Redevelopment authority appproves application for capital improvement project funding
The Uniontown Redevelopment Authority board Tuesday unanimously approved submitting a $1.5 million application to the state for the proposed downtown capital improvement project. Board approval came after Bob Junk of the Fay-Penn Economic Development Council outlined the $3 million project Tuesday.
If the Department of Community and Economic Development approves the application, the city would have to provide $1.5 million in matching funds.
“When you start a business – and Uniontown is a business – you have to invest,” Junk said.
Authority Chairman Alvin Mundel said the proposed project is monumental and would “bring the city into the 21st century” if approved.
Junk said the $3 million would be used to reconstruct Morgantown Street and part of Church Street; convert the Penn Street parking lot into a garage; renovate the State Theatre for the Arts offices; acquire and renovate abandoned buildings; install a sewage line, enlarge a ball field and renovate the restrooms at Bailey Park; demolition; conduct a planning study for residential, commercial and light industrial development; and conduct a traffic study for possible metered parking on Main Street.
He included renovating the Federal Building in the project. Fayette County owns the building and the county commissioners indicated that they would consider including it in the project.
It would take four years to complete all the work.
The acquired buildings would be renovated to meet the city building code and other work would include new roofs, fa?ade improvements, paint and new heating and air conditioning units.
Junk said a re-use study would be conducted to determine how to market the structures before selling them on the open market.
Some money for reconstructing Morgantown Street, demolition and installing a sewer line in Bailey Park has already been budgeted in the Community Development Block Grant program. Most of the city’s match would come from CDBG funds.
Authority Executive Director William Long said many of the projects had discussed for years, but never acted upon.
He described them as “disparate projects that don’t have a home.”
Long said the application marks an expansion of the authority’s role from primarily housing rehabilitation projects into economic development and job creation.
Junk said the state will consider the application after the June 30 state budget deadline. The money would come from bonds authorized through an economic stimulus proposal being sought by Gov. Rendell.
He said Rendell warmly received the city capital improvement project, which has been dubbed the Uniontown Revitalization Project, and a proposal for $2 million to further develop the Fayette County Business Park on Route 40 during his recent visit to the county.
In unrelated business, the board approved buying a lead-based paint liability insurance policy for $2,095 per year from Intercorp Inc. of Ephrata.
Long said lead-based paint requirements are part of the authority’s home rehabilitation costs.
The board also authorized Long to revise the 1998 CDBG contract if needed to cover the cost of demolishing two abandoned homes at 205 Evans Street and 73 Collins Avenue.
He said $17,000 remains in that account, but he won’t know if revisions will be needed until bids for the work are received prior to the July 8 meeting.
He said he is meeting with city officials next week to discuss other demolition projects.