NORRISTOWN, PA — Senator Amanda M. Cappelletti (D-Montgomery/Delaware) recently announced a slate of diverse projects that will be funded in her district. The Seventeenth Senatorial district will receive grant funding administered by the Commonwealth Finance Authority through two programs, the Statewide Local Share Account (LSA) and the Multimodal Transportation Fund. The projects, totaling $6,450,836 cover a variety of initiatives, including stormwater management solutions, pedestrian safety, community improvements, and emergency services.
“These projects will vastly improve the quality of life for residents of and visitors to District 17,” said Senator Cappelletti. “These types of smart investments into our communities are addressing everyday needs, from pedestrian safety to stormwater management, and I’m proud to have these various initiatives moving forward to benefit our area.”
The diverse projects include investments in Lower Merion, which Representative Mary Jo Daley (D- 148) also represents. Lower Merion has a host of projects being funded (see full list below) that aim to serve the senior population of the Township, improve emergency services response times, and strengthen the local economy.
“These state grants will help our district address the variety of issues it faces, from strengthening Ardmore as a business, shopping and culinary destination, to restoring a floodplain in Whitmarsh, renovating a fire house and a local historical site in Lower Merion, improving a transportation hub and providing commuting options between Reading and Philadelphia, improving the Narberth Borough municipal building’s ADA accessibility and energy efficiency to purchasing electrical bikes to assist to police and first responders’ work,” Representative Daley (D-148) said. “Our district will continue to flourish thanks to these strategic investments.”
Projects in Radnor, an area also represented by Representative Lisa Borowski (D-168), will upgrade outdated vehicles to electric vehicles and improve pedestrian safety on significant roads in the Township.
“It is exciting to see these grants for Radnor Township come to fruition. These projects were started when I was on the Radnor Board of Commissioners, so I fully appreciate how impactful this funding will be,” said Representative Borowski. “I thank Senator Cappelletti for her advocacy and support and offer congratulations to the Radnor Township team!”
In Norristown, projects will invest in upgrading sewer systems and renovations for the Trail Junction Center.
“Two things are key to Norristown’s growth—developing our economy and improving our quality of life,” said Representative Greg Scott (D-54), who represents Norristown. “These state grants will enable the districts to make critical investments in our freight transportation and municipal waste systems, so Norristown will strengthen its position as a critical rail hub for the transport of goods and protect the health of its residents.”
The projects and awards in District Seventeen are as follows:
Statewide LSA awards:
- East Norriton Township will receive $1,000,000 for the Stony Creek Watershed Stormwater Infrastructure Project:
- this project is a multi-phase plan to improve the storm sewer within the Stony Creek Watershed.
- Montgomery County Redevelopment Authority will receive $1,000,000 for the Rooftop Farm at the Women’s Specialty Center Project in Upper Merion Township:
- the proposed project will construct a 6,500 SF rooftop farm/garden and an outdoor kitchen/café area for food preparation, education and storage. The rooftop farm will be a tremendous asset to promote wellness education, help individuals suffering from food insecurity, and improve health care quality.
- Lower Merion Township will receive $985,000 for the Union Fire Association Building Renovations Project:
- the project will renovate the fire station by converting the existing second floor rental hall into new bunk rooms. Response times are anticipated to drop from nearly 4 minutes to less than 2 minutes because of this project. The project will include the conversion of the rental hall to bunk rooms, the addition of new bathrooms and kitchen, and modifications to the HVAC, electrical and sprinkler systems.
- Lower Merion Township will receive $500,000 for the Ashbridge House Renovation Project:
- the proposed project will consist of interior renovations and a new addition to accommodate the proposed occupancy of Ashbridge House by New Horizons. When the renovation and addition are completed, New Horizons Senior Center will have a permanent home for them to continue to serve senior citizens in Lower Merion Township and Narberth Borough.
- Montgomery County Redevelopment Authority will receive $500,000 for the Trail Junction Center Renovations Project in Norristown Borough:
- this project involves both exterior and interior renovations to the existing 3,800SF building, including electrical, mechanical, plumbing, masonry repair, roof upgrades, installation of windows and doors, and a sprinkler system. The completed building will provide restrooms, drinking water, trail information for visitors and a flexible community space and flexible office space for county employees.
- Radnor Township will receive $400,000 for the Municipal Electric Fleet Upgrade and Charging Stations Installation Project:
- the project will replace township vehicles currently slated for decommissioning and will allow the township to transition to fully electric township vehicles. This transition will save the township roughly $60,000 per year in fuel costs as well as reduce the carbon emissions produced by the township.
- Norristown Municipal Waste Authority will receive $387,258 for the Washington Street Interceptor Upgrade Project:
- the project will replace sanitary sewer lines along Washington Street located in Norristown Borough, Montgomery County.
- Upper Merion Township will receive $298,210 for the Street Sweeper Project:
- the proposed project will purchase a street sweeper that would be deployed after storm events to remove debris that has accumulated around inlets and other stormwater assets, ensuring the proper conveyance of stormwater, and preventing debris from migrating into the township’s watersheds.
- East Norriton Township will receive $268,066 for the East Norriton Street Sweeper Project:
- this project will be the purchase of a street sweeper to clean the roads maintained by the Township as a way to improve stormwater pollution management and decrease the risk of localized flooding.
- Narberth Borough will receive $250,000 for the Municipal Facility Accessibility and Energy Efficiency Improvements Project:
- this project will improve the ADA accessibility and energy efficiency of the Narberth Borough municipal building located at 100 Conway Avenue.
- Upper Merion Township will receive $40,565 for the Crow Creek and Schuylkill River West Trail Extension Amenities and Scenic Overlook Project:
- this project will purchase benches, trees, trash receptacles, bike racks, pet waste stations, and infographic signs at strategic points along the trail.
- Ardmore Business District Authority will receive $27,125 for The Ardmore Initiative Community Branding Project:
- this project will purchase streetlights to be located in Ardmore’s downtown business district in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County.
Multimodal Transportation Fund awards:
- Narberth Borough will receive $270,000 for the Narberth Borough Town Center Station Area Multi-modal Preliminary Engineering Project:
- this project will complete preliminary engineering for transportation improvements around Station Square in Narberth Borough.
- Radnor Township will receive $230,000 for the King of Prussia Rd Pedestrian Crossing Project:
- this project will fund pedestrian upgrades to King of Prussia Road and Radnor-Chester Road located in Radnor Township.
- Upper Merion Township will receive $250,000 for the First Avenue Linear Park (Bicycle/Pedestrian Trail) Phase 3 Project:
- this project will construct Phase 3 of a multi-use trail along First Avenue in Upper Merion Township.
- Upper Merion Township will receive $44,612 for the Henderson Road Pedestrian Crossing Improvement Project:
- this project will fund pedestrian safety improvements along Henderson Road at Crossfield Road located in Upper Merion Township.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and Microsoft Start.