Churchill Valley Greenway project nearing finish line with $630,000 funding gap

The Allegheny Land Trust has until March 31 to raise another $630,000 in order to close on a deal to preserve 148 acres of vacant land at the defunct Churchill Valley Country Club.

Despite nearly two years of raising money to reach the $3 million price tag, crossing the finish line might come down to the very last minute, said Tom Dougherty, ALT’s vice president of development and external affairs.

Since May 2019, Allegheny Land Trust has planned to purchase the acreage from Zokaites Properties LP, the owner since 2013, to convert the 148 acres of hills, meadows and golf cart paths into a place where surrounding residents can enjoy the outdoors. The project has been dubbed the Churchill Valley Greenway.

So far, the Sewickley-based nonprofit has received state grants, corporate sponsorships and donations from around 800 individuals for a grand total of $2.37 million.

Duquesne Light Co. became the project’s largest corporate sponsor with a $75,000 donation announced Feb. 26. Sam Hartzman, DLC’s associate manager of corporate citizenship, said the company is thrilled to take part in the preservation project.

“We know how important green space has become in the past year as many of us have come to rely on these natural amenities as a way to maintain our physical and emotional health,” she said in a statement.

An anonymous donor gave $100,000 to the project recently, Dougherty said.

But right now all eyes are on the state Department of Community and Economic Development, which plans on announcing grant winners March 23. ALT has two pending grant requests from the agency. If awarded in full, they will total $500,000.

If DCED awards the organization the full $500,000, ALT will still need to raise another $130,000 within eight days to meet the goal by March 31.

Dougherty said ALT is looking at various options to come up with the money, including bridge financing — a loan typically used to fill a financial gap until permanent financing is secured.

“Even if we have to use bridge financing, we have to pay that off,” Dougherty said.

The bottom line, he said, is the nonprofit is doing everything it can to close March 31.

He said Zokaites Properties LP, the property’s owner, has said it will not extend the March 31 deadline. The original deadline was set for March 2020 and was extended for a year.

A spokeswoman for Zokaites was not immediately available for comment.

Though 40 acres of the 148 are within Penn Hills municipal boundaries, officials have not formally endorsed the project. It has, however, received a number of formal endorsements from community members, politicians and organizations including, in part, Churchill Borough, Wilkins Township, Penn Hebron Garden Club, the Blackridge Civic Association and several others.

Whatever happens later in the month, Dougherty said, the land trust will need a “final push.”

“We’ve come a long way … but we know we’ll need additional support from the community, business sponsors and foundation partners to get us across the finish line,” he said.

To donate to the project, visit alleghenylandtrust.org/churchill-valley.