Senator Casey Delivers Millions for Projects in Pennsylvania

Senator Casey Delivers Millions for Projects in Pennsylvania

U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) secured more than $70 million in funding for 62 airports from the Infrastructure Bill that was passed into law during the end of the 4th Quarter of 2021 and another $81.6 million in funding for 63 projects across Pennsylvania from the recent FY 2022 Spending Bill. The projects include community revitalization, workforce development, critical infrastructure and resilience and projects that expand health care in the Commonwealth. Descriptions and awards for the 63 community projects across the state can be found HERE. Within MRC’s five-county region of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Carbon and Schuylkill counties, the projects are listed below:

Recipient: Downtown Shenandoah, Inc.
LOCATION: Lehigh County – $350,000
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This project funding will help establish the Shenandoah Innovation Center which will provide a co-working space and support services for small businesses in Northeastern Pennsylvania

Recipient: Berks Latino Workforce Development Corporation
LOCATION: Berks County – $500,000
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Berks Latino Workforce Development Corporation offers culturally thoughtful workforce and economic development programs to Berks County, including job training and wraparound services.  This project funding will establish an expanded technical center that will offer dual-language programs in adult education and occupational training in high-demand occupations.

Recipient: Muhlenberg College
LOCATION: Lehigh County – $231,000
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Muhlenberg College Inside/Out Prison Exchange Program is a partnership between Muhlenberg College and the Lehigh County Department of Corrections that seeks to improve access to postsecondary education for incarcerated individuals. This project funding will support the program, which enrolls Muhlenberg College students alongside incarcerated adults in a semester-long academic course.

Recipient: Berks County
LOCATION: Berks County – $750, 000
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This project funding will help complete the necessary capacity and environmental study to review the available capacity and potential impacts of adding passenger rail service to the existing freight lines between Reading, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Recipient: City of Bethlehem
LOCATION: Northampton and Lehigh Counties – $2,900,000
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This project funding will support a food cooperative initiative in the City of Bethlehem, which will address food insecurity challenges in the community. The cooperative will provide easier access to healthy, affordable and locally-sourced food.

Recipient: Community Bike Works
LOCATION: Northampton County – $1,400,000
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This project funding will support the development of a new bike shop and youth center in Easton, Pennsylvania

Recipient: Borough of Jim Thorpe
LOCATION: Carbon County – $1,468,000
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This project funding will support repairs to a critical municipal complex and renovations to the community center building, known as Memorial Hall.

U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) also announced more than $70 million in funding for 62 airports in Pennsylvania. The funding comes from the Airport Infrastructure Grants in the recently passed bipartisan infrastructure bill. More funding for Pennsylvania airports is expected in years to come.  These are the airports within MRC’s five-county region.  For full details across the state, go HERE.