Let’s start with some project news first: There was a groundbreaking held last week for Light of Life’s $5 million new facility on the North Side. Sota Construction is the contractor. Sota is also the CM for the $3 million UPMC Graham Field project in Wilkinsburg. H H & H started construction on the new $3.7 million Sheetz at Bursca Retail in South Fayette. Massaro Corp. is starting construction on $5 million Best of the Batch facility and $7 million bathroom renovation program at Pitt-Johnstown. A. Martini & Co. was awarded the $2.8 million Ernst & Young renovation. Rycon Construction started work on the new 19,000 square foot office TI for Microsoft and a $2.2 million pharmacy renovationat AHN Wexford Wellness Pavilion. Developers EPC Real Estate Group announced the 251-unit, $50 million Waterfront Apartments. EPC has been working with Continental Building Co. on the project. Continental is also building a 23,000 square foot retail center in Uniontown, called Beesontown Shops, which Herky Pollock and partners are developing.

Pennsylvania’s DCED recently announced the projects which received grants under the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP). RACP grants are given to help bridge the gap in funding a difficult project or help an owner that will struggle with funding of a major capital need that serves the public good. Often these are commercial real estate deals or even industrial projects where the justification is the job creation that follows. Some are just public benefit projects, like the awarding of $1 million to the URA to do traffic improvements at the Highmark Riverhounds Stadium at Station Square, part of an $8 million expansion the Riverhounds want to undertake. Some of the projects that received awards that might be of interest:

The awards included millions for projects that are already underway or received other grants in previous years. These include the Terminal Building in the Strip and Hazelwood Green, aomong others.  You can view the lists of submissions and awards.