Pittsburgh, PA – January 3, 2018 – Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa and State Representative Ed Gainey announced $475,000 in state support today to rehabilitate the Ardmore Linear Park in Wilkinsburg.

“I’m pleased to have worked with the Borough of Wilkinsburg to secure this funding,” said Senator Costa. “The rehabilitation of this park is a worthy project that will bring together community organizations with local government.”

The Ardmore Wall Linear Park stretches along the existing 950 linear foot portion of land burdened with the deteriorating 8-foot-tall concrete wall along Ardmore Boulevard between Penn Avenue to Franklin Avenue in Wilkinsburg Borough. The proposed improvements will repair and replace the sidewalks and handrails; provide proper storm water drainage, to help manage storm water, and renovate the green space, landscaping, and streetscape accents. The improvements will also increase overall safety by upgrading aging infrastructure and increasing pedestrian and commuter safety on the roadways connected to the project area.

The Linear Park is one of 22 projects that were approved today through the Keystone Communities program, for a total of $5.4 million in state investment.

“A solid public-private partnership is crucial to any community revitalization effort, so this infusion of state funding for Ardmore Linear Park is a testament to the success of our team-building approach,” Representative Gainey said. “We’re jointly positioning Wilkinsburg for a brighter future, and that’s something we should all be proud of.”

Keystone Community projects encourage community-based organizations, public agencies, business leaders, private developers, financial institutions, and private citizens to work in partnership with local government to develop a comprehensive approach to address community development and housing needs.

The goal of these partnerships is to create more attractive places to live and will encourage business and job expansion and retention in Pennsylvania.

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