Construction begins to turn former Gibson Terrace into Campbell Estates
With the toss of a little ceremonial dirt on Tuesday, the first phase of Campbell Estates, the Fayette County Housing Authority’s new $21 million development at the former Gibson Terrace in Connellsville, got under way.
“We’ve been waiting for this day for a long time,” said Harry “Bo” Joseph, chairman of the FCHA board. “It took a lot of work. It took a lot of planning.”
Connellsville Mayor Greg Lincoln concurred.
When Lincoln ran for mayor of the city 11 years ago, he said that he wanted something done at Gibson Terrace, a high crime housing project in the city. He and other city officials started having conversations with the FCHA to see what could be done.
The housing authority heard his concerns, and started discussing how to turn Gibson Terrace “from not one of the nicest places in the city to the best place in the city,” Lincoln said.
There were a lot of obstacles – including completing the necessary, but complex U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) applications, and delays prompted by the pandemic.
By 2021, demolition of the 60-year-old housing project started, and it was completed the following year. Located on the city’s South Side near Falcon Stadium, the nearly eight-acre parcel is now ready for construction, which will begin in about a month.
Thirty-two units will be built in the first phase, and 33 more in the second phase. The development will include one-, two- and three-bedroom units. The first phase will also include construction of a community building, which will have a community room with kitchenette, office, restrooms, a storage room, filing office and garage.
Gibson Terrace was built in 1943 and had 314 tenants. At the time demolition talks started, officials said the development was dated and in need of cosmetic upgrades, along with code compliance repairs.
Andre Walters, FCHA executive director, said Gibson Terrace has been in the authority’s plans for about seven or eight years. But what really lit a fire under the project was when Dave Lohr, then a newly-elected Fayette County commissioner, came into the authority offices and asked: “What are we going to do about Gibson Terrace?”
“Well, finally this day has come,” said Walters.
Lohr said the county commissioners knew demolition and reconstruction had to happen, noting a recent housing study in Fayette that revealed building new, affordable housing has to be a priority. According to Commissioner Vince Vicites, an estimated 14,000 people come to work in Fayette County every day, but they live somewhere else.
Developments like this one don’t happen overnight, according to Commissioner Scott Dunn.
“It takes a lot of vision. A lot of planning. A lot of perseverance,” added Dunn.
It also takes a great team, said Ed Balling of Fairchance Construction, which is handling the construction.
“It’s a team effort to get through this process,” said Balling.
Representing HUD’s Pittsburgh Field Office, Michael Horvath said the development couldn’t have happened without the commitment and dedication of many different entities.
“It’s not one organization…it’s a community that makes a development like this happen.”