Route 6 Alliance has announced the award recipients for the PA Route 6 Façade Program in Lackawanna County. To date, the program is funding 24 projects in Lackawanna County totaling over $246,000 in façade improvements. The success of this year’s façade program was a culmination of partnerships among PA Route 6 Alliance, the Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area, Lackawanna County Planning Commission, Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau, and NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania.
The PA Route 6 Façade Program was made possible by a $100,000 Keystone Communities Grant from the PA Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), support funding from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and matching funds from local businesses and organizations, and is part of a larger Alliance initiative aimed at stimulating economic development by enhancing the attractiveness of the small towns throughout the 11-county PA Route 6 Heritage Corridor.
After public informational meetings in February of 2023, Lackawanna County businesses and organizations were invited to submit applications for individual matching grant awards of up to $5,000 to fund physical improvements of building façades.
Imagine NEPA Performing Arts Center in Clarks Summit was one of the recipients of grant funding through the program. “We are so grateful to have received this grant, to help return the front of our antebellum building to its historic glory,” says Katie Lane, founder and Artistic Director at Imagine NEPA Performing Arts Center. “It truly beautified the front of our building and will also help us with better heating and cooling efficiency and safety.”
All projects funded through the façade program utilize local contractors, suppliers, and resources, resulting in an economic benefit to the community that often exceeds each individual grant award. The Alliance’s hope is that even applicants who did not receive grant funding will continue to follow through with their façade improvements and create a positive impact on the entire community.
“When conducting a countywide program, partnerships are extremely important, and we were very fortunate to have quality partners in the Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area, Lackawanna County Planning Commission, Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau, and NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania,” says Candace Hillyard, executive director of PA Route 6 Alliance. “All of these organizations were very involved with spreading the word, conducting the public meetings, and in the selection process. It was also a great opportunity for businesses to learn more about and apply for additional funding directly through the Lackawanna County Planning Commission, which awarded $140,000 through their Business Improvement Grants.”
“We were delighted to partner with PA Route 6 Alliance in offering this façade program to businesses in Lackawanna County,” says Owen Worozbyt, director of operations for the Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area. “By improving their storefronts, business owners will attract more customers while preserving the historical and cultural character of the heritage area. We are pleased that so many local businesses were able to participate in this program to enhance and beautify their communities.”
The PA Route 6 Façade Program in Lackawanna County is the fourth such façade program implemented by the Alliance. Previous façade programs were conducted in the PA Wilds, Endless Mountains, and Great Lakes Region. A combined total of 135 businesses and organizations have received façade grant funding across the 11-county corridor. The PA Route 6 Façade Program’s total economic impact in the region exceeds $1.355 Million.
For more information about the program, click here, or contact the Alliance at info@paroute6.com or 814-435-7706.
Here is a list of awarded projects in Lackawanna County:
- 78 Salem, LLC – Carbondale
- Bella Faccias Personalized Chocolates & Gifts – Old Forge
- Berlew’s Hoagies – Moosic
- Bluestone Laundromat – Dalton
- Bolock Law – Clarks Summit
- Carbondale Vacuum Center at the Fixit Shoppe – Carbonale
- Columbia Hose Co. #5 – Carbondale
- The Dalton – Dalton
- DLJ Properties, Sticky Smart Wallet, Inc. on River Street – Carbondale
- DLJ Properties, Sticky Smart Wallet, Inc. on Salem Street – Carbondale
- Dogwood Rentals – Clarks Summit
- George and Company Diamond Jewelry – Dickson City
- Grove 276, LLC – Clarks Green
- Hotel Anthracite – Carbondale
- Imagine NEPA Performing Arts Fund – Dalton
- Italian American Club Olyphant – Olyphant
- Krisa & Krisa Realty – Blakely
- McDonnell’s Restaurant – Carbondale
- Mosaic Restaurant Group, Inc. – Eynon
- Nina’s Abington, LLC – Clarks Summit
- NJB Trucking Company – Archbald
- NEET Center – Mayfield
- Pete’s Place – Carbondale
- Pets N Friends, LLC – Moosic
- Riverside Elementary East Elementary – Moosic
- Sheeley’s Drugstore – Scranton
- Waverly General Store – Waverly
- WSK Plaza – Mayfield
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.
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