The Bucks County Redevelopment Authority announced $3.7 million in casino impact grants awarded to several Lower Bucks County communities.
Credit: Parx
Projects in Bensalem, Bristol Township, Hulmeville, Lower Southanpton and Middletown will be funded by the grants.
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Impact grants, also know as RDA grants, have awarded millions to local towns in the past and helped upgrade streetlights, emergency radios, gas pumps for township vehicles, SWAT team gear and more. According to state regulations, the Bensalem casino is required to give 1 percent of annual revenues to towns that are directly impacted by Parx. Last year, about 4 million was given to area communities.
“We take seriously the awarding of municipal grant funds, and it is rewarding to see all of the improvements that address infrastructure, safety and quality of life issues in each community,” Redevelopment Authority Chairperson Patricia Bachtle said in a statement. She added that more than $19 million has been doled out since the program started in 2008.
Bristol Township
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Township Manager Bill McCauley looked thrilled when he announced at Thursday night’s council meeting that the township scored $898,108 in grant money, which is the full amount the municipality asked for. Nearly $700,000 will go to add LED streetlights, which is part of an ongoing $2 million project. A requested $220,712 to help pay for upgraded radios for police, firefighters, EMS and the fire marshal’s office was also approved.
Hulmeville
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The tiny borough will get $78,017 to do work to improve Main Street.
Middletown
The township will get the $700,000 it asked for to reconstruct problem-ridden Big Oak Road next year. Also, Middletown will receive $50,000 to help pay for the new radios for first responders and about $250,000 for a new fire truck for the Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company.
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Other Towns
Bensalem will receive about $200,000 in grant money, which is on top of taxes they get from the massive casino, and Lower Southampton will get close to$600,000 to help pay for new streetlights and emergency vehicles. Bensalem-led Towns Against Graffiti (TAG) also received $100,000 in funding that will go toward fighting spray paint vandalism throughout the lower end of the county.
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Bucks County
County commissioners will received roughly $800,000 to fund the Lower Bucks Public Safety center in Bristol Township. Another chunk of money will help fund a public clinic in Bensalem and a police training facility.
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