Jan 16, 2024 By Mike Jones 9 min read

Nearly 100 projects are vying for a piece of the $9.2 million in casino gambling money that will be distributed this year through the annual Local Share Account program.

The 94 applications under review this week by the LSA review committee are requesting a total of about $28 million, meaning the number of recipients will have to be whittled down with the amount of funding available.

Although the pool of available LSA money is the largest since 2010, there are also significantly more projects competing for the money. In comparison, there were 87 projects requesting $25.25 million last year, and there were 65 applications requesting a combined $15.873 million in 2022. That means the selection process will be much more competitive this time around.

Jeff Kotula, who is president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Promotion Agency and serves as the LSA committee chair, said the “program is an opportunity for our county to invest in itself” with the help of the gambling revenue from Hollywood Casino at the Meadows.

“These projects are from across the county and represent interests in community and economic development, job training, and public interests, which includes infrastructure,” Kotula said. “

The committee is holding public hearings over the next two days to review the projects before making recommendations on which ones should receive grant funding from Washington County’s gaming revenue.

The hearings will be held this afternoon and Wednesday morning in the meeting room at the Courthouse Square building at 100 W. Beau St. in Washington. They are scheduled for 1 to 5 p.m. today and then continue from 8:30 a.m. until around noon Wednesday. They are open to the public, and video of the proceedings will also be live-streamed online with a link posted on Washington County’s official government website.

“With $9.2 million allocated for funding this year, the committee will have its work cut out for it but looks forward to hearing from the applicants and what is important to them,” Kotula said. “As always, we encourage the public to join us at the briefings to learn about this important process for our county.”

The applications range from a smallest request of $10,000 from state police for its Troop B Camp Cadet program to four projects asking for $1 million. Those are Alta Vista Lot #1 Solar Project in Fallowfield Township submitted by Mon Valley Alliance; an energy conservation and efficiency project by the Washington Health System; the Epi-Center in South Strabane; and Lone Pine Volunteer Fire Department’s request to build a new fire hall in Amwell Township.

The average request of funds for each project is just under $300,000. All of the applicants have to pledge to also bring their own matching funds to the project in order to be eligible.

“There are some really good projects on there that we would be excited to fund,” Washington County Commission Chairman Nick Sherman said. “These people have done a good job making sure that they’re elaborating on why they should receive the funds.”

After listening to two days of hearings, the LSA review committee will then recommend which projects should be funded and present the list to the Washington County commissioners for final approval. While the commissioners have the option of altering the funded projects, they’ve never done so in the 16-year history of the program.

“If people would like to know more about this process, I would invite them to get involved,” Sherman said about the hearings being open to the public and streamed online.

The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Washington, which oversees the handling of the gaming money, must send the approved list of projects to the state Department of Community and Economic Development by March 31 for certification.

The full list of projects, organizations, municipalities and funding requests for Local Share Account grant money can be found below…

* Washington St. Demolition – Cokeburg Borough – $50,000

* Sanitary Sewer Lateral Rehabilitation – Carroll Township Authority – $250,000

* Storm Sewer Cleaning and Televising – Carroll Township – $200,000

* 3rd Street Utility Reconstruction Marianna Borough and MarianneWest Bethlehem Joint Sewerage Authority – $463,000.00

*Alta Vista Lot #1 Solar Project in Fallowfield Township – Mon Valley Alliance – $1 million

* Always B Smiling Activity and Learning Center, Outdoor Sensory Zone in Peters Township – $261,800

* AP Delsandro Veterans Memorial in Donora Borough – $119,000

* Berry Road Evaluation – South Strabane Township – $57,000

* Beth Center Community CS and STEM Initiative in Deemston – Bethlehem-Center School District – $50,000

* Borough of Donora Public Works Garage – Donora Borough – $500,000

* Bradford House Museum Architectural Lighting in Washington – Bradford House Historical Association – $14,200

* California Building Project – Brownsville Ambulance Service, Inc – $338,835

* Canonsburg Area Senior Center Interior Updates – Aging Services of Washington County – $19,000

* CAP Sanitary Sewer Flow Reduction and Repair Project – Municipal Authority of the City of Monongahela – $120,000

* Centerville Clinic Training and Education Center in Charleroi – $400,000

* WWTP Blower & Safety Upgrade – Centerville Borough Sanitary Authority – $430,990

* Charleroi Playground Improvement Project Phase 2 – Charleroi Borough – $106,781

* City Mission 50-Bed Homeless Women’s Shelter in Washington – $500,000

* Phase Two Washington Downtown Revitalization – City of Washington – $864,604

* Clarke Road Bridge Replacement Project – Buffalo Township – $117,200

* Community Equitable Technology Integration in Canonsburg – Arc Human Services, Inc. – $247,482

* Creek Road Landslide – Smith Township – $182,067

* Deemston Water Storage Tank – Southwestern Pennsylvania Water Authority – $300,000

* Demolition of Blighted Structures – East Bethlehem Township – $676,220

* Dewey Avenue-McElree Road Bridge Replacement – North Franklin Township – $61,645

* East Bethlehem Main Pump Station Replacement – East Bethlehem Township Municipal Authority – $583,500

* Elementary Park Accessibility Enhancements – Fallowfield Township – $70,000

* Ellsworth Community Park Exercise Trail – Ellsworth Borough – $150,500

* Energy Conservation and Efficiency Project – Washington Health System – $1 million

* Epi-Center in South Strabane – Epi-Center, LP – $1 million

* Field and Stream Road Bridge Replacement Project – West Bethlehem Township – $150,390

* Fort Cherry School District and Southwest Training Services Career Readiness Program – Mt. Pleasant Township – $92,240

* Gunny’s Ridge Veteran and First Responder Mission in Hanover Township – $482,246

* Harmony Life Center in Washington – $300,000

* Home Ownership Center of Washington County – Blueprints – $100,000

* Ignite Business Incubator in Washington – Washington & Jefferson College – $975,000

* Independence Township Community Park Phase IV – Independence Township – $162,000

* Jim Welch Multi-Purpose Event Center in Twilight – Shekinah Youth Ranch of the Mon Valley – $500,000

* John White House Roof Restoration in Chartiers – Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation – $38,000

* Leaf Collection Efficiency Program – East Washington Borough – $192,403

* Long Branch Borough Building and Basement Repair – Long Branch Borough – $269,765

* Longwell House Restoration Project with ADA Accessibility and Exterior Improvements – Monongahela Area Historical Society – $126,000

* Fix ‘ur Cat Expansion Project in Washington – Low Cost Spay Neuter Washington County – $250,000

* Lower Speers Park Playground Revitalization Project – Speers Borough – $32,367

* Marianna Lyceum Rehabilitation Project in Marianna – $132,000

* McCombs Road Sanitary Sewer Replacement Project in Peters Township – Peters Creek Sanitary Authority – $758,000

* Midtown Market & Event Center Phase 2 in Canonsburg – Canonsburg Economic Development Committee, Inc. – $500,000

* Mingo Circle Sewage – Union Township – $ 562,525

* Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Pollution Reduction Plan Streambank Restoration – Union Township – $181,400

* New Firehall Building in Amwell Township – Lone Pine VFD – $1 million

* Pancake Fire Station Renovations in South Strabane – South Strabane Fire Department – $508,660

* Park Renovations – Mount Pleasant Township – $320,787

* Pavilion Winter Heaters and Curtains – California Borough – $104,900

* Weapons Detector for Penn Highlands Mon Valley Emergency Department in Carroll Township – $122,698

* Penn Woods Classical Academy Campus Project in North Franklin – $500,000

* Project 47 in Buffalo Township – Mel Blount Youth Home of PA – $600,000

* Project New Life in Washington – Washington Area Senior Citizens Center – $173,500

* Prosperity Village Sewage Planning Project – Morris Township – $38,017

* Public Water Service Extension – Avella Area School District – $253,000

* Pump Station Upgrade in Centerville – Vestaburg New Hill Joint Authority – $210,175

* Quick Attack Pumper Truck Purchase – Charleroi Volunteer Fire Department – $ 375,843

* Roberts Stone House in Canonsburg – Washington County Cultural Trust – $250,000

* Robotics Team Equipment Project in Canonsburg – Titanium Titans, Inc. – $20,000

* Rotary Park Public Health Project in California – California Borough Recreation Authority – $175,303

* Service Dog Training Pavilion in Robinson Township – Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs Inc. – $375,000

*Sewage Treatment Improvements in Cross Creek – Independence Cross Creek Joint Sewer Authority – $316,500

* Sewer Jetter/Vactor Equipment Purchase – Authority of the Borough of Charleroi – $200,000

* Snee Road Bridge Replacement – Union Township – $130,200

* Wastewater Treatment Plant and Future Township Garage Site Improvements – South Franklin Township – $627,500

* STEAM Career Academy and Digital Media Center in Chartiers Township – Chartiers-Houston School District – $93,800

* Stockdale Storm Sewer Separation Project Phase 2 – Stockdale Borough – $ 201,000

* Stone Pavilion Rehabilitation Project in Washington Park – City of Washington – $194,500

* The Journey Continues Phase Two – Little Lake Theatre in North Strabane – $ 200,000

* Trinity High School Additive Manufacturing Capabilities – Trinity Area School District – $61,425

* Troop B Camp Cadet – Pennsylvania State Police – $10,000

* Tutor Library and Student Resource Development – Literacy Council of Southwestern Pennsylvania – $26,000

* Upgrading of Control Systems for the Devils Den and Bucey Road Lift Stations – Hanover Township Sewer Authority – $128,650

* Valley Inn Volunteer Fire Department Expansion & Remodel in Carroll Township – Valley Inn VFD – $600,000

* Vestaburg Waterline Replacement Project Phase IV – Tri-County Joint Municipal Authority – $291,400

* Veterans Park – Burgettstown Borough – $125,985

* Victory Park Restroom and Concession Building – Centerville Borough & Center-West Joint Sewer Authority – $208,960

* WACTC Equipment Machine Shop & HVAC – Western Area Career & Technology Center – $188,062

* Washington County Airport Southside T-Hangar Project in South Franklin – Redevelopment Authority of the County of Washington – $750,000

* Washington County Fairgrounds Equestrian Center Site Design and Land Development Plan – Washington County – $375,000

* Washington Fire Department Regional Training Facility – Washington Fire Department – $100,000

* Washington Trust Commercial Revitalization – TREK Development Group – $ 300,000

* Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements Project in Allenport – Mid Mon Valley Water Pollution Control Authority – $200,000

* Water Line Replacement in Allenport, Elco, Roscoe and Stockdale – The Municipal Authority of the Township of Washington – $453,800

* Water Treatment Plant SCADA System Improvements in Charleroi – Authority of the Borough of Charleroi – $125,000

* WBDA Façade Grant in Washington – Washington Business District Authority – $150,000

* WCHS East Maiden Street Redevelopment Phase 4 – Washington County Historical Society – $202,995

* West Middletown Park Rehabilitation Project – West Middletown Borough – $67,500

* Wild Things Park Updates in North Franklin – Washington Frontier League Baseball – $511,240

* Wilson Road Sewerline Extension in West Brownsville – Center West Joint Sewer Authority – $ 333,000