A 78-acre vacant brownfield site formerly owned and operated by Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad will soon be reborn as a major recreational amenity for the region.
The
Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County has received a donation of 78 acres of land from The Sports Legacy Foundation to create a new sports and athletic complex and expanded trail amenities.
Located across the Ohio River from Neville Island in Moon Twp., Coraopolis and Robinson Twp., the recreational destination will feature nontraditional athletic fields for rugby, soccer and lacrosse, recreational programming, trout fishing, and a mile-long extension of the
Montour Trail.
“We’re going to do a master plan with
Burt Hill over the next four months. There’s been a tremendous amount of interest generated by this announcement,” says Kevin Evanto, with Allegheny County. “We’re definitely going to engage the local community.” The project’s estimated cost is $10-15 million.
The vacant brownfield property will undergo environmental remediation and then be transferred to the
Allegheny County Department of Parks. “The goal is to move it from a commercial grade up to residential quality,” adds Evanto, who says The Sports Legacy Foundation has already completed $600,000 worth of site clean-up. Chester Engineers is working with the state’s
Department of Environmental Protection to determine the scope of the remaining environmental work.
Known as Montour Junction, the 78-acre site is bordered by Rte. 51, the CSX Railroad and Coraopolis Bridge, and residential areas. The head of the Montour Trail is approximately one-fifth of a mile to the south, and
Montour Run—a stocked trout stream—bisects the property.
Writer:
Jennifer BaronSource: Kevin Evanto, director of communications, Allegheny County
Image courtesy Allegheny County