PA DCED: Nearly $11 Million in Gaming Funds Awarded to Help Washington County Communities

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New soccer fields, museum improvements, and airport upgrades are some of the 31 Washington County projects that will receive nearly $11 million in new gaming revenue generated by the Meadows Racetrack and Casino, Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Austin Burke announced today.

"These new investments will benefit community and economic development projects across Washington County," Burke said of the $10.7 million that was approved earlier this month. "These new investments will provide important infrastructure improvements, sanitary sewage system upgrades, and a flood control project that will help to make the county a better place to live, work and play."

The new investments come from the Local Share Assessment Account, which was established by the Pennsylvania Horse Race and Gaming Development Act and requires DCED to distribute the money. Funds in the account are generated by the state's nine licensed gaming facilities, including Meadows Racetrack and Casino in North Strabane Township.  

Projects are eligible for single- or multi-year commitments and must be geared toward economic development, community improvement, job training, public interest projects or administrative costs.

All of the projects selected for funding were chosen through a competitive application process.

As part of the $10.7 million announced today, DCED also approved $275,000 to the Redevelopment Authority of Washington County for administering the county's local share assessment funds.

Pennsylvania has invested $30.5 million from gaming funds in Washington County since the act became law in 2004.

For more information on the local share assessment account, please visit www.newpa.com or call 1-866-466-3972.

Media contact: Theresa Elliott, 717-783-1132

Editor's Note: Projects receiving grants from the Washington County Gaming Fund follow:

Economic Development

• $500,000 to purchase and install audio and video equipment at California University of Pennsylvania.
• $1 million to purchase and implement the three county hospitals' Electronic Medical Records and Information Technology Project to allow for input and access of medical records within the three-hospital system.
• $1 million toward Starpointe Business Park Phase 1-B for the development of seven to 10 pad-ready parcels.
• $540,000 to the Washington County Airport Improvements Project for site and safety upgrades.
• $200,000 toward the creation of the Washington County Marketing Initiative.
• $500,000 to establish a lending pool for the Main Street Loan Program through the Washington County Council on Economic Development.  

Community Improvement

• $210,000 for the construction of two new soccer fields at the Cecil Recreation Campus.
• $20,000 to Centerville Borough toward the development of the Centerville Community Park Master Plan.  
• $51,700 toward the Downtown Charleroi Facade Improvement Project to encourage downtown commercial property owners to make financial investments to upgrade their properties' exterior facades.
• $133,240 to the interior and exterior renovations to the Historic David Bradford House Museum.
• $285,040 to the Avella Area Community Association for renovations to the Historic Lincoln National Bank Restoration to serve as a business incubator.
• $97,000 toward the renovation costs for the Historic Primrose School.
• $215,570 for the installation of ADA accessible restrooms and a storage facility at the Lew Hays PONY Field.  
• $220,000 for the Phase II construction of a nature trail, fitness stations, two playground areas with ADA accessible playground equipment and a 16-space parking lot at the North Franklin Regional Park.
• $300,000 toward the City of Washington Route 29 Corridor Project to improve traffic and pedestrian flow along the access route into the city.

Job Training

• $47,000 to the Washington County Literacy Council for materials and salaries associated with the countywide low level literary/workforce development program.
• $340,480 to the Work Certified Academy to provide career development services.

Public Interest  

• $876,000 toward the Catfish Creek Flood Control Project for the creation of three flood storage zones.  
• $500,000 toward the Chartiers Parallel Inceptor Project to install a new sanitary sewer line.
• $200,000 to install a 12" diameter HDPE water line from Ellsworth Borough to Cokeburg Borough.  
• $267,600 toward the Countywide Rehabilitation Project to provide repair to 22 houses for low- and moderate-income homeowners.    
• $1.5 million toward the Donora Place Sewer Extension Project to make the current sanitary collection system available to an additional 184 homeowners.
• $120,000 to the Houston Storm Sanitary Sewer Replacement Project to replace 15 storm sewer inlets and 150 linear feet of sanitary sewer pipe.
• $30,000 to install 75 linear feet of 12" PVC pipe and two manholes to reroute the existing sewer discharge line from the Marianna water treatment plant into the Marianna/West Bethlehem Joint Sewer Authority sanitary sewer system.
• $99,440 toward the Monongahela Mounds Sanitary Sewer Improvements Project to install 500 linear feet of 8" sanitary sewer line.  
• $40,000 to develop a Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Plan to guide community and economic activities in Canton, Hopewell, North Franklin and West Middletown.
• $40,000 to develop a Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Plan to guide community and economic activities in Donegal and Claysville.  
• $40,000 to develop the Washington and East Washington Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Plan to guide community and economic activities in the City of Washington and East Washington Borough.
• $500,000 toward Pigeon Creek Inceptor Improvements Project to correct a major inflow and infiltration problem in its main interceptor line.  
• $75,000 for building updates and renovations of the Washington Area Humane Society.
• $230,000 toward the construction of a new horse barn at the Washington County Fairgrounds.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development