Lt. Gov. Davis touts Main Street Matters proposal during Ebensburg visit

Dave Sutor, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·2 min read

Feb. 16—EBENSBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis stopped in Ebensburg on Friday to announce a new facade grant for the borough and, at the same time, to promote a proposed initiative aimed at improving Main Streets across the commonwealth.

Ebensburg has been awarded $50,000 in Keystone Communities funding for facade improvements at 17 businesses, according to Davis.

Meanwhile, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Davis, from the aging steel town of McKeesport, Allegheny County, have designed a proposed 2024-25 budget that includes a $25 million Main Street Matters program to help rebuild central business districts.

"We want to revitalize places like McKeesport and double down on our investment in places like Ebensburg," Davis said during a stop at Pour on Center, a local gastropub. "While Pennsylvania's downtowns and Main Streets are often windows into our past, Gov. Shapiro and I believe that they can be economic engines for our future. That's what I see here in Ebensburg as you invested in preserving your historic downtown as an economic development strategy for your community."

Davis added: "This is commonsense. It's good for the commonwealth. It's good for our communities. And it's good for our people here in Pennsylvania. These investments matter because Main Streets matter all across our commonwealth. The time to invest is now."

State Rep. Frank Burns, D-East Taylor Township, and Ebensburg Community Development Director Danea Koss pointed to Ebensburg as a municipality where Main Street revitalization has already occurred.

The nonprofit Ebensburg Main Street Partnership, in its quarter-century of existence, has played a central role in helping clean up the town's appearance and developing events, such as Wheels & Wings and PotatoFest.

"These programs are working," Koss said. "We're an example of that. Once our program started, there was sort of a fire to get the streetscape project done, to get the sidewalks done, to do facade improvement projects and to establish a whole host of community events throughout the year. And we have succeeded there. We are continuing with all of those things. We are honored again to have been given another opportunity to offer these facade grants to our businesses in town."

Burns said Ebensburg's Main Street initiative is "thriving."

"We want to highlight the efforts they've done and replicate that success in towns like Nanty Glo, East Conemaugh Borough and all of the small communities throughout the district so that they have an opportunity to succeed, too, and they can improve their communities and bring businesses to those communities," Burns said.