PA Route 6 Alliance Announces $200k DCED Grant for Façade Program in Warren and McKean Counties

Route 6 Façade Program Comes Full Circle

The PA Route 6 Façade Program is made possible thanks to a $200,000 grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s (DCED) Main Street Matters program. With additional support from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), this grant will help facilitate the program in Warren and McKean counties.

The PA Route 6 Façade Program provides local business owners with matching funds to improve storefronts and other projects. To date, the PA Route 6 Facade Program has helped businesses in the PA Wilds (2020), Endless Mountains (2021), Great Lakes Region (2022), Lackawanna County (2023), and Poconos (2024-2025). Prior programs have resulted in façade and storefront improvements to 153 businesses with an estimated economic impact of over $1.555 million in these communities.

“Investing in our Main Streets means investing in the people, small businesses, and communities that make Pennsylvania strong,” said DCED Secretary Rick Siger. “This funding for the McKean and Warren Counties Facade Program will help revitalize local business districts, preserve the unique character of communities along the PA Route 6 Heritage Corridor, and create new opportunities for economic growth and tourism across the region.”

“We are grateful for the continued support of DCED and DCNR, which allows us to once again offer the PA Route 6 Façade Program to businesses and organizations throughout the Route 6 corridor,” said Candace Hillyard, Executive Director of the PA Route 6 Alliance. “Over the years, it has been incredibly rewarding to partner with local communities and organizations to help revitalize downtowns, preserve historic character, and support small businesses through façade improvements.

“When we launched our first façade program in the PA Wilds, our vision was to bring this opportunity to every county along the Route 6 Heritage Corridor. As we near the completion of our current program in the Pocono Mountains, we will have achieved that goal, making façade funding available in all 11 counties along the corridor. Reaching this milestone is both exciting and meaningful for our organization and the many partners who have helped make it possible.

“After years of expanding the program across the corridor, it is especially rewarding to come full circle and return to the communities where it all began. We are excited to launch a new round of investment in Warren and McKean counties and continue helping businesses and organizations strengthen the places that make Route 6 such a special destination to live, work, and visit.”

Main Street Matters is designed to encourage the creation of partnerships between the public and private sectors that jointly support local initiatives such as the growth and stability of neighborhoods and communities, social and economic diversity, and a strong and secure quality of life. The program allows communities to tailor the assistance to meet the needs of its specific revitalization.

All funds from these projects stay local. Projects engage local contractors, construction companies, hardware stores, and sign shops, all of whom employ local residents. The result is a trickle-down effect that stimulates local economies and has a much larger economic impact that extends well beyond the funds associated with each grant.

Program Details

Commercial building owners and businesses or nonprofit organizations (with property owner approval) in Warren and McKean counties may apply for grants of up to $5,000 to support improvements to their building’s facade, the front exterior visible from the roadway. Grant recipients are required to provide a 1:1 match, resulting in a maximum total project investment of $10,000.

Eligible commercial buildings may be located anywhere within Warren or McKean counties. Eligible improvements include, but are not limited to, exterior painting, new signage, window replacement or restoration, and canvas awning replacement.

Public meetings to explain the guidelines and grant procedures are scheduled as follows:

• Monday, July 6, 10AM: Youngsville Borough Building, 40 Railroad Street, Youngsville
• Monday, July 6, 5:30PM: Warren County Conservation District, Conference Room, 4000 Conewango Avenue, Warren
• Tuesday, July 7, 10AM: Six & Kane, 63 N. Fraley Street, Kane
• Tuesday, July 7, 5:30PM: McKean County Dept. of Emergency Services, 911 Center Classroom, 17175 Route 6, Smethport
• Wednesday, July 8, 10AM: Port Allegany Moose Lodge, 35 Pearl Street, Port Allegany

Additionally, a virtual Zoom meeting will take place the evening of Wednesday, July 15, at 5:30PM. All interested applicants must pre-register and attend one public meeting before submitting their application.

For more information about the PA Route 6 Façade Program or to register for a public meeting, visit https://paroute6.com/programs-grants/facade/warren-mckean-counties/.

The PA Route 6 Alliance, a 501(c3) corporation, was established in 2003 to manage the PA Route 6 Heritage Corridor and to implement branding and marketing plans, community development programs and other planning efforts along the corridor.  The Alliance includes representatives from all 11 counties, 9 convention and visitor bureaus, 4 heritage areas, local development districts, local business owners, Chambers of Commerce, and other interested parties along the corridor.

The PA Route 6 Heritage Communities program is a program of PA Route 6 Alliance and PA Route 6 Heritage Corridor funded by the PA Heritage Area Program under the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.