Numerous Harrisburg projects receive funds as Dauphin County awards gaming grants

Renovation of the Swallow Mansion nears completion on the 1000-block of N. 6th Street in Harrisburg. The project has received a Dauphin County gaming grant.

More than 80 projects in Dauphin County will receive gaming grants this year, as the Dauphin County commissioners have approved $6.3 million in awards.

Harrisburg-based companies and organizations will receive a number of grants, the awards originating each year from the county’s share of gaming revenue generated from Hollywood Casino at Penn National.

In Harrisburg, many of the projects are geared towards either removing blight or offsetting redevelopment or construction costs. These include:

• Jackson Rooming House and Swallow Mansion: $75,000 to Vice Capital for renovating the buildings on the 1000-block of N. 6th Street into market-rate apartments and retail space
• Open Stage: $50,000 for phase three of the renovation of its downtown theater
• ModernRugs.com: $60,000 for demolition of two blighted buildings on the 1400-block of N. 3rd Street
• Whitaker Center: $100,000 for updates and improvements to its STEM learning gallery
• The Nativity School: $50,000 for new school facility renovation
• Homeland Center: $24,000 for security infrastructure improvements
• Stephen’s Episcopal School: $20,000 for school safety and security improvements
• Gamut Theatre Group: $30,000 for debt reduction on its downtown building project

Harrisburg city will receive two grants:

• $250,000 for purchase and installation of new bay floors at the city’s two operational fire stations
• $$75,000 for design of the city’s proposed extension of the Urban Meadow in Midtown

“The majority of these projects create jobs and further investment and make our county more attractive to companies looking to either expand or relocate to our area,’’ said Commissioner Mike Pries, in a statement.

Each year, Dauphin County makes these awards based upon a portion of casino gaming revenue and upon the recommendation of the county’s five-member Gaming Advisory Board. Last year, the county awarded $6.4 million in grants to about 60 projects.

The following is a complete list of the projects that will receive gaming funds this year, according to Dauphin County:

 Host & Contiguous

• East Hanover Township (Debt service for Public Works bldg., annual road maintenance, fire company breathing apparatus) – $745,000
• South Hanover Township ($175,000 municipal complex debt reduction; $25,000 PA State Police Museum construction debt, and $5,000 Antique Auto Museum expansion planning)  – $205,000
• Derry Township ($60,000 Fire Station construction debt reduction; $148,000 Police and Public Works radios; $24,000 The Vista School safety and security surveillance system; and $50,000 C&S Kray Real Estate Sand Hill Rd. relocation) – $282,000
• Middle Paxton Township ($124,000 Potato Valley Road Bridge debt; $56,000 Municipal building storage and elevator; and $61,000 Dauphin Borough sewer revenue bond debt) – $241,000
• Rush Township ($40,000 Route 325 mile marker signs; $11,500 Generator for Emergency Management Center; $44,000 Jefferson Township paving project) – $95,500
• West Hanover Township (Lease purchase of new fire engine) – $200,000

Other Awards

• Dauphin County Parks & Recreation Department (Fort Hunter Station adaptive reuse) – $160,000
• Penbrook Borough (Sewer Interceptor replacement) – $75,000
• Swatara Township (Paxton Street sidewalk construction project) – $170,000
• Susquehanna Township ($175,000 Portable radios replacement; $14,000 Susquehanna Township High School baseball safety expansion; and $10,000 Susquehanna Township High School Alumni Association Building Champions Field House project) – $199,000
• Jackson Township/Fisherville Vol. Fire Co. (Fire Station addition construction debt) – $19,000
• Lower Swatara Township ($133,000 Annual DCIB loan payment and police radio upgrades; and $62,400 Lower Swatara Volunteer Fire Co. Tanker 59 debt reduction) – $195,400
• Millersburg Borough (Municipal Building ADA upgrade project) – $59,000
• Millersburg Area School District (Security and accessibility upgrades at schools) – $48,000
• Steelton Borough/Steelton Vol. Fire Dept. ($90,000 Phase II Skate Park conditioned on obtaining full funding for Skate Park; $12,265 Fire Department equipment) – $102,265
• Capital Area Transit (Transportation services for veterans) – $96,500
• The Salvation Army (New generator at main facility) – $25,000
• Dauphin County Library System (Patron computer upgrades) – $40,000
• Keystone Service Systems, Inc. (Capital Area Head Start outdoor education space) – $43,000
• Londonderry Township (Debt service for bridge replacements) – $94,886
• Harrisburg Rugby Football Club (Design and construction of rugby fields with lights) – $35,000
• Royalton Borough (Roadway rehabilitation project) – $180,000
• D&H Distributing (Construction of new training center) – $90,000
• Berrysburg Municipal Authority (Sewage Treatment Plant System project) – $34,000
• Elizabethville Borough/Area Authority (Replacement of Smith Avenue Wastewater Pump Station) – $70,000
• Elizabethville Borough/Reliance Hose Co. No. 1 (Apparatus debt reduction) – $30,000
• Churchville Cemetery Association (Cemetery mower equipment conditioned upon not applying for one year) – $10,000
• Lower Paxton Township ($47,000 Resurfacing of Friendship Center gym floor conditioned upon Township resurfacing leisure pool; $20,000 Koons Memorial Park Swim Club pool area improvements; $350,000 Linglestown Fire Co. No. 1 Air Unit replacement conditioned upon donating old unit to northern Dauphin Co. fire company and not applying for two years) – $417,000
• Dauphin County Industrial Development Authority (Solar Farm project debt service) – $137,000
• Court Administration for Magisterial District Judges (Debt reduction on construction of new MDJ facilities) – $150,000
• Dauphin County Redevelopment Authority (Marketing and advertising costs for acquisition and redevelopment of Commonwealth property) – $116,000
• Lykens Borough/Authority ($90,000 Lykens Borough Phase II replacement of water distribution system; $15,000 Liberty Hose Co. No. 2 mobile radio upgrades) – $105,000
• Halifax Borough ($15,000 ADA compliance improvements at historical society building; $63,000 Halifax Area Water and Sewer Authority waterline improvements; $25,000 Halifax Swim Club new sliding board) – $103,000
• Hummelstown Borough (Purchase of replacement police radios) – $75,000
• Harrisburg City ($75,000 Bureau of Engineering urban meadow extension design; $250,000 Bureau of Fire purchase and installation of new bay floors at Stations 1 and 2) – $325,000
• Campus Cinema LP d/b/a Midtown Cinema (Renovations to theater lobby and facade) – $50,000
• Gamut Theatre (Debt reduction on building renovation) – $35,000
• Tri-County HDC (Phase II of 6-unit townhouse project) – $125,000
• Open Stage of Harrisburg (Phase III renovation project) – $50,000
• ModernRugs.com (Demolition of blighted buildings) – $60,000
• Vice Capital (Jackson Square historical site revitalization project) – $75,000
• PA Esports Coalition (Traveling esports learning space conditioned upon purchasing a van in 3 years) – $25,000
• Reed Township (Contribution to debt payment on aerial fire apparatus) – $47,000
• Shalom House (Construction of ADA compliant emergency shelter units conditioned upon securing all financing) – $25,000
• Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts (Updates and improvements to STEM learning gallery) – $100,000
• Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority (Retro-fit aircraft rescue firefighting equipment for Harrisburg International Airport Fire Department) – $19,500
• Panther Ram Foundation (Central Dauphin School District Nutri-packs program) – $50,000
• Harrisburg University (HUE Invitational security services and technology) – $75,000
• The Nativity School (New school facility renovation) – $50,000
• The Homeland Center (Security infrastructure improvements) – $24,000
• Stephen’s Episcopal School (School safety and security improvements) – $20,000
• Phase 4 Learning Center, Inc. (After-school STEAM program) – $30,000
• Center for Independent Living of Central PA (Purchase of two accessible vehicles) – $42,000
• Penn State University (Harrisburg Innovation Park planning project conditioned upon obtaining full project funding within 3 years) – $35,000
• Ghost Brewing Company d/b/a Rubber Soul (Phase I construction of brewery) – $75,000
• Ecumenical Community of Harrisburg (Building 2 roof replacement project) – $25,000
• Veterans Outreach of Pennsylvania (Construction of tiny homes community for veterans) – $25,000
• Iron Workers Joint Apprenticeship Training Center (Training Center roof and equipment upgrades) – $42,700
• Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 520 (Roof replacement project) – $44,700
• Heat & Frost Insulators Local 23 (Parking lot upgrades and new lighting) – $43,200
• Oasis Community/Living Water Church (Phase II playground project) – $10,000
• Elevator Constructors Local 59 (New boiler and HVAC system) – $28,000
• Wiconisco Fire Engine Co. (Debt reduction on new fire rescue) – $40,000
• Upper Paxton Township/Millersburg Area Senior Center (Senior Center updates and renovations) – $1,700
• Halifax Township/Camp Hebron (Cabin replacement project) – $8,800
• Capital Area Soccer Association (Ranger Field upgrades and beautification) – $15,000
• Catholic Charities (Safety and security upgrades) – $3,500
• Central Penn Crusaders Youth Football (Youth football all-star tournaments) – $2,500
• Downtown Daily Bread (Installation of air-conditioning in Day Shelter) – $10,000
• Farm of Hope (Development, construction and transportation at farm serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities) – $15,000
• Midtown Action Council (Historic Marker revitalization expansion project) – $5,000
• The National Civil War Museum (Reduction of long-term debt) – $16,000
• Sankofa 21 Institute (Student technology initiative) – $6,000
• Tri-County OIC (Mobility access for workplace readiness) – $13,000
• Vision Resources of Central PA (Purchase of commercial grade facility freight lift conditioned upon obtaining full funding within three years) – $10,000
• American Literacy Corporation (Dauphin County Reads Program) – $15,000
• Grandparents Involved From The Start (Purchase of tablets for grandparents) – $5,000
• Dauphin County Industrial Development Authority to administer the following project: The Foundation for Enhancing Communities/IIPT Harrisburg Peace Promenade (Commonwealth Monument Project) – $100,000