HARRISBURG, Oct. 23 – State Rep. Robert Freeman said $2.48 million in grants were awarded Tuesday by the Commonwealth Financing Authority for projects in his legislative district.

“From school improvements to safety upgrades, new community centers and equipment purchases, these grants represent projects that each are valuable to their particular area. I work diligently with local officials and my legislative colleagues in advocating for state grant funding for the Lehigh Valley that I am proud to represent in Harrisburg,” said Freeman, D-Northampton.

Bethlehem Area School District will receive $750,000 through the Public School Facility Improvement Grant Program and use it toward a $6.79 million roof replacement project at James Buchanan, Governor Wolf, and Freemansburg elementary schools located in Bethlehem Township; Freemansburg Borough; and Bethlehem City.

Saucon Valley School District will use its $307,009 PSFIG funds for a $818,693 health and safety project that includes the replacement of insulated metal wall panels and masonry rehabilitation on the Saucon Valley High School located in Hellertown Borough.

The PSFIG Program was created to provide grants to public school districts and area career and technical schools for eligible facility improvement projects. It is administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development under the direction of the CFA.

Freeman said several Statewide Local Share Account grants were awarded in his district including the following:

Easton — $547,123 on behalf of Valley Health Partners Community Health Center, to purchase medical equipment to outfit a medical facility at The Mill at Easton, which is a multi-phased redevelopment project. Phase III of this project will focus on the purchase of medical equipment for the planned medical facility that will be operated by Valley Health Partners at the site. In May, Easton was awarded a separate LSA grant for $176,600 toward the project.

Freemansburg Borough — $485,000 toward the second phase of building a community center. This phase of the project will consist of construction that will entail the installation of all interior finishing, lighting, plumbing, heating and cooling systems, bathroom fit out, kitchen fit out, and exterior walkways and concrete areas to provide access to and from the community center. Once this phase is completed the facility will provide the community with an indoor space where numerous diverse events can occur, and it can be used if needed for a temporary shelter for emergencies. In 2023, the project was awarded LSA statewide funds for Phase 1 of the project to construct the shell of the building.

Hellertown Borough — $86,444 on behalf of Dewey Fire Co. No. 1, for stormwater improvements to the fire company property. The company has experienced multiple flooding incidents and is at risk of being dropped by their flood insurance company. The total project cost is $246,945 and previous grants were awarded for it through the LSA.

Hellertown Borough — $71,755 to enhance safety at their four signalized intersections by replacing the remaining outdated, traditional road embedded loop detectors with video detection at High Street, Water Street, Penn Street, and Walnut Street. Despite regular maintenance, loop detectors commonly have problems which require repairs and maintenance and prolong the proper operation at the signals. The proposed project will replace the loop detectors with video detection technology. This technology will allow the timing to be actuated sooner than the loop detectors, before a vehicle comes to the stop bar, which will help queue in this high traffic area and relieve congestion.

Northampton County — $40,000 on behalf of Lafayette College for a regional multimodal trail planning project in Easton. The proposed project will consist of initial planning and design work, including visioning, workshops, analyzing data and existing conditions, community engagement, high-level sketch concepts, and development of a final action plan addressing strategically located signage, wayfinding, and micro-mobility solutions, such as e-bike and scooter sharing, as well as optimizing bus and shuttle services for better accessibility. The project will lay the groundwork for enhanced connectivity between Easton and Forks Township, focusing on trail development to Lafayette College’s Metzgar Fields, integrating with the Two Rivers Area Greenway, contributing to regional environmental sustainability, and establishing a unified, accessible, and sustainable regional community with links to the Delaware and Lehigh Trail network.

Palmer Township — $102,900 on behalf of Suburban Emergency Medical Services, to purchase a quick response vehicle and associated conversion accessories, which will be used by advanced levels of providers such as paramedics, to respond to the most acute medical and severe trauma calls.

West Easton Borough — $90,000 to purchase new public works vehicles and equipment. The existing public works vehicles are 23 years old, requiring continuous repairs and maintenance, and are in dire need of replacement.

The LSA funding comes from the PA Race Horse Development and Gaming Act, which provides for the distribution of gaming revenues through the CFA to support projects in the public interest within Pennsylvania.

 

Information provided to TVL by:
Tom Andrews