Lt. Gov. Austin Davis visits McKeesport as part of Main Street Matters initiative
McKEESPORT, Pa. (KDKA) – "Main Street Matters." That's the mantra of the Shapiro administration's new initiative.
There are so many main drags in our area, From Washington to Beaver County – and everywhere in between. Some of them – have fallen on hard times, though.
Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis says Main Streets like McKeesport's 5th Avenue are "often windows into our past."
But he and Governor Shapiro's administration believe that putting money into places like this will open doors to the future.
The shopkeeper's bell has been ringing at Minerva Bakery for over 100 years.
"I've worked with George and Irene [the original owners]," Sherry Toth, a worker at Minerva Bakery said.
Sherri Toth's worked at the bakery for 35 years.
"If you'll look at all our products, you'll find something that you like," Toth said.
That could be a donut, some cookies, or even a cake. But what people may not fancy – is what's outside.
"We really don't have a downtown anymore – we don't," Toth said.
Toth is talking about McKeesport -- 5th Ave. It's seen better days.
"People know about us, they've heard about us," she said. "But they don't really know that we're still here because a lot of people don't come down 5th Avenue anymore."
People not coming down is something the state wants to fix.
"Our main streets and downtowns really do matter," Ambridge Borough Manager Mario Leone Jr. said.
That's the message from the Shapiro administration as it launched its "Main Street Matters" initiative.
"For every dollar that we invest, the commonwealth invests in Main Street – there's an $8 return on that investment," Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said.
The administration is putting $20 million into the program. The money will go towards things like community planning, façade improvements, and business improvements.
"We want to create real economic opportunity for Pennsylvanians in every community. Whether you live in Ambridge or Altoona – in Beaver County, or in Bucks [County]," Davis said.
In Toth's case – it's Allegheny County. The bakery she's called home for over three decades is a beacon in a stretch of despair.
"We need something that brings them here to the area," she said. "So that they know we're here. And that they can come in and do business with us."