State Rep. Harry Lewis, Jr. (R-74)
To attract both businesses and people to the city of Coatesville, Rep. Harry Lewis Jr. (R-74) announced that a $5 million grant through the Commonwealth’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) had been obtained to offset the costs of a mixed-use redevelopment project. The project will create 215 construction jobs and 90 new, permanent jobs.
“Having lived in Coatesville all my life, I experienced the buzz of the city when it was thriving. Now, we need to do some work to again instill life into the area,” Lewis said. “Our local, county and state governments all support this project; it has connected the community.”
The $25 million redevelopment project, located at the corner of Lincoln Highway East and 1st Avenue, will consist of 30,000 square feet of street-level shops and 44 apartments on the second and third floors. While some existing buildings will be demolished, the project will maintain the historical value of Coatesville through the new design.
Concurrent projects will include creation of an adjacent parking garage and improvements to surrounding streets with improved lighting and landscaping. In addition to the other changes, Diamond Street, which currently is an alley, will be converted to a street with the creation of pedestrian sidewalks.
Jim DePetris, chief executive officer and broker of record of Legend Properties Inc., shares his passion for the revitalization, “Beginning this project will provide momentum and attract other developers, creating jobs and encouraging people to come to the city. Not many need a break like the city of Coatesville. This will be a game changer.”
As the intersection of Lincoln Highway East and 1st Avenue currently presents safety issues because of its misalignment, it will be fixed in conjunction with the other projects.
The project will be funded, in part, by a RACP grant. RACP projects are state-funded projects that cannot obtain primary funding under other state programs. RACP is a Commonwealth grant program administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational and historical improvement projects.
An additional grant for $900,000 was awarded for the redevelopment project by the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) through the state Multimodal Transportation Fund Program. The grant was made possible by Act 89, which increased transit funding and established dedicated multimodal funding for aviation, passenger rail, rail freight, port and bicycle-pedestrian projects. Selections were based on such criteria as safety benefits, regional economic conditions, the technical and financial feasibility, job creation, energy efficiency and operational sustainability.
