From staff reports
The McElhattan Foundation has committed $150,000 toward the Main Street Program in Knox, according to a Clarion County Economic Development Corporation news release. Sarah Pistella, program officer for the McElhattan Foundation, said by investing in the CCEDC’s Main Street Initiative in Knox, the foundation is underscoring its commitment to fostering vibrant communities and sustainable economic development.
“We believe in the power of collaboration and strategic investment to revitalize downtown areas, and we’re excited to be part of this transformative journey,” she said.
The CCEDC said it is spearheading the initiative as part of its overall 2030 economic development strategy. The initiative will begin with an open-community revitalization visioning process, specifically toward the creation of a collaborative regional downtown revitalization vision statement and regional downtown revitalization action strategy for the five communities in Clarion County.
The effort, the CCEDC said, will include the identification of key partners, projects, and additional funding that can support a variety of revitalization and redevelopment opportunities.
The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development offers grant programs, which the CCEDC plans to pursue to fund capital projects and improvements, the release said. The McElhattan Foundation’s investment will go toward projects identified in the planning process.
The CCEDC said it is at the beginning stages of the Clarion County Regional Main Street Initiative, which is a countywide effort to facilitate and promote main street revitalization across Clarion County downtowns. The program is set to begin in Clarion, East Brady, Foxburg, Knox and New Bethlehem.
The McElhattan Foundation, a grantmaking organization based in Pittsburgh, awards grants in four program areas: ending death on the job, education, end-of-life planning and care, and economic development in Knox and Franklin.