leading an ambitious campaign to clean area streams, develop a miles-long addition to the Hoodlebug Trail, and market the region as a destination for fresh-water trout fishing. The Blairsville Community Development Authority (BCDA) has prepared a master plan along West Market Street that it hopes to attract developers to design and build a mixed-use marketplace / neighborhood, with the option to develop on adjacent parcels. Currently the owner and a historic restoration specialist are looking at the long-vacant Blairsville High School to advance historic restoration with retail / service / loft housing options. Clymer Borough continues with several community development projects beginning most recently with the Sherman Street Park and Streetscape Improvement Project and Tate Park, a new park across the street from the borough building that honors Clymer’s veterans — and the memory of a couple who inspired their son to give back to his community and to be a good public servant. 2022 is the Sester centennial (250 years) celebration for Shelocta Borough and the Bicentennial (200 years) for Cherry Tree
724-852-2965 (T) 724-852-4132 (F) www.gcidc.org Don Chappel, Executive Director donchappel@gcidc.org
Recent awards in June:
The East Dunkard Water Authority was awarded a $2 million grant for upgrades to their water treatment facility…. Greene County Industrial Development Corporation sold a 10-acre parcel in its Paisley Park development in Carmichaels to Ryan Industrial Supply….Act 13 impact fee money is funding a $5.41 million program that the county will disperse to local townships….CNX Gas presents a $1 million grant to help the county expand its broadband initiative. Indiana County Indiana County Center for Economic Operations 801 Water Street Indiana, PA 15701 724-465-2662 (T) 724-465-3150 (F) Byron G. Stauffer, Jr., Executive Director
Every month has seen new opportunities for economic growth in Greene County so far this year. Waynesburg University received a three- year $1.5 million grant from the Health Resources Services Administration for the June launch of its Healthcare Workforce Resiliency Training Program. The purpose of the program is to impact community resilience and mental health in an environment of long-term stressors such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Greene County Commissioners announced a new program to help pay for infrastructure development/ improvements called the Potential Infrastructure Opportunities Needing External Expenditures and Resources (PIONEER) program. The grant is eligible to all townships, water and sewage agencies and other eligible providers in the county for the specific purpose of advancing the county’s infrastructure. A business incubator program is being funded by a $1.4 million grant from the $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill signed in March that will convert an empty building into an entrepreneurs’ launching site. The county is partnering with Waynesburg University who will provide problem-solving skills and practical encouragement to help get new businesses off the ground. The University of Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center has relocated to the office that houses the Greene County Chamber of Commerce on Mount Morris Road in Waynesburg. This will put opportunities and resources into one place making progress much more efficient. In May the county was awarded a $1 million EPA Brownfields Grant to be used to continue a countywide brownfields assessment of potentially contaminated
byronjr@ceo.co.indiana.pa.us www.indianacountyceo.com
The Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) has become of interest in several Indiana County downtown communities. Currently Indiana Borough and Burrell Township have recently adopted the tax abatement program. Blairsville Borough is giving serious consideration. Indiana Borough has aggressively revisited its downtown development opportunities, not only with the LERTA adoption, but also with other initiatives designed to promote and expand business in Downtown Indiana. The goals of Indiana Borough’s LERTA Program are to: encourage economic redevelopment and long-term investments, encourage housing improvements, foster a general sense of wellbeing and prosperity throughout the community, improve the sustainability of tax revenue in coming decades and revitalize neighborhoods and support family housing.
Indiana Borough continues a robust relationship with the Downtown Indiana
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DEVELOPING PITTSBURGH | Fall 2022
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