Project using part of former Alcoa site in New Kensington for veteran services gets $3 million state grant
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Plans to use a portion of the former Alcoa headquarters site in New Kensington for housing and social services for veterans has received a $3 million state grant to help make it a reality.
State Rep. Carrie Lewis DelRosso, R-Oakmont, announced Thursday a grant from the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program to fund the Alcoa Legacy Project.
“Since the day I took office, I’ve been concerned about community development in the district,” Lewis DelRosso said. “This is really the first project where I’ve been able to roll up my sleeves to try to help do something about it.”
Lewis DelRosso was elected in November 2020 as the District 33 representative in the state House.
DelRosso said she championed the Alcoa Legacy Project because, in addition to providing housing and social services for veterans, it creates jobs and reuses buildings that might otherwise remain vacant.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for growth,” she said. “I am so excited for the Zion Community Network to begin the first phase of this long-awaited project, and the fact that the funding was announced just before the holidays is such a blessing.”
The grant will primarily be used for infrastructure improvements that include repairing or replacing the elevator, roofing, thermal insulation and walls.
Water service, electric and heating and air conditioning systems also will be installed along with updated bathroom and kitchen areas.
These renovated buildings will provide housing for vulnerable veterans and a range of services including addiction recovery counseling, family support, economic development and job readiness programs.
The Rev. Raymond Parker, senior pastor of the Zion Community Network, was elated to learn that the project was among those being funded by the state.
“It’s very exciting and I believe this is the right place at the right time to make it happen,” he said.
Parker said the Zion Community Network owns 30% of the 22-acre parcel that was once home to Alcoa’s headquarters in New Kensington.
Dubbed the AK Valley Park, the remainder of the site is owned by developer Steven Kubrick, who has been renovating the site for commercial uses.
Parker said helping veterans in need is, first, a moral imperative.
“Veterans are a large part of the population in this area and they have significant needs,” said Parker, who served in the Vietnam War. “I believe that it is incumbent on us as a community to help those who have served their country.”
He added that providing housing, social services and job development programs not only helps the individual veteran, it benefits the community.
“When a veteran is in need, how does it affect their spouse and their children and the other people around them?” he said. “If we don’t look at this problem from the standpoint of finding a solution, then we are missing the whole point.”
A link to the list of RACP projects that will receive funding can be viewed on the state’s Office of the Budget website.