On Tuesday, September 11, 2018, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf approved a $1.5 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant for a new Phoenixville Community Center. This is one of three projects approved in Chester County under the RACP Program.
The new proposed community center will be approximately 34,000 square feet of multi-use space to house the Parks and Recreation Department, Gymnasium, Gingerbread House Nursery School, and over 3,100 square feet of multi-use community space available for programming and/or public rentals. This new center will also offer better ADA accessibility and more parking for visitors to the adjacent Friendship Field and Reservoir Park.
“As the Borough has grown and revitalized over the last 15-20 years, our needs as a community have grown as well. Our current civic center, which is 105 years old, houses our Parks and Recreation Department that manages the myriad of programs, leagues and camps and has served us well. However, the growth of our community has brought about additional needs that the current building can no longer provide,” said Council President James Kovaleski.
State Senator Andrew Dinniman said, “All three Chester County projects represent great examples of public-private initiatives that aim to spur economic development, alleviate environmental issues, and increase access to recreational opportunities for children, residents and families.”
Representative Warren Kampf said, “The downtown area is alive with retail, restaurants and new multi-family developments. What was once a struggling former manufacturing community has been transformed. But with that change has come a need for an increased ability to provide the services this community deserves. This grant will go a long way to meet that need in Phoenixville.”
“As a thriving town that draws residents from throughout the region, capital improvements are needed. The new community center is necessary to better serve our citizens,” said Representative Becky Corbin.
Borough Manager E. Jean Krack says, “We have entered in to the design and engineering phase for the new community center, so the awarding of this grant is very timely and appreciated. We are very grateful to Senator Dinniman, Representatives Kampf and Corbin, and Governor Wolf for their incredible support of the funding which will assist in seeing this project come to life.”
RACP is a Commonwealth grant program administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects.
