The long-anticipated Bellefonte Waterfront project will receive $600,000 in state grant money for the creation of a promenade and improvements to an adjacent road, state Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, said on Wednesday.
The funding is among $890,570 awarded to three Centre County projects in Benninghoff’s 171st district from the Commonwealth Financing Authority’s Multimodal Transportation Fund and Small Water and Sewer Program. It brings the total funding in Centre County from the programs’ latest round of awards to about $4 million, with state Reps. Scott Conklin, D-Rush Township, and Paul Takac, D-College Township, announcing $3.1 million in grants for nine municipalities and organizations in the 77th and 82nd district.
Bellefonte Waterfront Associates’ Tom Songer, the project’s developer said in December that he was optimistic that construction on the long-planned project will begin this spring. The project will include a six-story boutique hotel and restaurant at the corner of High and Dunlop streets and another building with a parking garage and residential condos.
As part of the project, Dunlop Street will be transformed into a through-street. Bellefonte Borough intends to vacate the street and turn it over to the four adjoining property owners, three of which would grant an easement to Bellefonte Waterfront Associates to construct the through-street and maintain it in perpetuity. The parties were still working on the agreement as of December.
The grant will also support the construction of a promenade, a brick-paved area that Songer said will serve as a public gathering and walking space and will adjoin the outdoor seating for the restaurant.
Elsewhere in the 171st district, two Penns Valley projects were awarded grant funding.
Penn Township will receive $204,570 from the Multimodal Transportation Fund for improvements to Long Lane, including completion of the portion from Big Oak Lane to Penns Creek Road.
The Gregg Township Sewer Authority will receive $86,000 from the Small Water and Sewer Program for evaluation of and repairs to its sewer system.
“These are competitive grants, which means it is incumbent on local government officials to emphasize during the application process just how essential these projects are,” Benninghoff said in a statement. “I was proud to work with them and play a role in securing funding for these much-needed infrastructure improvements in their communities.”
