Houses to be remodeled, sold in Connellsville
CONNELLSVILLE – Connellsville’s participation in the federally funded county neighborhood stabilization program has allowed for two vacant houses on the city’s South Side to be purchased and rehabilitated for future sale. Michael Edwards, executive director of the Connellsville Redevelopment Authority, told board members Thursday that the recipient of the $1.8 million neighborhood stabilization grant allowed the Fayette County Redevelopment Authority to purchase foreclosed houses on East Cedar Street and East Washington Avenue. The county redevelopment authority is in the process of having them upgraded to meet maintenance and code guidelines. When completed, the remodeled houses will be put up for sale.
“These are nice neighborhoods where the other property owners maintain their homes and cut their grass,” said Edwards. “This program has prevented the decline of these neighborhoods and accomplished its purpose by stabilizing it.”
The city, along with the county redevelopment authority and Uniontown and Masontown redevelopment authorities, partnered to garner the grant.
Connellsville also is using a portion of the funding to demolish four structures that have been condemned by the city, including vacated houses 519 N. Prospect St., 412 N. Cottage Ave., 200 S. Ninth St. and a 608 E. Murphy Ave.
Once the properties are cleared, said Edwards, the grant funding pool could be tapped to construct new houses.
Any money generated through the sale of the houses is returned to the fund.
“In a sense, it becomes a revolving loan program,” he said. “It is very beneficial to the city.”
In other matters, the board approved a contract with Pine Hollow Mechanical of Uniontown to install heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in the Edwin S. Porter Theater and Performing Arts Center located in the Connellsville Community Center on Fairview Avenue.
The $149,839 cost will be defrayed through the state Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program funding received by the city.
Over the past year, the theater has continued to be upgraded. A new sound and lighting system has been installed, window treatments added and the auditorium has received a fresh coat of paint.
“We have had several people call wanting to use it,” said Edwards, adding that the renovations are to be completed by November.
While not confirmed, Edwards said that an area ballet company has offered to perform the “Nutcracker” in coordination with the downtown Connellsville church and business tour on Dec. 4 and 5.
In unrelated matters, the board discussed the higher-than-expected bids for the North Pittsburgh Street lighting project.
According to Widmer Engineering Inc. engineer Glenn Wolfe, the lowest bid of $349,739 exceeded the authority budget by nearly $150,000.
In 2005, the city received a $201,250 state-funded Home Town Streets and Routes to School grant and chose to add decorative lighting along Pittsburgh Street to match those along Crawford Avenue.
The project has encountered numerous roadblocks, with the state recently requiring the city also to replace 10 ramps along the project path. The state Department of Transportation is conferring with Harrisburg to determine if additional funding is available to aid the city to complete the project, Wolfe said.
In other action, the board also conducted the following business:
n Learned from Wolfe that the firm continues to develop plans for the second phase of the Yough Park upgrade. The second phase includes the stabilization of the Youghiogheny River bank, addition of new playground equipment and restroom improvements.
n Announced that Downtown Connellsville will host a July 29 mixer for business owners and donors to the local initiative to announce the availability of grants for façade improvements and installation of signs and awnings for businesses within the designated downtown district and upcoming plans. The event will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Connellsville Elks located on East Crawford Avenue.
n Authorized the $1,976 payment to the city for the salary of code enforcement officer Tom Currey. The city set aside a portion of its 2009 CDBG funding to defray the salary.
, a permissible use of the grant money.
The added requirements, said Wolfe, likely increased the cost proposals.