The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development has authorized a $41,000 grant for a Pittsburgh community group to improve two buildings it owns in the city’s Allentown neighborhood.

State Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Hill District, said in a statement that the money would go to the Hilltop Alliance, which last year purchased 821 and 823 E. Warrington Ave., currently the home of Leon’s Caribbean Restaurant and Paisano’s pizzeria.

Aaron Sukenik, the alliance’s executive director, said the organization is planning total facade renovations to both buildings, including wall anchoring and new roofs, windows, and siding.

“We bought both buildings in September 2018 knowing that they had a lot of deferred maintenance needs and which we would need to address within the first few years of ownership,” he said in an email. “The total project cost will be around $130,000, and we greatly appreciate DCED and Rep. Wheatley’s support in providing an important piece of that.”

The alliance intends to keep the two restaurants, each of which has a new multiyear lease.

Sukenik said the alliance aims to maintain the buildings for lease as affordable commercial kitchen space with rent increasing by an amount equal to the rate of inflation. Market rates will be higher as the Allentown business district continues to grow, he added.

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