Coraopolis Community Development Corporation Inc

TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY OF CORAOPOLIS PA, ENCOURAGING AND ASSISTING IN RENEWAL THROUGH COMMUNITY SERVICE AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, PROVIDING RELIEF, RESOURCES AND REDEVELOPMENT.

THE CORAOPOLIS FOOD PANTRY OPENS I TS DOORS ON THE FIRST AND THIRD SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVED THROUGH THE FOOD PANTRY SPIKED FROM 260 TO A STAGGERING 847 IN ONE MONTH. THOUGH NUMBERS TRIPLED I N THE MIDST OF THE PANDEMIC, THE CCDC'S SMALL SIZE ALLOWED IT TO BE NIMBLE AND ADAPTABLE IN THE MIDST OF A CRISIS BY QUICKLY SWITCHING TO A DRIVE-BY FORMAT, PACKING FOOD BOXES AHEAD OF TIME, AND ASSEMBLING A CORE GROUP OF REGULAR VOLUNTEERS TO LOWER RISK OF TRANSMISSION. THE PANTRY CONTINUES TO OPERATE AT A 100% INCREASE OVER TYPICAL SERVICE NUMBERS. THE CCDC ASPIRES TO SERVE ITS COMMUNITY AT THIS HEIGHTENED LEVEL OF SERVICE FOR AS LONG AS NEEDED.

IN EARLY 2020, THE CCDC EMBARKED UPON A NEWLY DEFINED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE WITH THE HIRING OF ITS FIRST DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. A SUBGROUP OF THE CCDC'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS CALLED THE "BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM" WAS FORMED OUT OF THE DESIRE FROM BUSINESS OWNERS AND PROPERTY DEVELOPERS TO SEE FURTHER ADVANCEMENT IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF CORAOPOLIS. THE GOAL OF THIS INITIATIVE IS TO JUMP-START NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION BY CREATING A PLATFORM TO INCREASE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PROPERTY DEVELOPERS, BUSINESS OWNERS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS; TO BETTER PROMOTE THE TOWN'S COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR; AND IMPROVE AWARENESS, TOWN DESIRABILITY, AND COMMUNITY MORALE.

THE CORAOPOLIS TRAIN STATION IS THE CCDC'S FIRST RESTORATION PROJECT. THE LONG-NEGLECTED P&LE PASSENGER STATION AT MILL STREET AND NEVILLE WAY WAS BUILT BY THE FIRM OF SHEPLEY, RUTAN & COOLIDGE, SUCCESSORS OF HENRY HOBSON RICHARDSON, AND COMPLETED IN THE SPRING OR SUMMER OF 1896. THE STATION, A VALUABLE EXAMPLE OF RICHARDSON ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE, WAS L ISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES (79002156) IN 1978, BUT SADLY HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS FOR YEARS DUE TO A DETERIORATING ROOF. THE CCDC PURCHASED THE STATION TO RESTORE THE BUILDING FOR USE AS A COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN CORAOPOLIS. IT WILL FEATURE A CAFE CATERING TO TRAVELERS ON THE OHIO RIVER GREENWAY TRAIL, WHICH WILL RUN ALONGSIDE THE COMPLETED STATION. THE STATION'S NEW ROOF WAS JUST COMPLETED AND THE NEXT PHASE OF WORK WILL INCLUDE THE INSTALLATION OF PERMANENT UTILITIES (WATER, SEWER, GAS AND ELECTRIC).