Category: default || By jt3y

A few days ago, Fast Eddie came to town, a-ridin' on a giant cardboard check. I'm glad he remembers how to get west of Harrisburg after the election --- on the other hand, since he rolled up a 20 percentage point victory in Our Fair City (in five precincts, Swann's vote didn't get out of single digits), maybe it's not too surprising.

I keed, I keed. I'm not one to look a gift governor in the mouth, though I am always sort of ... amused? annoyed? ... when state and federal officials "give away" money. After all, it was our money in the first place, before they took it, and now they're giving it back.

According to the Post-Gazette and Tribune-Review, the $4.4 million in loans and grants promised by The Gov will be divided between projects throughout the city:

• Redevelopment of Midtown Plaza: $1.2 million



• Sewer repairs, Christy Park: $1.8 million



• Neighborhood improvements, Christy Park: $120,000



• Street and sidewalk work, Fifth Avenue: $929,000



• Tax credits for new Sky Bank branch on Evans Avenue: $98,570



• Grant to McKeesport Hospital Foundation: $75,000



• Parklet improvements: $215,000

The sewer line repairs are from a PENNVEST loan, according to the Trib, while the rest of the money is coming from PennDOT, the Department of Community and Economic Development and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

While the Christy Park improvements are vital to retaining that neighborhood --- a neat place to live, a highly walkable urban area, and a great value for first-time homeowners --- the changes Downtown are likely to be the most visible and noticeable to visitors.

"Working together, the state’s Community Action Team and city officials identified this four-block section of the business district as an area where state resources could leverage additional investment, sparking future growth," Rendell said, according to a state press release. "It’s an approach we’ve used across Pennsylvania with great results."

Kudos to Mayor Jim Brewster, city council and Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato for pulling this package together. It's hard to believe that an investment of this size would have happened a few years ago, when council and the mayor's office were at each other's throats most of the time.

The challenge, however, is going to be getting private investment to match or exceed the public money. Too many landlords continue to treat the City of McKeesport as their private garbage dump, or do crummy repairs, apparently under the assumption that people in the Mon Valley can't tell the difference.

All of the street improvements on Fifth Avenue, for instance, won't disguise the fact that Don Farr Moving's storage facility (the old G.C. Murphy Co. home office complex) is painted the most unattractive shade of brown in history. Calling the paint "manure-colored" would be putting it kindly ... and now it's starting to peel.

All of the sewer improvements in Christy Park won't conceal the junk cars or broken sidewalks in front of businesses and homes on Walnut Street.

All of the redevelopment of Midtown Plaza won't help fill the still-empty People's Building --- which was supposed to have been sold back in the spring, though county tax records still list it under the previous ownership --- or the vacant Penn-McKee Hotel.

Let's assume for the moment that public money can jump start development, even though a lot of people will argue the point (especially Pittsburghers still paying for the convention center, stadiums and other projects).

It's up to property owners to actually drive the car.

The $4.4 million package may get the engine running for a while. I'll be more excited when I see someone actually get behind the wheel.

. . .

The Name Game: Yes, I have decided to stop calling the Trib the "Greensburg Astonisher" (which I adopted before Election Day when they insisted on referring to "Bobby Casey Jr." and "the Democrat Party").

And since I'm feeling generous, I'll start calling the P-G by its proper name instead of "A Local Newspaper" (which is what they call the Daily News).

I suppose I'm often petulant, but rarely for very long.