Nov 28, 2014 3 min read

Expanding the view of the Monongahela River from downtown Charleroi. Paving the volunteer fire company lot in Richeyville. Replacing the Franklin Farms Road bridge in North Franklin Township.

These and 65 other projects will be vying for a chunk of change from gambling revenue at The Meadows Racetrack and Casino when Washington County Redevelopment Authority, administrator of Washington County’s Local Share Account, gears up for an eighth round of public briefings.

Those filing before a mid-October deadline who are seeking approximately $18.7 million for projects in the realm of economic development, community improvement, sewer and water infrastructure and job training will likely have to scale back their visions of cash jumping into the coffers.

For round seven, about $6.2 million was available in the Local Share Account. A total for the current round won’t be available until the state closes the books on 2014, but based on the amount of money in years past, a lot of whittling will take place and many projects won’t make the cut.

William McGowen, executive director of the redevelopment authority, said, “We anticipate that the public briefings will be held Jan. 20 and 21,” which are a Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. At these gatherings in the public meeting room of the Courthouse Square office building, local governments and organizations have an opportunity to make a pitch to the local share committee about the importance of their projects and field questions from committee members.

Here are some highlights from the latest list of applicants:

• Four economic development projects have total requests of $2,184,500. On the list are Washington County Marketing Initiative, a countywide Chamber of Commerce endeavor, $170,000; advanced stage and rigging structure at California University Convocation Center, $142,500; re-use of the former Brockway Glass plant, requested by the county redevelopment authority on behalf of Canton Township, $372,000; and Starpointe earth work as sought by Washington County Community and Economic Development agency, $1.5 million.

• Thirty-one community improvement projects totaling $7,122,355. The requests range from a most modest $17,864 for renovation of the Archer one-room schoolhouse project by the Morris Township Historical Society, which estimates the total cost at $24,864, to $800,000 for Canonsburg Lake aquatic ecosystem restoration, part of a $2.2 million project.

The Bentworth Community Center, which would house Bentleyville Public Library, Bentworth Senior Citizen Center and Bentleyville Historical Society Museum, is requesting $400,000 with $866,375 in other funds for a total of $1,266,375.

• Thirty public interest projects totaling $4,490,450 that include 11 relating to sewers, three for water lines and 16 described as “general,” such as a kitchen renovation at Beth-Center Senior Center in East Bethlehem Township, a $5,770 digital projector for Monongahela’s “Movies at the Mounds” series and $53,463 for the Washington County Transportation Authority’s transit consolidation startup.

• Job training projects totaling $799,363, including an educational manufacturing complex at Western Area Career and Technology Center, $280,000; female offender re-entry program by Southwest Training Services Inc., $120,000; and Work Certified Academy, Washington-Greene County job training agency, $399,363.

A complete list of applicants is available at www.observer-reporter.com.