Casino revenues boost long-delayed projects in Alle-Kiski Valley communities
Oklahoma Borough, with a population of 788, doesn’t have hundreds of thousands of local tax dollars laying around to overhaul its community park, let alone pave the parking lot there.
“(Officials) have talked about it in the past, and that project was just put on the back burner because of cost,” said Councilman Chuck Blair.
Yet, work will start soon on a $100,000 paving project that includes new handicap spots and an accessible trail between the lot and the park.
“For much longer than I’ve been here, they’ve just added stone every year,” Blair said. “This way, we’ll have a proper parking lot.”
Oklahoma Borough and six other Alle-Kiski Valley communities in Westmoreland County recently received a combined $744,000 in casino-funded state grants, covering at least a significant chunk of desperately needed — and often delayed — projects.
State gambling law directs a portion of casino revenue in certain counties to the Local Share Account. These funds are then redistributed to municipalities and organizations in those counties.
Westmoreland County was made eligible in 2020 after Live Casino Pittsburgh opened in Hempfield.
Lower Burrell received the largest award: Nearly $300,000 for sewer liners in the city’s Kinloch neighborhood.
“This project probably could have been done (otherwise) but wouldn’t have been done as quickly,” city Manager Greg Primm said. “It does end up freeing up money so we can address other things that might have been pushed down the road, too.”
Another $30,000 came in for erosion control on Dorothy Street.
Both projects are expected to finish this fall.
Avonmore received a little more than $185,000 to install an accessible playground as well as surrounding benches, trash cans and a picnic table. The funds also allot for new handicapped parking spots as well as removing and replacing trees.
Other awards to Alle-Kiski Valley communities include:
• $60,000 for a new police vehicle in New Kensington
• $58,700 for basketball court rehabilitation in West Leechburg
• $30,000 toward a salt plow truck in Arnold
• $30,000 for a new lawn mower in Washington Township
• $8,775 for security cameras at the pedestrian bridge and boat launch pavilion in Hyde Park.
Altogether, 53 municipalities and organizations in the county received more than $19 million in combined Local Share Account money.
Jack Troy is a TribLive reporter covering the Freeport Area and Kiski Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on Penn Hills municipal affairs. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in January 2024 after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh. He can be reached at jtroy@triblive.com.
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