State awards over $61M in local development grants
Flenniken Library will renovate with its $1M share
A tire recycling plant, service dog training facility and a local library are among the nearly $61.7 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant awards announced Friday by Gov. Josh Shapiro.
The 17 recipients in Fayette, Greene and Washington counties are part of the $134 million in funding distributed to projects across Southwestern Pennsylvania during the 2025 grant cycle.
“Every day, my Administration is focused on getting stuff done for the good people of Pennsylvania – and we’re proud to support hundreds of projects across the Commonwealth that will create jobs, strengthen our economy and deliver real results for our communities,” Shapiro said in a statement. “Through this round of RACP investments, my administration is investing nearly $445 million in projects to revitalize communities, create more opportunity and drive long-term growth.”
Shapiro said “Pennsylvania is open for business,” and that his administration is committed to working with the private sector, nonprofits and organized labor to make the commonwealth a national leader in economic development.
Fayette
Rural Fayette County will receive more than $23 million in funding through the 2025 RACP grant cycle.
Fayette County Tire Recycling will use $15 million in award capital to construct a new facility in Connellsville City, where old tires will be shredded, crumb rubber micronized and prepared for use in new products.
The Uniontown Area YMCA will modernize and expand its current location using $4.362 million in funding, adding a new pickleball pavilion, childcare capacity, plus space for community and youth programming, according to a release.
Greene
Flenniken Public Library Executive Director Nicole Mitchell said the $1 million the organization received will allow the library to fully renovate its current location, instead of relocating across town.
Mitchell said plans to modernize the library had been in the works for over five years, with the initial plan to construct a new building near the pool in Wana B Park, which faced a degree of public pushback.
Now, with this latest funding award and $5 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture funding from 2024, Mitchell said the library is ready to stay.
“There’s no place like home,” Mitchell said, adding that “this was the better solution.”
The new library will feature a community center and kitchen, which will dramatically expand the library’s programming capacity.
Mitchell said she is looking forward to offering new cooking classes and revamped yoga classes in the center once the renovations are complete.
The library is still seeking approximately $325,000 in remaining matching funds to unlock the $5 million USDA award, but Mitchell said she is optimistic the library will be able to secure the required match through an ongoing capital campaign and other grant applications.
Depending on funding, Mitchell said renovation work could begin as soon as summer 2027.
Washington
The ongoing Cool Valley development in Cecil Township received $5 million in RACP funding for ongoing road and intersection improvements surrounding the mixed residential and commercial project.
The development was initially announced in 2010, but stalled for several years due to a project reconceptualization and lack of sufficient funding to complete necessary traffic studies and road improvements.
Now, with this RACP funding and several rounds of other state grant awards, developers told the Cecil Township Board of Supervisors earlier this month that they are confident there will be “shovels in the ground” by the end of the year.
Williston, Florida-based Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs Inc. will use its $2 million in RACP capital to build a new training facility in Robinson Township.
The nonprofit says it has provided over 300 specialty trained service dogs to recipients across the country since the group was founded in 2010, according to its website.
Guardian Angels-raised dogs are trained to help individuals with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries and other serious medical conditions and disabilities.
According to a release, the new two-story facility will include an indoor arena for training dogs and for shot clinics; classrooms; an auditorium; offices; mobility training and space for veterinary services; lodging for recipients during the pairing process, and more.
Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-Washington) said these investments will “make a real difference across the 46th Senatorial District.”
“These investments will make our communities stronger by helping projects that improve quality of life, create new opportunities and meet important local needs,” she said in a statement.