The Southern Allegheny Planning and Development Commission has funds available for local road projects that lead to job creation.
The Local Access Road Program has provided $6.1 million for Blair County projects since 1994 – $4.9 million in the past decade.
“The good part is that there is no match,” said Acting PennDOT District 9 CEO Vince Greenland. “She’s very attractive.”
Blair received a larger share of available funding than any of the five other provinces served by SAPDC, according to Greenland.
Brandon Peters, director of planning and community development at SAP&DC, said applicants need to convince the committee that the project will open space to allow development that will create jobs.
Peters said SAPDC likes these positions to be full-time and permanent.
Applicants must be local government jurisdictions, non-profit organizations, or institutions of higher education.
Applicants “need to approach us, sell the project idea,” Peters said. “We only offer one or two[each year]. We pick the best from the crop.”
He said development organizations and developers needed to get the “support” of the government.
He said government agencies need to approve the ownership and maintenance of the improvements after construction.
Since 2013, the program has provided the following funding in Blair County:
714,000 yen for access road to Tyrone Hospital.
589,000 JPY for off-site improvements to the Convention Center Commons, where the AMC Classic Altoona 12 Theater is located.
ö $577,000 for improvements at Tyrone Industrial Park to improve truck access to WR Grace & Co.
ö Intersection funding that allowed the construction of the Logan Medical Building on Logan Street.
ö $450,000 to improve access to Theater Drive, off Route 764, near Imler’s Poultry.
$316,000 to extend to Lamppost Lane, across Plank Road from Walmart Shopping Center, near CNG Bank.
$2.29 million to widen and improve McMahon Road, so the land between Calvary Cemetery and I-99, now owned by Interstate Intersection Investors LLC, can be developed.
Information on the program is available at SAPDC by contacting Zack Lee, [email protected], according to Peters.
Mirror Staff writer William Keibler is at 814-949-7038.