More Than $1.3 Million in Gaming Funds to Benefit Lackawanna County

Harrisburg, April 15, 2010 -- Senate Democratic Leader Robert Mellow (Lackawanna/Luzerne/Monroe) today announced three projects in Lackawanna County will receive a share of gaming fund revenues generated by Mount Airy Resort and Casino.

“These projects all in some way improve the quality of life for people living in northeast Pennsylvania, whether it’s cultivating business in the city of Scranton, improving the environment and expanding recreational opportunities through the Rail-Trail extension or helping municipalities fund building projects so as not to burden the local taxpayer,” said Mellow. “Here are three very different examples of how gaming revenue is impacting our communities for the better.”

The projects include:

·        The City of Scranton was awarded a $472,317 grant on behalf of 317 Linden, LLC, for the Penn Avenue Corridor Project. The project aims to revitalize the neighborhood along Penn Avenue and entails the renovation of two buildings in Scranton to house a jazz club, day spa, restaurant, office space, coffee shop, wine bar, and green grocer.

·        Dickson City Borough was awarded a $550,000 grant to purchase land for a new municipal building. The present facility is no longer adequate due to the growth of the borough and local government.

·        Taylor Borough was awarded a $350,000 grant on behalf of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority (LHVA) for the Central New Jersey Rail-Trail Extension Project. The project includes the construction of a two-mile extension, completing the contiguous eight-mile, multi-purpose trail on an abandoned railway connecting Taylor with the City of Scranton. It helps to revitalize both communities by turning an abandoned, overgrown Brownfield property into a well-maintained, clean, attractive and safe trail for pedestrians, cyclists and families.