The Appalachian Regional Commission announced today the recipients of their Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization Initiative (POWER) grants, including a $100,000 award to the Community Project Hub of Southwestern Pennsylvania (formerly known as the SWPA Municipal Project Hub) to support our “Creative Corridor: Planning for Trail-Connected Downtown Revitalization” project. We are also thankful to the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County and the Heinz Endowments with their generous support to this project. This award will allow us to work with partners to develop a coordinated plan for space-based economic revitalization in trail-connected downtowns along the Great Allegheny Passage in Westmoreland and Fayette Counties.
"Careers in arts and crafts deliver higher-than-average wages while elevating quality of life in the communities along the trail,” says Vice President of Economic Development Emily Brown. “By investing in this creative economy, we're not only supporting local livelihoods — we're enhancing the experience for GAP through-riders and the local riders who call this region home."
The plan will assess building stock, analyze market conditions for arts, maker, and visitor-focused enterprises, and identify opportunities for creative reuse/entrepreneurship to strengthen local economies, foster year-round activity, retain regional spending, and guide future investment.
This project will be done in partnership with the Redevelopment Authority of Westmoreland County, Redevelopment Authority of the County of Fayette, Touchstone Center for Crafts, Shiftworks, and Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy.
“Some legacy towns have recognized the synergistic economic development of outdoor recreation, the arts, culture, and tourism,” says Brian Lawrence, Executive Director of the Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority & Land Bank. “This planning grant will help even more communities capitalize on these unique assets in the future. We’re grateful for the help from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Community Project Hub of SWPA.”
“Artists bring deep knowledge of the places they are part of and care for," says Sallyann Kluz, Executive Director of Shiftworks. "Their perspectives can help communities imagine connections between our Trail Towns that are civic, cultural, and deeply rooted in place. We are especially excited that artists from the Pittsburgh Creative Corps —open to artists living and working throughout southwestern Pennsylvania, including Westmoreland and Fayette counties— will have the opportunity to contribute to this planning effort from the very beginning.”
The year-long project will focus on the communities of West Newton, Smithton, Sutersville, Ohiopyle, and Connellsville in Fayette and Westmoreland counties.
"Arts, culture, and recreation are not only quality-of-life assets; they are economic development assets," says Jason Cooper, West Newton Borough President. "In West Newton, these investments help attract visitors from the GAP Trail, support local businesses, and strengthen community pride. A coordinated revitalization strategy will allow communities throughout the region to work together, leverage shared resources, and create lasting economic opportunities benefitting residents and businesses."