Federal spending bills passed by Congress last week will allocate nearly $4.5 million to four Centre County community projects, according to U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.
The bill package totaling $4.6 billion is the first wave of federal funding for 2024 and averted a government shutdown after being signed by President Joe Biden. Casey requested a total of $172.5 million in earmark funding for 142 community projects in Pennsylvania that are included in the bills.
“Through this bill, I’ve worked to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians—from stopping the flow of fentanyl into our Commonwealth, to investing in better roads, bridges, and waterways to spur job creation, to ensuring our veterans receive the benefits they’ve earned,” Casey said in a statement.
Here’s a look at the Centre County projects that received funding.
• The Centre County Public Safety Training Center will get $2 million for the construction of a new education building. Centre County commissioners announced last fall plans for a $4 million expansion of the center to increase education and training space. The Pleasant Gap facility, which is county-owned and managed by the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Technology, serves about 5,000 first responders a year from 18 counties.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman also supported the funding request.
• State College Borough will receive $1,595,411 for safety and accessibility improvements on South Allen Street. The borough’s 2024 Capital Improvement Plan includes a project to address multi-modal safety improvements on Allen Street at the College Avenue and Beaver Avenue intersections.
• The State College Area Food Bank will receive $750,000 to support the renovation of its new location at 169 Gerald Street. The food bank is currently in the process of relocating to the new building, which will double the space of its former home on South Atherton Street. Work on renovations and additions to the Gerald Street building began last summer.
• Philipsburg Revitalization Corporation will get $147,000 to support the restoration of a blighted vacant lot in downtown Philipsburg and convert it into a community green space.
