HARRISBURG – Sen. Lisa Baker (R-20) and Reps. Rosemary Brown (R-Monroe/Pike), Jonathan Fritz (R-Susquehanna/Wayne) and Mike Peifer (R-Pike/Wayne) announced more than $1 million in state funding for improvement projects in Pike and Wayne counties.
The grants were made available through the Monroe County Local Share Account (LSA), which is derived from gaming revenues generated at the Mount Airy Casino Resort. LSA funds may be used for economic and community development projects in Monroe, Lackawanna, Northampton, Pike and Wayne counties.
“These grants will certainly have a positive impact across our region, as we work together to foster growth following the economic challenges over the last year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Baker said. “Advocating for state investments for our communities is crucial to supporting local economic development. I look forward to seeing these projects progress, and witnessing the benefits the funding ultimately helps to bring for volunteers, families and seniors across Pike and Wayne counties.”
“I am pleased to see these funds being allocated in a responsible way by the counties that are contiguous to Monroe County,” said Fritz. “Smart investment of LSA money pays dividends for years to come.”
Awarded on a competitive basis, the local grants are as follows:
Pike County
- Bushkill Outreach – $225,000 for construction of a new senior center at Lehman Township Park and purchase of equipment.
- Pike County – $22,656 for improvements to the emergency training facility in Blooming Grove Township.
- Pike County Commissioners – $175,000 for renovations to the Bennett Avenue Complex in Milford.
- Westfall Township Volunteer Fire Company – $100,000 for a new sign and backup generator.
“I am extremely pleased to see Pike County benefit from these LSA dollars, including the $225,000 allocated for the first phase of the Bushkill Outreach/Senior Center’s new building and location that will truly benefit the extended community,” Brown noted.
Wayne County
- Hawley Fire Department – $162,058 for fire station improvements, including a new roof and furnace, paving the parking lot and replacing a sidewalk apron.
- Newfoundland American Legion Post 859 – $125,000 for interior and exterior building renovations.
- Waymart Borough – $63,094 for construction of a materials storage shed.
- Wayne County Commissioners – $187,083 for demolition and rehabilitation of the former Honesdale Volunteer Ambulance Corporation building in Honesdale Borough.
“I was happy to advocate in support of these projects in Pike and Wayne counties and am pleased they have now been approved for funding,” added Peifer. “The improvements that are planned are going to have a positive impact on our region, which is exactly what these grants are intended to do.”
The funding was approved by the Commonwealth Financing Authority, an independent agency that holds fiduciary responsibility over the funding of programs and investments in Pennsylvania’s economic growth.