State awards over $8.5M in local development grants
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story included incorrect information regarding recipient projects and total funding disbursements. Fayette County Tire Recycling, Uniontown Area YMCA, Cool Valley and Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs Inc., did not receive funding in the 2025 RACP grant cycle.
A mixed-use development, community center and a local library are among the just over $8.6 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant awards announced last week by Gov. Josh Shapiro.
The seven 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.”
Fayette
Rural Fayette County will receive $2 million in funding through the 2025 RACP grant cycle.
The county’s sole grant recipient is the Connellsville-based Shallenberger Construction Inc., which will use the capital to build a new mixed-use medical and commercial complex in Connellsville along Route 119 North. The project which will include an urgent care center, medical offices, plus retail and office space.
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 that 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 LeMoyne Community Center received $408,242 in RACP funding this grant cycle among three other Washington County projects, which will support the addition of a new classroom for youth programming and a revamped entrance area to its East Washington building.
According to a release, “this project will significantly increase the center’s ability to deliver high-quality programming and services in a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment.”
Washington & Jefferson College will use $1,250,000 in awarded funding to finance the ongoing transformation of Lazear Hall into a cutting-edge health science educational center.
President Elizabeth MacLeod Walls told the newspaper in May that “this project reflects our commitment to preparing students for meaningful work in health care while honoring the history of Lazear Hall.”
This project will create new simulation and skills labs, flexible classrooms and collaborative learning spaces with several to feature virtual reality and digital anatomy opportunities for students.
Renovation of the 1930s building began in May, with work on schedule to conclude sometime in fall 2027.