Allentown's NIZ Getting Supplemental Funding

Schlossberg announces Riverside Drive grantHARRISBURG, July 1 – State Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, announced today that a $1 million grant has been awarded to the Riverside Drive project at the Waterfront, which sits on the former site of the Lehigh Structural Steel Company.

The Multimodal Transportation Fund grant has been awarded to the Waterfront Development Company to assist in the construction of a 3.5-mile, two-lane road and a paved trail along the path of a former railroad bed.

"I’ve long said that community development efforts won’t be successful, unless everyone in our community – from the richest to the poorest – is able to benefit and this project will achieve exactly that," Schlossberg said. "Riverside Drive will better connect Allentown, and not just physically. It will connect residents with a slew of new jobs and recreational activities that will invariably lead to further growth and an increased quality of life for our community."

The Commonwealth Financing Authority’s Multimodal Transportation Fund, which was created by the transportation funding plan, provides grants to encourage economic development and ensure that a safe and reliable system of transportation is available to the residents of the commonwealth.

"Not only will this project make it easy for workers to get downtown while alleviating congestion along nearby corridors, but it will also help to complete a crucial link currently missing in the 165-mile Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Trail," Schlossberg said. "Once completed, the Riverside Drive project will benefit all motorists, bicyclists and pedestrian in the region who are interested in enjoying the Lehigh River or are simply commuting through the area. This is a good day for Allentown."

The CFA was established in 2004 as an independent agency of the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to administer Pennsylvania's economic stimulus packages. The CFA holds fiduciary responsibility over the funding of programs and investments in Pennsylvania's economic growth. The CFA consists of seven board members: four legislative appointees and the secretaries of DCED, the Office of the Budget and Department of Banking.