Allegheny Land Trust gets $1M boost for project at Churchill Valley Country Club site

Allegheny Land Trust announced Wednesday it received a $1 million boost from the state toward its effort to preserve the now-vacant 148 acres at the defunct Churchill Valley Country Club.

The grant is coming from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

“This is an enormous boost for the project — coming on the heels of the $300,000 of recently awarded private grant funding and continued donations from the community. The Churchill Valley Greenway is much, much closer to becoming a reality,” said Chris Beichner, ALT’s President and CEO.

ALT must raise $3 million by March 2021. The recent DCNR grant pushes the total amount raised to $2,175,000. The Sewickley-based organization said it still has grant requests pending and could see support from corporate sponsors.

“I am happy to help move this project forward and very pleased that DCNR was able to provide this level of support,” said state Sen. Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills.

State Rep. Summer Lee, D-Braddock, said ALT’s plans for the site “will improve the quality of life in our communities, and I’m excited to support its progress.”

Emily Golling, an advocate for the project who lives in Penn Hills, said receiving the DCNR grant is a “huge win.”

She, along with others from surrounding communities, started a Facebook page to follow the project’s progress. In September, the group created an online petition to drum up support. It has garnered a purported 718 signatures out of a goal of 1,000.

“ALT applied for the grant last year but did not receive as much as they had hoped to be awarded, so it was a welcomed surprise to see this year’s grant amount,” she said.

Golling said getting past the millions mark for needed funds felt like conquering Goliath, but she is optimistic the rest will be raised by March.

“Now, more than ever, the community is taking a renewed interest in being in nature,” she said. “The Churchill Valley Country Club provides an accessible way for people to do so that is close to their homes.”