Donahue, Kosierowski announce $4.16 million in state grants

Rep. Kyle T. Donahue, Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski    March 16, 2023 | 2:27 PM

HARRISBURG, March 16 – State Reps. Kyle T. Donahue and Bridget M. Kosierowski said the Commonwealth Financing Authority today approved $4.16 million in grants for Lackawanna County and municipalities in their legislative districts.

“This funding will go a long way toward making needed improvements throughout Lackawanna County. I was glad to offer my support to the projects and I’m glad the CFA board recognized their importance,” said Kosierowski, D-Lackawanna.

“As a previous member of Scranton City Council, I always welcomed state dollars that could help projects in the city become a reality. Now that I am working at the state level, I am proud to advocate for Lackawanna County and the municipalities that I represent so they can see their share of grant funding returned to them,” said Donahue, D-Lackawanna.

The state legislators said the funds were provided through the Multimodal Transportation Fund and Statewide Local Share Account which are administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

Lackawanna County

  • $250,000 for preliminary engineering of the Lackawanna River Pedestrian Bridge in Scranton.
  • $500,000 to reconstruct the bathhouse at the McDade Park pool in Scranton. The McDade Park County Pool has been non-operational for the past two seasons due to the need for infrastructure improvements. The current bathhouse facility has structural deficiencies with cracked walls and is not ADA-compliant and the filter house also has structural deficiencies with an outdated, non-efficient filtration system. The project will demolish the current bathroom and filter house and construct a new, combined ADA-compliant bathroom/filtration facility to include a storage and lifeguard area. The project will also include a new filtration system with upgraded technology that allow for less water usage and better recirculation.
  • $175,000 to fabricate 50 portable vendor huts for events and festivals. The growing success of events such as First Friday Scranton, a monthly event supporting artists, businesses, nonprofits, and galleries, and Lackawanna Winter Market, a popular weekend holiday event that includes music, food, and creative vendors, has created the need for Lackawanna County to procure portable vendor huts to help sustain tourism and economic development. The project will fabricate 30 small huts and 20 large huts to provide an aesthetically unique, sustainable, and cost-effective alternative to renting tents for community events.

Lackawanna County Transit Authority

  • $500,000 to remodel the maintenance and administration building in Scranton. The proposed project would include moving the maintenance area away from the administration section of the building, thus promoting safety within the building. The remodel would increase efficient operations within the transit authority at the facility that was last updated over 40 years ago.  

The Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority

  • $50,000, on behalf of the Electric City Trolley Museum, to restore the floor and frame of Car #505.

Scranton City

  • $1 million to install a new splash pad area at the Nay Aug Pool Complex in the city. Scranton is in the process of developing a new swim complex at the Nay Aug Pool Complex after discovering that there were structural problems with both pools at the complex. The city will demolish and then refurbish the complex with demolition activities currently underway. The proposed project is to install a new spray pad site as part of the larger Nay Aug Pool Complex. This project will include the water features, surfacing, pumps and piping needed to operate the spray area.
  • $500,000 to complete streetscape improvements in the city. The Adams Avenue Streetscape and Corridor Gateway Project is a multifaceted project meant to improve the major corridors central to the city while also providing a cohesive look to the area influenced by the history and identity of Scranton. The proposed project will install wayfinding signage, gateway structures, new curbs, street lighting, and move overhead wiring to underground conduits. The main outcome for this project is the beautification of Adams Avenue, which will help promote new economic opportunities, new places to socialize and linger, and a new community spirit to the area.
  • $396,239 to renovate Grace Street Park which needs a full renovation after years of neglect. The proposed project is to install a new meandering walkway, a new shelter, several new play features on its dated playground, and a new passive open space for community events. There will also be new parking areas and park access points ensuring ADA compliance for the park.

Donahue said $125,000 was awarded to Covington Township to improve AM Hughes Boulevard.

Kosierowski said additional grants in her district were provided to the following:

Dickson City Recreation Authority

  • $102,757 to rehabilitate the Dickson City Civic Center. The DCRA is facing infrastructure deficiencies that are affecting quality of programs offered at the facility. The proposed project will repave a deteriorated parking lot to provide safe entry into the facility, install exterior lighting to provide sufficient illumination near an active roadway, and add an exterior LED message board to improve community outreach.

Greenfield Township Sewer Authority

  • $505,782 to replace its deteriorating Route 247 pump station. The new pump station will also have electrical backup and better reporting and tracking of operational efficiency to prevent overflow events.

South Abington Township

  • $57,882 to purchase a police vehicle as the police department recently expanded its coverage area.