West-to-West Coalition, a Mon Valley nonprofit organization which works on problems associated with redeveloping former industrial sites, plans to lend its expertise to Kennywood Entertainment Co., which hopes to expand its amusement park onto some former railroad property.

Kennywood was awarded a $175,000 planning grant last month from the First Industries Fund, a grant program that is part of Gov. Ed Rendell's economic stimulus package. Since January, the fund has awarded nearly $20 million for 130 projects across the state, including grants for pre-development studies for tourist-related projects.

George Matta, chairman of the West-to-West Coalition, said the organization offered its expertise to Kennywood, which is in the process of buying 48 acres in Duquesne, about half which is former railroad property.

"They are looking to acquire Union Railroad property to expand into the city of Duquesne and we are looking to assist them," said Mr. Matta, who is Allegheny County clerk of courts, the former mayor of Duquesne and a founder of the organization.

Stephen Pholar, coalition coordinator and its only employee, submitted the successful grant application on behalf of Kennywood Entertainment.

The West Mifflin amusement park announced this summer that it would spend $2.6 million to buy about 48 acres in Duquesne for development, which could include an indoor water park, a hotel and more rides.

Kennywood spokeswoman Mary Lou Rosemeyer said this week that the real estate sale still had not been completed.

About half of the property is an L-shaped 23-acre brownfield that plunges into a ravine on the eastern side of the park. It is Union Railroad property, which still has a vacant railroad repair shop at the base of the ravine.

The grant money will be used for geo-technical investigation, engineering studies, environmental assessment, predevelopment planning, site developing and marketing and job development studies for the brownfield site, according to Gov. Rendell's office.

The studies will determine what level of industrial pollution exists on the property and what remediation is needed.

Mr. Pholar said the studies also would look at the structural value of the property.

"The ground must be able to support roller coasters and other development," he said.

Ms. Rosemeyer said Mr. Pholar had not met with Pete McAneny, president of Kennywood Entertainment, to discuss how the process should proceed.

The West-to-West Coalition was formed in the late 1990s to coordinate the cleanup and site marketing efforts of the 22 communities which make up the lower Monongahela River Valley.

The coalition's Mon Valley Brownfield Program started in 1998, with a grant from the Allegheny County Department of Development.