Elm Street/Main Street manager named
The Uniontown Redevelopment Authority board of directors Wednesday unanimously voted to name Rebecca Hilton as the new Main Street/Elm Street manager for the city.
Hilton had been the assistant manager under Jeff McLaughlin, who recently left the position for a job as a borough manager. Redevelopment authority executive director Mark Yauger said Hilton has been fulfilling McLaughlin’s duties since he left Friday.
“Jeff brought me on to help with the Weed and Seed program on Gallatin Avenue, then he brought me back to help with the current programs.
The reason I ever met Jeff and got involved is because I really felt that the community garden would provide some of the residents there with a sense of community and self-worth and now I have an opportunity to do even more of that,” Hilton said.
As Main Street manager, Hilton will continue working with businesses to redevelop the downtown.
The Elm Street program aims to redevelop neighborhoods.
“We have a lot going on in the Main Street and Elm Street programs and Rebecca’s going to have her hands full,” Yauger said.
The Elm Street program is in the process of constructing two new houses on Lemon Street, replacing four blighted houses that have been torn down.
Nine new homes already have been constructed on Maple Street and all have been sold.
The houses have a value of about $140,000, Yauger said, with mortgage and down payment assistance available for approved buyers. Yauger said the redevelopment authority recently received permission from the state to use money from Elm Street projects that came in under budget for the home-buyer assistance program.
Under the program, buyers must have an income of less than 120 percent of the median income for the region, or a maximum of $54,720 for one person, up to 62,520 for a couple and $78,120 for a family of four. The income guidelines increase according to family size.
Yauger said the houses are modified split-entry homes, with three bedrooms, two baths and an integral garage.
The Lemon Street homes are directly across from a park also constructed by the redevelopment authority to eliminate blight in the neighborhood.