$1M in gambling revenue will help Southwest Greensburg build new public works complex

Southwest Greensburg will spend about $1 million in state gambling money to build a new public works garage.

The borough was awarded $1 million from the state program that distributed the revenue generated from Live Casino Pittsburgh to communities in the region.

“It’s huge,” said Mayor Carol Palcic of the money, which the borough will use to build a new public works garage and salt shed on Foster Street.

The current public works building dates back to 1965.

“One false move backing up and it’s done,” Palcic said with a laugh. “This will allow us to build a new one without raising taxes.”

Southwest Greensburg Council President Miles Webb III said the timing couldn’t be better.

“During the last wind storm, we had a wall collapse,” Webb said. “We’ve been putting in a lot of work down here.”

The new maintenance building will have a mechanical room, shower, break room, four public works truck bays and a separate bay for a garbage truck.

“Right now our trucks are outdoors and with the new building, everything will be under a roof, which will help a lot with keeping our vehicles in good shape,” Webb said.

Palcic said public works crews are also looking forward to expanded salt storage. Recent mild winters, combined with the mandatory tonnage of salt many towns must purchase through their annual salt contracts, has meant smaller boroughs like Export and Southwest Greensburg occasionally run out of space to store it.

“Greensburg has a bunch of our salt right now,” Palcic said.

In recent years, local share account funding as well as federal money from the Bipartisan Infrastucture Law has directed hundreds of millions of dollars toward infrastructure needs across the country.

“This is a transformational project,” said State Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Hempfield. “It could last the borough for the next 50, 60, maybe 70 years.”