New mural, lighting project add to downtown Greensburg aesthetics

The South Pennsylvania Avenue parklet in downtown Greensburg is getting a face-lift with the addition of a mural on the wall of a building on its north side.

The mural is sponsored by Suzanne and Michael Ward, owners of City Cribs 2 and RSVP Gifts and More.

Both the parklet and the building, which formerly housed Art-Tech Supplies, are owned by City Cribs, a local development business of which City Cribs 2 is an offshoot.

Artist Cody Sabol of North Huntingdon is in charge of the project.

Sabol has studios in downtown Pittsburgh and White Oak. His main artistic practice is doing speed-painting at fundraisers and galas, along with painting cleats for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the occasional mural.

“We gave Cody free rein as an artist to come up with the design,” Suzanne Ward said. “We wanted some native flowers and birds, some butterflies and color to brighten the area and bring it to life.”

The background colors are yellow and orange.

“We wanted to create something that stands out, to be a bright point in people’s day when they’re walking around down here,” Sabol said.

Despite the eye-catching colors, the design also is meant to evoke “oasis” and “sanctuary,” he added. The central figure of a woman represents peace, wisdom and gentleness.

Sabol projects that the mural will be completed by Wednesday or Thursday.

He has been assisted in the work by his friend, Christian Williams of North Huntingdon, a sports performance trainer and group fitness instructor.

“He’s the mastermind, the workhorse,” Sabol said. “He’ll tell me when something looks ugly or strange.”

“I’m just a second set of eyes,” Williams countered.

Lighting the block

The mural is the latest in City Cribs redevelopment efforts along the 100 block of the avenue.

The Art-Tech building is being renovated to house an eatery and a second location of Hempfield-based RSVP Gifts and More.

City Cribs also will develop a small amphitheater on the building’s north side, in a lot where a deteriorating building that had housed Derby’s Delicatessen was demolished in 2021.

“Any public art is good,” said Downtown Greensburg Project founder Jessica Hickey, who collaborated on the mural project concept. “It’s important for the community and provides a sense of place.

“Downtown Greensburg already has a museum, a theater, Art in the Alley,” she said. “This adds to our growing art scene and lets people know more about artists in our area.”

In addition to the mural, City Cribs and RSVP Gifts are collaborating with Amp Pro Electric and the Downtown Greensburg Project on a lighting project along the block, with installation also planned for next week.

“We’ll zigzag lights back and forth across the street from building to building along the whole block with all the participating businesses,” Ward said.

The project was approved by Greensburg City Council, she said, and was met with enthusiasm by business owners.

“I called all the business owners and, within an hour, I had everybody’s approval,” she said.

The LED lights will be strung on airplane cable to withstand wind and will be placed at a height determined by fire department requirements, she said.

They will come on nightly at the same time as the street lights.

“Their purpose is not to light up the street, but for aesthetics, to give visual attention to that block of businesses,” Ward said.

Participating businesses will share the cost of lights, other materials and labor for the installation.

“People are going to want to come downtown and see (the mural), which is good for the area,” Hickey said. “People can pop in, see it and then go to the shops.

“The lights are gonna look really cool, too, and I think it’s going to be a huge addition for the (Greensburg) Night Market.”