Sharpsburg awarded $10 million for waterfront housing, recreation project

Sharpsburg officials are hoping a growing chest of state and federal money will bring them something the borough hasn’t had since the 1800s — a direct connection to much of its riverfront property.

On the heels of a $25 million federal award in June, Sharpsburg got a state award this month for the once-in-a-generation transformation of its waterfront.

The borough will receive $10 million from the state for the Allegheny Shores development, a reclamation of a 52-acre brownfield by developer Mosites Co., best known for its redevelopment of the East Liberty commercial corridor.

The project includes commercial, housing and retail use and, perhaps as important, seeks to reconnect residents to the riverfront.

The 1.5-mile stretch of property operated for decades as a scrapyard. It accounts for about 12% of the borough’s land and has been unable to be reused because of a lack of transportation infrastructure.

The state Business in Our Sites program funding includes a $4 million grant and $6 million loan to help reclaim the 52-acre dead spot. The money comes through the state Department of Community and Economic Development and is specifically for upgrades to the 19th Street entrance to the riverfront.

Work will mitigate the community’s largest transportation barrier — the Conemaugh Line — a railway owned by Norfolk Southern that has, since the 1860s, separated the borough from the riverfront.

Funding was supported by state Sen. Lindsey Williams and state Rep. Mandy Steele, along with Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato. Sharpsburg is included in the respective districts of Williams and Steele.

“This project is about more than just infrastructure,” Williams said. “It’s about reclaiming and revitalizing our riverfront to serve as a hub of economic, recreational and environmental prosperity for generations to come.

“I look forward to catalyzed economic development, enhanced quality of life and the creation of a vibrant, mixed-use destination that respects the area’s rich industrial history while paving the way for a sustainable future.”

The borough, nestled about 5 miles from Pittsburgh along the Allegheny River, is home to about 3,500 residents.

Sharpsburg Manager Christine DeRunk said the funding is a critical piece of the revitalization puzzle.

Money will enable site work and set the stage for a waterfront that will boost economic growth and improve the quality of life for residents, DeRunk said.

Steele said the transformation of a brownfield will have implications throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley and is the type of development needed to promote hope.

“It is exactly the kind of project that we need to encourage in our small riverfront communities,” she said.