Salisbury: More than $1.1 million secured for Swissvale, Wilkinsburg building improvement projects

BRADDOCK, Nov. 1 – Two grants totaling more than $1.1 million from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program will fund improvements to community buildings in Swissvale and Wilkinsburg, state Rep. Abigail Salisbury announced today.

Salisbury said $850,000 to the Pennsylvania Organization for Women in Early Recovery will support building renovations to help the group expand its outreach.

“POWER does incredible work helping to empower and transform the lives of women facing substance use disorder,” Salisbury said. “The new funding will support needed improvements to two buildings on the group’s unique, Swissvale-based campus, which consolidates all levels of care in one location. The renovations will allow POWER to enhance and expand its services to reach more women.”

“POWER is an organization close to my heart, and they have been doing excellent work supporting women in their recovery journeys,” state Sen. Jay Costa said. “I am honored to have played a small part in delivering funds that support their brave, life-saving mission.”

Salisbury said a second grant of $275,000 to Wilkinsburg Borough will support needed improvements to the borough’s municipal building.

“These are important improvements required to make the building safer, more accessible, more useful and more comfortable for the public employees and first responders based there,” Salisbury said.

“I am a deep lover of Wilkinsburg, and I am so happy to be delivering funds with Representative Salisbury to make the borough building more accessible,” Costa said. “This way, more families can get support and find community in a beloved and historic space. I look forward to seeing these improvements come to fruition.”

Salisbury said the project includes reconstruction of the building’s entrance and ADA improvements, upgrades to the generator and HVAC system, renovations to the police and fire department living quarters, and the employee and public restrooms and addition of a new elevator.

Financial assistance through RACP will be used for building renovations and upgrades, while the borough will fund part of the construction, design and engineering costs and project contingencies with bond financing.

The RACP funds design, acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational and historical improvement projects that have a regional impact and generate substantial increases or maintain current levels of employment, tax revenues or other measures of economic activity.