North Side groups start receiving community funds from casino
Share with others:
Some North Side groups will profit from the Rivers Casino without setting foot inside.
The Northside Leadership Conference is awarding more than $500,000 for 11 projects designed to improve the area.
Money for the projects is coming from $1 million the casino supplied to the leadership conference in June. In its bid for the city's slot license, the casino committed to providing $1 million annually for three years to help with housing and neighborhood business district development on the North Side.
Mark Fatla, the leadership conference's executive director, said 17 projects were considered for the first awards by two committees based on the impact they would have in their area and on the North Side as a whole.
"Both committees wanted physical tangible improvements, and both committees wanted projects that will be able to proceed soon," he said. "We want to be able to get this money into the street and producing change in the neighborhoods."
He said the projects that received money cover a wide swath of the North Side and represent "strategically important properties."
The largest award -- a $75,000 grant and a $125,000 loan -- went to the Brightwood Civic Group for the Woodland Avenue revitalization project.
Other winners are:
• Historic Deutschtown Branding Initiative, Deutschtown Merchants Association, $36,400 grant.
• Western Renewed! street improvement project, Allegheny West Civic Council, $20,000 grant.
• Fineview Gateway Project, Fineview Citizens Council, $7,500 grant.
• Preservation of 1108 Federal Street, Central Northside Neighborhood Council, $20,000 equity investment.
• Federal Street Commercial Facade Grants, Central Northside Neighborhood Council, $10,000 grant.
• Garden Theater Block Public Safety Improvements, Central Northside Neighborhood Council, $2,500 grant.
• Historic Deutschtown East Gateway Facade Renovation, Historic Deutschtown Development Corp., $80,000 grant.
• St. John's Development Site, Brighton Heights Citizens Federation, $75,000 grant.
• Lanark Street Predevelopment, Fineview Citizens Council, $20,000 loan.
• Manchester Renaissance Housing Program, Manchester Citizens Corp., $75,000 grant.
First Published March 15, 2011 12:00 am
