City of McKeesport News
cKeesport
Meineke Benefits from Enterprise Zone Program
McKeesport business owner Joseph Tamburo is the latest to take advantage of Enterprise Zone funding available for redevelopment efforts in the city. Tamburo, who owns the Meineke Car Care Center at 4236 Walnut Street, secured a $ 60,000 Enterprise Zone loan to supplement a $ 200,000 renovation and upgrade financed by Indiana First Bank. The Enterprise Zone funds are being used to purchase new equipment. Indiana First funding is being used to acquire a truck and other assets for the company. Tamburo has operated the Meineke business since 2006. The facility currently employs three people, and Tamburo anticipates hiring three new employees as a result of his investment.“ I would not have been able to fully implement my plans without the Enterprise Zone loan,” Tamburo said.“ The process was quick and went smoothly. I encourage other local businesses to talk to them about Enterprise Zone assistance.” The loan to Tamburo is the nineteenth Enterprise Zone loan from the Revolving Loan Fund available in the Enterprise Zone comprised of the cities of McKeesport, Duquesne and Clairton. The Redevelopment Authority of the City of Duquesne, through an Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement with the cities, administers the program. Low interest loans and other incentives are available for business development and job creation. RACD chairman Phil Krivacek, the mayor of Duquesne, said Enterprise Zone Program resources are helping many business developments in the cities of Duquesne and McKeesport and Clairton.“ It’ s exciting to have an existing business reinvest in our community,” McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko said.“ Mr. Tamburo and the Meineke staff have provided a great service in the McKeesport area for years, and they are showing their appreciation for local customers – really for our community as a whole – by improving their property and their business.” While the city is drawing new developments in various neighborhoods, McKeesport community development director A. J. Tedesco said it’ s important for existing business owners, those who have been committed to their McKeesport locations, to know the city has programs and incentives to offer them as well.“ I encourage existing ownership to reinvest in the city, and I’ m available to discuss these opportunities with anyone,” Tedesco said.“ If we reinvest in the companies that have stayed in the city of McKeesport, we hope that our community will continue to support these businesses for years to come.” More information is available by contacting the City of McKeesport’ s Community Development office at 412-675-5020, ext. 635. For information on the Enterprise Zone Program in the three cities and the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Duquesne go to www. racod. org or call 412-469-8744.
46 McKeesport Area
McKeesport Collects Recyclable Electronics
On April 23, the City of McKeesport celebrated Earth Day and the Great American Cleanup with volunteers from the Angora Gardens Junior Gardeners, McKeesport Lions Club, South Allegheny School District’ s Polar Power environmental group and McKeesport Area High School’ s National Honor Society.
Behind the city’ s No. 2 fire station in Renziehausen Park, volunteers collected televisions, electronics and other difficult-to-recycle items from residents of McKeesport, Dravosburg, Glassport, Liberty, Lincoln, Port Vue, South Versailles Township, Versailles and White Oak.
“ The City of McKeesport is proud to have a role in organizing a service that benefits our community and our environment,” Mayor Michael Cherepko said.“ We are happy to give residents a unique opportunity to dispose of items and clean their properties in an orderly manner.”
Families were entertained with a gardening activity and appearances by the Pennsylvania Resource Council’ s Litterbug and Duquesne Light’ s Wattley. Representatives of Duquesne Light also distributed energyefficient CFL bulbs.
Family Dollar New to Versailles Avenue
The City of McKeesport, Family Dollar, the Durban Group and CBRE are celebrating a new retail development along Versailles Avenue.
A new Family Dollar retail store opens this summer at 3215 Versailles Avenue, offering low-priced household items, packaged foods, toiletries and more.
McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko said this development brings a new life to the Versailles Avenue corridor.
“ As we continue to work on building a better McKeesport through economic development, we will continue to see additions to the city’ s East End, Christy Park and Lysle Boulevard corridors,” Cherepko said.“ Family Dollar’ s interest in Versailles Avenue is special, because it’ s something we don’ t see every day. They are providing residents in our Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Wards with a much-needed service while replacing a full block of blight with new development.”
CBRE real estate broker Benjamin Roth agreed the replacement of blight with new construction is a beautiful development for the community.
“ Anytime you can redevelop vacant properties, build something new, and get this land back on the tax rolls, it’ s a positive development for the city,” Roth said.“ It brings jobs and tax dollars into the community.”
McKeesport community development director A. J. Tedesco said Family Dollar will be a large benefit to the people who live in the neighborhoods along Versailles Avenue.
“ Many residents are without transportation,” Tedesco said.“ This gives them more convenient access to items they may need in their daily living.”
Tedesco said he is excited to see the development process lead to an exciting grand opening.
The process began in August 2014, when Tedesco met with Family Dollar’ s contracted development companies, the Durban Group and CBRE Real Estate. City officials toured the city looking for potential sites, and developers showed the most interest in Versailles Avenue, which is proving to be a successful retail operation.