Allegheny County – April 25, 2022 – Today, Pennsylvania State Senator Wayne Fontana announced the Wolf administration will award $12 million to two projects in the 42nd district. The grants are funded by the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP).

“I’m thrilled to see two exciting projects in the 42nd District receive substantial RACP funding,” said Sen. Fontana. “These projects will bring housing, jobs, and recreation to the areas of development. Both projects represent a bright future for Allegheny County, and I look forward to seeing community members enjoy and experience these new spaces.”

Grants awarded in 42nd Senatorial District include:

  • Esplanade, $10 million

Esplanade is a redevelopment of several brownfield and under-utilized industrial sites into a new, mixed-use sustainable district. Phase 1 will include destination-based attractions, experiential retail and restaurants, rental and for-sale housing, expansive public open space, a marina and public pier, all surrounding the Esplanade’s centerpiece Pavilion. Developers of the project plan to work in partnership with the Chateau, Manchester and North Side communities to reconnect neighborhoods, provide riverfront access on the Ohio, and create a destination for locals and visitors alike to enjoy.  

  • Astrobotic Capital Expansion – Phase II, $2 million

The project will repurpose a former post office into a new state-of-the-art headquarter building for lunar logistics. The building will house the company’s spacecraft integration cleanrooms, test facilities, lab spaces, rover test labs, payload operations room, dedicated mission control, and museum. The facility will have 15,000 square feet of cleanroom and lab space and will feature a space mobility and lunar simulant lab, where mobile rovers can test drive in synthetic lunar regolith.

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. A full list of 2022 grant recipients can be found online.

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