The city of Connellsville is alive with development. Three Penn-Trafford graduates and a former Franklin Regional High School football coach are a part of the reason why — pitching in with plans to build an event center, restaurant and short-term rental property.
When Nate Morgan, a 1993 Penn-Trafford graduate, bought the Cobblestone Hotel & Suites in the city in 2020, Greg Botta, who retired from coaching in 2021 after a 27-year career at Franklin Regional, could not pass up the opportunity to get involved.
The hotel, now a Comfort Inn, is listed as one of the top hotel stays for visitors to Fallingwater. It has become a popular stop for bikers along the Great Allegheny Passage, a 150-mile trail stretching from Cumberland, Md., to Pittsburgh. The trail passes through Connellsville, about 60 miles from Pittsburgh.
“The bikers, from March until November, they drive this hotel,” said Botta, of Penn Township.
Now, Botta and Morgan have joined forces with John Pultan and Mark Miller, Penn- Trafford graduates and Penn Township residents, to open an event center and restaurant next to the hotel on North First Street.
The four purchased the event center and restaurant property, overlooking the Youghiogheny River, last year for $90,000. As the builders prepare to install the concrete flooring and steel frame for the structure, the four hope to open both entities by Aug. 30, Morgan’s birthday.
“The only thing I want for my birthday — to open up,” joked Morgan, of Monroeville.
$5 million investment
The four were inspired to open the venue because of the increase in wedding parties booking stays at the hotel and bikers’ frequent requests for local restaurant recommendations. The project will cost about $5 million, Morgan said.
But that’s not all the four have in store. They purchased a former convent to renovate into an Airbnb rental property.
The building, located on North Prospect Street, was most recently used as a single-family home, Morgan said. The 11-room building — decorated with ceiling paintings and stained glass windows — can hold about 35 to 40 people, making it the perfect space for a bridal party, he said.
“The bride and her party get ready at the convent, take a limo, ride over here, have (their) wedding at the event center. Some or all of the guests can stay here at the hotel and the bride and groom can go back to the chapel room, stay at the convent and then go on their honeymoon.
“The interplay of the three assets, we think, will be fantastic,” he said.
The hope for the developments, Morgan said, is to make Connellsville a destination similar to Ohiopyle. A microbrewery opening across the street from the restaurant and event center will only contribute to this goal, he said.
Trippy Hippie Brewing is estimated to open this fall, said owner Kevin Leonard.
Leonard, 37, of Connellsville purchased the property in 2021 for $830,000. Accounting for brewing equipment and building, he expects the project to cost $1.3 million to $2.3 million.
“It’s going to immediately put Fayette County sort of into that brewing world,” he said.
Leonard has a vision to eliminate blighted property in the city and expand its entertainment scene. He plans to build tiered fireplaces into the hillside surrounding the brewery and bring in live music performances for visitors.
“I think we’re all on the same page of where we want to see things,” Leonard said of the four. “I’ve tried to help them where I could, and they’ve done the same. I think we’ve got a good working relationship going.”
Development encouraged
Connellsville officials are also lobbying for development. The city applied last week for a U.S. Department of Transportation grant to renovate an abandoned railroad trestle into a pedestrian bridge and park.
The Iron Horse Bridge, located near Yough River Park, often falls in the background of community members’ wedding, graduation and high school senior photos, said Mayor Greg Lincoln.
No longer part of a railroad, the bridge is closed to the public. With federal funding, the bridge could be turned into a park spanning the Youghiogheny River, Lincoln said.
The city tried and failed to secure the grant last year. Officials will find out in June if the city will receive the first round of funding for the Iron Horse Bridge Park project — between $3 million and $4 million for land acquisition and feasibility studies.
Featured Local Businesses
Renovation of the bridge would cost between $23 million and $25 million, Lincoln said.
The town is shifting from its roots in factory labor to recreation, particularly surrounding the Great Allegheny Passage, Lincoln said. Efforts like those of Morgan, Botta, Pultan and Miller are essential to this transition.
“We’re doing great things and we’re going in the right direction,” Lincoln said. “To have them want to continue to invest millions of dollars into our community is such a big deal for us.”
Morgan is landlord and developer with properties in Greensburg, as well as Pittsburgh’s North Hills, Highland Park, Oakland, Southside and Northside neighborhoods. Paired with Pultan’s building experience and Miller’s skills as an accountant, they make a good team, Botta said.
“Being a coach, you need a team and trust,” he said, “and that’s what this group has.”
The four make for a unique partnership, Morgan said, but their dedication to growing Connellsville unites them.
“We’re going all in on Connellsville,” he said.
Quincey Reese is a TribLive reporter covering the Greensburg and Hempfield areas. She also does reporting for the Penn-Trafford Star. A Penn Township native, she joined the Trib in 2023 after working as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the company for two summers. She can be reached at qreese@triblive.com.