Allegheny County gets $300,000 grant for Montour sports complex
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Allegheny County has received a $300,000 state grant to help build new athletic fields near the start of the Montour Trail.
The funds will come from the state's Community Conservation Partnerships Program, which provides money for park, recreation and conservation efforts. The program is overseen by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
The money will be used to buy and install a synthetic turf field for soccer, extend the Montour Trail and pay for some landscaping.
"This is great news for Allegheny County and the communities in the west corridor," county Executive Rich Fitzgerald said today. "The grant is one of the larger amounts awarded, and we are proud that such a significant investment is going to be made in the county."
The county's Redevelopment Authority has taken the lead in restoring the brownfields site, formerly used as maintenance and storage yards for the Montour Railroad.
The formal name for the project is the "The Sports and Athletics Complex at Montour Junction." The land is located on 78 acres in Coraopolis, Moon and Robinson. When completed, the park will include multiple fields suitable for soccer, rugby and lacrosse.
A non-profit group, The Sports Legacy Foundation, donated the land in 2008 to the county.
"This grant really offers Allegheny County a unique opportunity to provide additional recreational facilities and park amenities in that area of the county," Mr. Fitzgerald said. "The opportunities are really endless here and this funding allows us to move forward with a significant part of the development now."
The sports complex will be connected to the Montour Trail. Another area will be set aside for fishing in Montour Run, a stocked trout stream that cuts through the property.
The site is bordered by Route 51, the Coraopolis Bridge, CSX railroad tracks and residential areas. The land ultimately will become part of the county's park system.
First Published November 27, 2012 12:44 pm
