MAYOR’S
Corner
MICHAEL CHEREPKO
s we look ahead to 2018, there are a wealth of things for which
the City of McKeesport can be both proud and thankful.
Many of them are featured here on the pages of this quarter’s In
McKeesport Area magazine. You’ll have a chance to read about
holiday celebrations, acts of kindness, and new developments that
are coming together to keep our community viable. Normally, in the
“Mayor’s Corner,” I have the opportunity to share my thoughts on the
great things you’ll see on these upcoming pages, but today I’d like to
share excerpts from my annual budget message.
Earlier this month, I revealed plans to revitalize the City of
McKeesport with a widespread demolition and infrastructure
improvement endeavor called “The McKeesport Rising Project.” In
2018, we have introduced a new $2.5 million line item to our 2018
budget that will target blight, preserve our neighborhoods, and
improve our infrastructure. My goal is to uplift the McKeesport
community by improving residents’ quality of life today, while also
guaranteeing the stability they will need in coming years.
When we say “McKeesport Rising,” I encourage everyone to take time
to imagine what these words can mean. We all have heard stories
rooted in ancient folklore of the phoenix rising from its own ashes
– a magical bird that overcomes its mortality and through its own
reincarnation is solely responsible for the future of its species. This
image continues to serve as a striking metaphor for any spiritual,
societal, or economic rebirth, and it is perfect for describing the type
of renaissance many McKeesporters believe is necessary to rebuild
our community.
Municipalities across the Monongahela River Valley are experiencing
much of what we have here in McKeesport. In each case, local officials
are trying to rebuild whole communities that lost their viability when
the steel industry collapsed in the 1980s. This event devastated
our valley because it was the only industry here to support our
communities. These towns, including McKeesport, didn’t know what
to do. There was no way to anticipate the problems of a newly idled
workforce or a growing stock of vacant properties.
While we have known for quite some time that we cannot allow
ourselves to get caught up in the prospect of one particular industry,
and that we must diversify our economy to guarantee sustainability
of our business districts as well as our neighborhoods, there is
much more to our current plan. We have made countless economic
strides in recent years – we’ve attracted new retail and industrial
development; we’ve linked existing businesses with resources
to grow; and we’ve partnered with state, county, and federal
governments to improve our bridges and roadways.
With the sale of our local sewage treatment system, we are fortunate
to have access to funds that will allow us to make continued
improvements, specifically in the removal of blight and improvement
of infrastructure. In 2018, my plan is to gain the upper hand in our
battle with blight by demolishing more than 150 structures in the
first phase of what will be “The McKeesport Rising Project.”
24 McKeesport Area
A
It is no secret that blight can have a detrimental impact on the quality
of life in any community. Blight not only disheartens residents and
brings down the community’s collective morale, but it actually breeds
crime. The investment of demolition far outweighs the toll blighted
properties take on our neighborhoods. I would say the razing of these
structures is a necessary step in our objective to rebuild.
We can reflect on that magnificent image of the phoenix as we
envision a proud, revitalized McKeesport bouncing back from a
plethora of socioeconomic hardships. We can imagine a McKeesport
with cleaner neighborhoods that are free from the dilapidated shells
of homes that have become eyesores for our residents who do their
best to maintain their own properties. We can work together to
identify the sources of blight in our n