Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato and state Sen. Nick Pisciottano launched a new initiative to bring more business to the Mon Valley region.
Mon Valley Forward: An Economic Development Strategy will be charged with attracting business investment, creating and retaining quality jobs, supporting existing business growth, and building long-term economic competitiveness in the Mon Valley region.
“This strategy will provide a clear, data-informed roadmap for expanding existing businesses, attracting new ones, to the Mon Valley. Our Economic Development Department has invested more than $115 million in the Mon Valley over the last five years, but we want to be better equipped to make targeted, coordinated investments,” Innamorato said. “That’s why this effort is so important. It will help us invest smarter and more strategically, identify high-impact projects, and make sure every dollar we spend moves the Valley forward and creates high-paying jobs right here in Allegheny County.”
Mon Valley Forward will be funded by Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County and Allegheny County Economic Development. It represents a collaborative effort with the county, Sen. Pisciottano, Allegheny Conference on Community Development, state and federal partners, Mon Valley business and community leaders, and other economic development partners.
“The Mon Valley is often discussed in terms of its past,” Pisciottano said. “This plan is about building a future driven by collaboration, data, and the voices of the people who live here. Together with Allegheny County and our local partners, we are setting the stage for long-term, sustainable revitalization.”
The Mon Valley strategy will provide Allegheny County Economic Development with tools for business attraction and retention, site marketing, workforce alignment, and investment leverage.
“The County’s comprehensive plan, Allegheny Forward, will shape how we evolve and grow as a county. It will give us a new approach to connect housing, jobs, infrastructure, and opportunity to ensure that every part of our county shares in the region’s prosperity. And the work we’re pursuing through a specific Mon Valley plan will only bolster that,” Lauren Connelly, Director of Allegheny County Economic Development, said. “By linking a strategy for Mon Valley to Allegheny Forward, we’re making sure the Valley is at the center of the County’s economic future, not on the sidelines.”
The Mon Valley economy has been hurt by the loss of its heavy manufacturing base. Despite decades of investment, many communities have struggled to regain economic momentum.
In addition, Mon Valley Forward will be developed in partnership with regional stakeholders including the Regional Industrial Development Corporation (RIDC), Steel Rivers Council of Governments, Turtle Creek Valley Council of Governments, Mon Yough Area Chamber of Commerce, Mon Metro Chamber of Commerce, and the Mon Valley Initiative.
Public engagement sessions and stakeholder meetings will be scheduled in the coming months to ensure that community perspectives are at the center of the planning process for this project.