Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) joined Clarion officials, the Clarion Blueprint Communities team, local businesses, and community organizations on Monday for a tour of downtown Clarion to celebrate the borough’s community development progress.
In 2015, Clarion joined Blueprint Communities, an FHLBank Pittsburgh initiative that provides emerging communities with training and resources to foster lasting community development. Clarion’s Blueprint Communities team has worked to revitalize the area surrounding Main Street to attract new businesses and visitors, increase affordable housing, and enhance public spaces.
“It is exciting to see the growth happening here in Clarion,” Thompson said. “I applaud the hard work of the many organizations that have come together to help revitalize the borough, including Clarion’s leaders, FHLBank Pittsburgh and the local businesses and citizens who strive to make their community better. I look forward to seeing the work continue.”
FHLBank Pittsburgh and two of its member institutions, the Farmers National Bank of Emlenton and Northwest Bank, have leveraged additional FHLBank programs to provide financial support to several of Clarion’s revitalization projects. The Boundary Street Rental Development Project received more than $273,000 in Affordable Housing Program funding and will offer affordable rentals for the homeless and special needs populations. Clarion River Brewing Company received small business lending assistance through FHLBank’s Banking On Business program.
“We are proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish here in our hometown,” Carol Lapinto, president of the Clarion Borough Council, said. “We will continue to work to revitalize our commercial district and enhance the quality of life for everyone here in Clarion.”
Clarion was one of six Pennsylvania Blueprint Communities inducted into the program in 2015. To date, 58 communities in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia have graduated the Blueprint Communities training — 28 of which were in Pennsylvania.