Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful (WP&B) continues the day to day effort to keep downtown Waynesburg a great place to live, work and play. Partnering with local property owners in the development of building façade improvements, WP&B has invested over $50,000 into main street properties through the Façade Challenge Grant program. The recent designation as a Pennsylvania Keystone Innovation Zone provides tax credits and additional services for young technology related businesses locating in the district. A low interest loan fund of $400,000 was developed in conjunction with local banks to offer property owners an additional financing vehicle for necessary building stock improvements. Buying local is the goal of the Destination Downtown Gift Card, now available in amounts from $25 to $500. These are a few of the many ways WP&B is investing in downtown Waynesburg.
Promotions of all sorts are a cornerstone of WP&B activities. The sixth annual Fifties Fest & Car Cruise drew hundreds of classic cars and visitors from nine states. National City Bank, the primary sponsor of the Sheep & Fiber Fest has watched that festival grow annually and the Waynesburg Farmers' Market was a huge success again in 2007. Thanks to the generosity of the First Baptist Church of Waynesburg, we have had a prominent location for local vendors to display their produce, meats, jams, eggs, flowers, and bedding plants. Waynesburg Prosperous and Beautiful was awarded $5,000 by the Community Foundation of Greene County in addition to $5,000 from the Pittsburgh 250 Community Connections Grassroots Project to create illustrative and whimsical tour maps featuring vintage photographs and fun trivia that will guide visitors through the town center and college campus of Waynesburg, an area the town's founder termed "Eden." As one person said, "Its all good," and it just keeps on happening; right here in Waynesburg.
The Waynesburg streetscape continues to move forward under the careful guidance of Shane Vorce, project manager for Pennoni & Associates. Made possible through a $1 million grant from Pennsylvania's Hometown Streets and Safe Routes to School program the project will rehabilitate the east end of High Street from Cumberland Street to Washington Street and North Washington from High to Wayne Street. Recently, the Greene County Commissioners announced that they have allocated an additional $605,000 toward the project to address infrastructure improvements that are needed before the streetscape becomes a reality,
WP&B is enthused by the collaboration of local stakeholders. Waynesburg Borough officials recently announced that they have partnered with Waynesburg University to engage Johnson, Johnson and Roy, Inc. to conduct a study and assist the Borough in the creation of a comprehensive master plan that will direct its efforts for the next 20-25 years. This echoes the sentiments of Jack Machek, Regional Director of the Department of Community and Economic Development and keynote speaker of this year's WP&B Annual Garden Party, where he remarked that regionalism is the wave of the future. He encouraged the group to demonstrate collaboration between all stakeholders. If you live in Greene County, own a business in Waynesburg, or simply drive into town each day to go to work, you are a stakeholder. Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful needs your ideas, concerns, to facilitate action that creates positive change in Waynesburg. New volunteers are always welcome.
Waynesburg Borough has received a $25,000 planning grant that is being used to develop a strategic plan for the Elm Street program. The Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development program was designed to assist communities to integrate a downtown revitalization program (WP&B) with a neighborhood renewal strategy. Elm Street provides assistance and resources to residential and mixed-use areas in proximity to central business districts. The goal is to further enhance the downtown area while improving the viability of older neighborhoods. The Elm Street Program incorporates volunteer support, the leveraging of private dollars, strategic planning, rehabilitation and reuse of existing buildings, as well as streetscape improvements. It relies on neighborhood involvement and a visible programmatic connection to an existing Main Street/Downtown revitalization program. Locally, WP&B has targeted the Southside as a potential Elm Street location and has contracted with JMT and Associates to facilitate public meetings and produce a plan that will address both infrastructure and housing issues in the program known as Southside Waynesburg Rising.
Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful has recently become the proud new owner of the former Pollock Building located at 60 West High Street in Waynesburg. Professional office space is currently being prepared for lease. Thanks to a grant from Representative H. William DeWeese and Senator J. Barry Stout, the group already had $50,000 toward the purchase of the building. Special thanks to Waynesburg Borough who graciously incubated the organization since its inception, WP&B looks forward to a continued partnership that fosters economic growth, physical enhancements and improved services.
Learn more about WP&B at www.waynesburgpa.org