DCED grants support western Pa. projects
The latest round of Department of Community and Economic Development Main Street Matters grants will benefit four projects in Southwestern Pennsylvania with over $1 million in awarded capital allocated to improve arts, business and community assets.
The local awardees are among the 56 projects to receive more than $17 million in funding dispersed in the 2026 grant cycle.
“Every community in Pennsylvania, whether rural, suburban or urban, relies on a strong Main Street to support local businesses, create jobs and bring people together,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a statement. “Main Streets are the beating heart of our communities and that’s why my administration makes their success our priority. By investing in our Main Streets, we’re boosting our economy and ensuring our communities continue to thrive well into the future.”
Washington County
The Canonsburg Educational and Cultural Institute (CECI) was awarded over $211,000 in funding, making it the largest single recipient in the county.
According to CECI Executive Vice President Lisa Scarmazzi, the grant will fund a portion of the ongoing renovation of the former Canonsburg Middle School Campus as community arts space.
Funds from the Main Street Matters DCED grant program will be used for the reconstruction of sidewalks, replacement of curbing, repaving of driveway, construction of retaining wall for grade stabilization and install ADA-compliant access routes, Scarmazzi said.
“Completion of this project will allow the 564-seat theater to reopen this fall for community events, attracting over 24,000 visitors and generating $1.3 million in economic impact in year one, as projected by a third-party feasibility study. These improvements are essential to transforming the site into a regional center for cultural and economic growth,” she said.
Mon Valley Alliance CEO Jamie Colecchi said the $100,000 the economic development organization was awarded will endow a new Business Improvement Grant Program supporting small businesses in Monongahela and New Eagle.
Eligible business and property owners along Main and Railroad Streets can apply for up to $5,000 microgrants to support projects that strengthen business operations, improve interiors, expand marketing efforts, upgrade technology and invest in equipment necessary for growth and sustainability, according to a release.
“The Mon Valley continues to see growing momentum from entrepreneurs and small business owners who are investing in our communities,” Colecchi said, “This funding provides a meaningful opportunity to directly support local businesses with projects that improve operations, strengthen their spaces and help position them for long-term success. Strong Main Streets are essential to the continued revitalization and economic growth of our communities.”
The Mon Valley Initiative (MVI) will use over $107,000 in grant funding to revitalize the 5th Street Place in Charleroi.
According to a release, the grant will allow the MVI to complete the final phase of improvements to 5th Street Place, a mixed-use anchor building in the heart of Charleroi’s historic business district. MVI has owned the building since 2018, and the grant will allow the organization to complete a set of long-planned upgrades that will benefit both the surrounding commercial corridor and the affordable senior residents who call the building home.
MVI Real Estate Director Mark Child said the organization is extremely grateful for the support from Pennsylvania’s DCED.
“This is an important building, providing much needed affordable housing for seniors and following the rehabilitation of the commercial unit, an affordable space that a new business tenant can use,” Child said in a statement. “With the current economic challenges facing Main Street businesses, taking on the cost of this rehabilitation is not viable for prospective tenants, so we’re delighted to be able to build-out this unit in readiness for a new occupant and to bring more activity to downtown Charleroi.”
Fayette County
Touchstone Center for Crafts Executive Director Lindsay Gates said the $600,000 the Farmington nonprofit was awarded will allow the group to renovate the recently acquired Falls City Baptist Church building in Ohiopyle.
Gates said that the purchase of the former church property followed an extensive internal deliberation over how to expand the Touchstone Center’s local impact and footprint while preserving the unique creative atmosphere at their 230-acre isolated main campus.
The building will be converted into the “Touchstone Center by the Falls,” using the DCED funds, which will give the nonprofit an expanded retail space and capacity for a range of new short-term creative programming.
Gates said that physical renovation work is slated to begin sometime in fall 2026, with a grand opening event to follow in the spring.
Gates said Touchstone is looking forward to a deepening partnership with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to host joint events and programming at the newly renovated space that takes advantage of the natural beauty of the surrounding Ohiopyle State Park.
“It’s incredible that (the state government) understands our vision,” she said.
Eight projects in Allegheny County also received approximately $2.4 million in grant awards, including the Allegheny County Housing Authority, Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank and Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.