Mar 19, 2005 By Patty Yauger 5 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – Three historic county communities, hoping to revitalize their downtown areas, were the recipients of nearly $1.5 million Friday delivered personally by Gov. Edward G. Rendell. Officials representing the cities of Uniontown and Connellsville along with North Union Township and South Union Township supervisors, other local leaders and state legislators gathered at the Connellsville municipal building where the check presentations took place during a mid-morning ceremony.

“This is a great day,” said Uniontown Mayor James Sileo after receiving the $999,350 check replica from Rendell.

The governor also dispensed a check totaling $201,250 to the Connellsville Redevelopment Authority and $287,500 to South Union Township.

The funding is part of Rendell’s Home Town Streets and Safe Routes to School initiative to make improvements along state-maintained roadways in struggling communities looking to revive their areas.

Rendell said during his campaign for office, he became aware of the plight of the small cities, towns and boroughs and believed that it was time to invest in their future.

Pointing to a similar initiative undertaken during his mayoral term of office in Philadelphia, Rendell said that the economic stimulus allowed for the city to flourish.

“There wasn’t a city in America or Pennsylvania in worse shape than the City of Philadelphia,” he said. “Today, they are selling condominiums in downtown Philadelphia for $1.5 million.

“I believe we can do the same things in the mid-sized cities across Pennsylvania; the Erie’s and Scranton’s, Harrisburg’s, Sunbury’s and Connellsville and Uniontown.”

Rendell said that the three recipients were selected because the communities had invested financially in themselves through other programs and had indicated a long-term commitment to revitalize their small towns.

Noting Connellsville’s natural resources and the Yough bike/hike trail, Rendell said the plan set forth in the application submitted by the redevelopment authority to continue the decorative lighting program and other streetscape amenities would translate into businesses and, most importantly, visitors.

Since 2002, the city has spent approximately $140,000 to place the period-style lampposts along Crawford Avenue. The second phase is to install similar fixtures along Pittsburgh Street, from Fairview Avenue to Route 119 and add benches, receptacles, banners and bicycle racks along the two roadways.

Mayor Judy Reed said that the city and redevelopment authority have jointly cooperated to develop the long-range plan that has made the project a success.

“It’s working together,” she said.

Ralph Wombacker, executive director of the city redevelopment authority, said that progress is being made in the city with business construction taking place on the east and west sides of the downtown area and the improvements slated to take place along the main corridors.

“This is very good news for our city,” he said.

Rendell described the transformation taking place in the Uniontown downtown area as “tremendous.”

“It is exciting to see what is taking place in Uniontown,” said Rendell.

The first phase of the Gen. George C. Marshall Plan included upgrading storefronts and improving the State Theatre Center for the Arts along with formulating plans for a parking garage.

Sileo, meanwhile, said the funding received Friday would allow the city enhancement project along the city’s main throughway to move forward.

“The way things are moving downtown is unreal,” he said in accepting the funding. “Businesses are coming in. It’s just growing by leaps and bounds.

“Things are looking up not only for Uniontown, but the entire county.”

In presenting the $287,500 check to South Union Township Supervisor Tom Frankhouser that will be utilized for the ongoing revitalization of the Village of Hopwood, Rendell pointed to the historic value of the small community along the National Road.

“Hopwood has tried to bring back the historic atmosphere and the goal of the project visionaries is to provide walkways for those wishing to shop or walk through the village,” said Rendell.

Frankhouser said that Hopwood lies within both North and South Union townships and that the two neighboring municipalities have joined together to help revitalize the historic community.

Project committee members went to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), who oversees the hometown streets initiative, and lobbied for a portion of the funding.

“We took pictures of the buildings and the streetscape that we’ve already completed,” said Frankhouser. “We had drawings and photographs and it was well accepted.

“We have big plans and we want to see that the project succeeds.”

State Rep. James Shaner, D-Dunbar, and state Sen. Richard A. Kasunic, said that a visit from the governor translates into good news for the area.

During his campaign for governor, Kasunic said Rendell promised he would work and develop programs that would benefit the communities and improve the lives of those residing in the areas.

“This is the third time in less than a year that the governor has been to Fayette County bearing checks,” he said.

The governor did not go away empty handed. Reed presented him with a painting of the former Connellsville B&O Train Station by local artist Helen Alt and a book entitled County Chronicles authored by Ceane O’Hanlon Lincoln.

In accepting the gifts, Rendell promised to display the painting in his office.

“We’re on the move to a better quality of life, to a better tomorrow, to a new Pennsylvania,” said Rendell before departing the city. “A better quality of life is my vision for this great commonwealth.

“That is the vision shared here today by the fine leaders who are taking advantage of Home Town Streets and Safe Routes to Schools to make a difference in and for their communities.”