NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. — If you ask anyone out on the streets of New Kensington about the current situation on Ninth Street, you’re likely to get a similar answer.
“It needs a little improvement,” Ryan Rocco told Channel 11’s Andrew Havranek.
“It just needs a little bit more fixing. That’s about it,” added Miguel Ayala.
It’s one of the reasons why New Kensington is planning $1 million worth of improvements to Ninth Street. It’s a main entry point into the city, as the New Kensington Bridge connects East Deer from the Allegheny County side of the Allegheny River to New Kensington.
“We want our gateway to be welcoming and accessible and safe for everyone to come downtown,” said Mayor Tom Guzzo.
“It can be an eyesore,” said Keith Piroch.
Piroch lives on Ninth Street. There’s one thing he thinks is a must-fix.
“I’ve heard talks from within the time I moved back to New Kensington about improvements with the sidewalks, which I think will be greatly needed, especially for the handicapped accessible,” he said.
According to the city, the grant from the statewide Main Street Matters program would cover things like fixing the sidewalk. It could also pay for improving the lighting up and down the street, paving, and fixing storefronts that have fallen into disrepair.
Guzzo said these are things the city has wanted to fix for a while, and this grant provides the money to do so.
“This is really important as a next step in making our downtown that much better,” Guzzo said.
Those who live in New Kensington are excited to see the improvements.
“This town needs a lot of improvements,” Rocco said. “Nobody really wants to come to a shanty town with busted up roads and sidewalks.”
The city said the contract has been signed with the state, and they expect work to be completed within one to two years.
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