Allegheny Land Trust nears end of community fundraising for former country club

The future owners of a 150-acre swath of land in Penn Hills and Churchill are $10,000 away from reaching their $100,000 community fundraising goal, according to an organization executive.

Sewickley-based Allegheny Land Trust began eyeing the former Churchill Valley Country Club property in May, when it sought out to raise over $3 million in state and private grants to preserve the land for recreational purposes.

As part of its fundraising efforts, the group launched a campaign seeking $100,000 from community members. The campaign website purportedly has raised $90,000. That campaign ends in December.

The nonprofit cannot close on the property, however, until the other $2.9 million is secured through other state and private grants, all of which are still pending.

Tom Dougherty, ALT’s vice president of development and external affairs, said he is hopeful the grants will be issued so ALT can close by March 2020.

He said once that happens, the nonprofit will start cleaning up the site.

“As part of cleaning up, we’ll make improvements to the existing parking lot and make sure the trails are (in) satisfactory shape and adequate in all areas,” he said.

Dougherty said the land has five miles of paved paths that used to cart golfers from hole to hole.

Once everything is tidied up, Dougherty said ALT will develop a management plan, which will take aim at its strategy on maintaining the property over the next decade.

“But there will be no buildings or ball fields or anything like that. We want it to be a natural area that is pleasing and accessible,” he said.

The former Churchill Valley Country Club – started in 1931 – has been owned by Zokaites Properties LP since 2013, just months after it closed in January of the same year. The clubhouse was demolished in 2016.

The Wexford-based development company, known for its high-end homes and commercial developments, was not immediately available to comment.