Wilkinsburg lands $3M grant for downtown revitalization

A six-year, $3 million state grant awarded to the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation will go toward revitalizing the borough’s central business district, the corporation announced.

The development corporation plans to use the grant, from the Neighborhood Partnership Program, to finish work on the historic Lohr Building and Train Station, according to a release.

“We are proud of the work we have accomplished in the last 10 years,” said Tracey Evans, executive director of WCDC. “We have seen projects like the Lohr Building and the Train Station go from concept to near-completion, and programs to help small business owners lead to local entrepreneurship.”

The NPP is a program of the state’s Department of Community and Economic Development, and the grant money comes from companies that donate a portion of the state taxes. It’s the third time since 2010 the WCDC has received an NPP grant.

The Lohr Building, built in the 1800s and used to house everything from a newspaper office to a sewing machine store, is now set to become a flexible commercial space. Nancy’s Revival diner has already opened on the first floor.

The Train Station, which dates to 1915, sat vacant for more than 50 years but future plans for the space include room for a courtyard and other commercial ventures, according to the WCDC.

Previous grants have helped more than two dozen Wilkinsburg business owners renovate their storefronts, and the past decade has seen 63 new businesses relocate to the borough and 74 vacant storefronts filled, according to the development corporation.

It is revitalization that Evans hopes will continue.

“We look forward to continuing to make progress in our goal to help Wilkinsburg return to the thriving, prosperous neighborhood it once was,” she said. “A place where people of all ages and backgrounds increasingly want to live, raise their families and do business.”