Fayette County Recommends Projects For LSA Funding

Uniontown, PA- The Fayette County Board of Commissioners recently approved their funding recommendations for the 2023-24 Local Share Account (LSA) program.

More than 100 project proposals from across the county were submitted to commissioners Dave Lohr, chairman; Vincent Vicites and Scott Dunn for their review this month.

"This year, we did see an unusually large number of requests," Fayette County Redevelopment Authority (RDA) Community Development Coordinator Brenda Girod said. "Historically, we see about 50 applications seeking around $2.5-3.5 million. This year was the largest request since the program's inception in 2015."

LSA funding is generated annually through the county's share of gaming revenues derived from Nemacolin's Lady Luck Casino in Wharton Township, and total available funds vary from year to year.

Following the commissioners' selections, the projects are recommended through an application to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for final approval. DCED then administers the funding for those projects the state signs off on through 2024.

Girod said, despite projects being recommended for funding each fall, the process is not complete until state officials certify those selections. Therefore, grant recipients should not begin their projects until the redevelopment authority formally notifies them to do so.

RDA Executive Director Andrew French said this year's applicants requested more than $10.2 million in funding. The commissioners ultimately chose 19 projects for a total LSA funding recommendation of $588,896.

That funding will be leveraged by more than $1.6 million from other funding sources secured by the project applicants, creating a total impact of more than $2 million countywide.

"The projects are, once again, fairly evenly distributed throughout all corners of the county," French said. "Since the program began nine years ago, all our municipalities have benefited from some project funded by LSA grants."

French said the commissioners try to identify "high impact" projects which will have a broad effect on various municipalities when making their decisions.

"LSA funds are pretty flexible in their usage, so there's always a wide variety of projects on the recommendation list," he said. "We really try to capitalize on that flexibility by funding different kinds of projects every year."

This year's projects cover everything from economic development projects; public safety; recreation; facility improvements; administration; infrastructure and more. They include:

• Neighborhood Stabilization Initiative - Fayette County Redevelopment Authority.
• Fayette County Association for the Blind - Equipment Upgrades.
• New Salem Neighborhood Watch - New Salem Community Park Phase II Improvements.
• Perry Township - Multi-municipal Comprehensive & Economic Development Plan.
• One Voice One Community - At-risk Youth OST Programming.
• Uniontown Area YMCA - Facility HVAC Replacement.
• Connellsville ELKS Lodge 503 - Accessibility Project.
• Connellsville Little League - Facilities Improvement Project.
• Albert Gallatin High School Baseball Boosters - Scoreboard Installation.
• American Legion Post 423 - Parking Improvements.
• Brownfield Community Center - HVAC Improvements.
• Perryopolis Borough - Athletic Field Renovations.
• Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 747 - Parking Improvements.
• Redstone Township - Recreation Center Floor Renovations.
• Fairbank Rod & Gun Club - Recreational Building Project.
• Saltlick Township Lads & Lasses: Mountain Division of Bullskin Little League - Facility Renovations.
• Mill Run Recreation Field - Playground Upgrades & Field Improvements.
• Brownsville Township - Century Bridge Replacement.
• Washington Township - Traffic Safety Improvements.

French has submitted the county's recommendations for DCED approval. For more information contact RDA Compliance Specialist Ava Hayden at 724-437-1547, ext. 207, or visit www.racfpa.org.

To learn more about Fayette County, visit www.fayettecountypa.org.

Editor's Note: Imageattached (2023-24 LSA Awards)

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This communication, among other initiatives, is funded through the 2016 Fayette County Local Share Account (LSA) in cooperation with the Fayette County Board of Commissioners, Fayette Chamber of Commerce, The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Fayette, The Redstone Foundation and other partners. This funding has been designated for the continued promotion and marketing of Fayette County, PA.

For more information, contact Kristi Kassimer Harper, Public Relations Specialist, at 724-437-4571, [email protected] or Kaylie Moore, Community Relations Coordinator, at 724-430-1200 Ext. 1611, [email protected].