Some residents of West Deer have big dreams for the township and surrounding communities.
The members of Deer Lakes Regional Revitalization Corp. say those dreams can now be followed.
An idea born in 2024, the nonprofit was officially founded in March 2025 by Leonard Verdetto, a West Deer resident and Deer Lakes School Board member.
“I wanted to help out the community and the school district in the long term,” Verdetto said.
The Deer Lakes Regional Revitalization Corp. works to develop and implement community-based plans and programs, both residential and commercial, aimed at promoting sustainable growth and strengthening the local tax base, according to its Facebook page.
While getting off the ground, the organization has had 11 members join and formed three subcommittees.
Each committee focuses on a section of West Deer the group hopes to help develop. Those areas are the Route 910 corridor, the site of the previous MSA Rockpointe Business Air Park and downtown Russellton.
Vince Mercuri, a West Deer resident and township supervisor, has been involved in the nonprofit for about a year and was recently named co-chair of the Russellton subcommittee. He said he dove into the role, talking to business owners in downtown Russellton to hear what types of projects are needed.
“We’re having the businesses (attend meetings) to talk about their ideas,” Mercuri said.
Conversations have led to ideas including dredging Deer Creek to mitigate flooding, adding sidewalks and lighting to the downtown area, and adding trees and a walking path around Deer Lakes Park.
Mercuri intends to contact lawmakers about securing grants to support projects.
Mercuri has been serving the the community for about 40 years in different capacities. He said the nonprofit includes a diverse group of people from the community.
A former Deer Lakes school director, Mercuri said his time on the board made him realize the district relies heavily on property taxes. He said the work by the nonprofit will help ease that pressure.
Verdetto said recruiting sustainable businesses to the area will not only allow the school district to be able to rely more on the business tax base, but present Deer Lakes students with more career options after graduation.
He said the group intends to assist in the communities — East Deer, West Deer and Frazer — that make up to the Deer Lakes School District.
Verdetto said the group has made connections with local lawmakers, the Allegheny County Business Development team and Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, among other business groups. The nonprofit also hosts public meetings the first Wednesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the West Deer Municipal Building.
“We want to hear from businesses and the public,” Verdetto said.
As the organization grows, he said, other communities are invited to partner with the nonprofit.
Mercuri emphasized the importance of community participation.
“We welcome community input,” he said. “We want to know what residents want. We want this to be driven from the bottom up, not from the top down.”
