Westmoreland communities receive share of casino revenue

It’s unlikely that one would expect to win money at a casino for bridge repairs or fire department renovations, but a few Westmoreland municipalities found themselves with the lucky hand Monday.

Live Casino Pittsburgh doled out its latest round of Local Share Account grants at the Hempfield location Monday, bringing the total monies awarded through the program to $21 million.

Hempfield was one of about 40 municipalities tapped to receive funds. It was awarded more than $4 million in grants to renovate its fire department facilities, complete stormwater projects, make bridge infrastructure upgrades, construct a new municipal complex and maintain Hempfield Park, said Doug Weimer, vice chair of the township board of supervisors.

“You can easily spend nearly $2 million on a little bridge,” Weimer said. “We don’t have these major overpasses … but we have these little bridges over streams, and they can be multimillion dollar projects, and they are rather burdensome for a community on a regular budget. Having the casino’s (local share account funding) allows us to accomplish those more quickly and actually make them come to fruition.”

Penn Township used its funding — more than $2 million — to address stormwater infrastructure and create additional sewage taps for new housing and other developments, Commissioner Chuck Konkus said.

Konkus added that this funding has helped the township complete projects it would not be able to without a loan.

“It’s just a great win-win for everybody,” Konkus said.

For Jeannette, the grant enabled a $180,000 sanitary and sewer line replacement, as well as $500,000 in bridge improvements, said Ethan Keedy, the city’s chief fiscal officer.

“The bridge improvements are extremely important, because when your fire trucks and EMS trucks and public transit trucks can’t get across … that’s a problem, and the city of Jeannette didn’t have the money to (fix) it.”

Republican state Sen. Kim Ward of Hempfield, who advocated for the Local Share Account grants, spoke positively of the economic impact and number of jobs created by the casino.

“It makes me feel much better to know when I lose my money (playing games), it’s going to a lot of our municipalities and to our county,” Ward said. “It’s been such an asset to have the casino sitting here. People come into our area that wouldn’t normally come into our area. I hear it all the time — ‘I’ve been to that casino.’ ”

Through the Local Share Account, 55% of Live Casino Pittsburgh’s revenue goes back to the state and local communities, said Sean Sullivan, executive vice president and general manager. The program is administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development.

Live Casino Pittsburgh, which the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board classifies as a Category 4 facility, opened in November 2020 at Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield, making all county communities eligible for the grant program. For the 2022 calendar year, the location reported nearly $96 million in slot machine revenue, $15 million in table games revenue and $1 million in sports wagering, according to the state Gaming Control Board.

“Cordish Companies is committed to … the community. They want us to be engaged in the community, from charitable donations to (involvement with) boards,” Sullivan said. “This program — the Local Share Account — is a huge commitment to that.”