Published Thursday, March 18, 1999
The projects include
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The Senate may vote next week on a multi-billion dollar bill to authorize state funding for a wide variety of projects statewide, including a half-dozen in Mercer County that could be eligible for aid.
The air and space institute is new to these lists. But Sen. Robert Robbins, R-Salem Township, 50th District, explained that a group of Pittsburgh area investors have been interested for several years in opening an institute/museum/entertainment center devoted to civil aviation. The group had considered converting a terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport for this purpose, but Allegheny County commissioners had other ideas for the terminal.
The group is looking now at the Grove City area, attracted in part by the prospect of 4.5 million visitors coming annually to Prime Outlets at Grove City and the 5,000-foot runway at Grove City airport.
"We're trying to assist in bringing a dream," Robbins said. "There is no such museum in the country."
Authorization bills are often called "wish lists," but lawmakers note a project must be listed to have any hope of getting state aid in the future.
When Gov. Tom Ridge was scrambling to line up votes for his controversial plan to spend $320 million in state redevelopment aid to build new sport stadiums in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, he agreed to expand the program and set aside $330 million in state financing so mid-sized and rural counties could participate for the first time.
To get state aid, a project must have a dollar tag of at least $1 million; local development officials are expected to provide a $500,000 match.
Capital budget projects are funded through the sale of state bonds to investors. The governor ultimately decides if a project is funded. The governor can't give the green light to every project listed in a budget or the state would go bankrupt.
Projects in the bill include $1.4 million to rehabilitate the Espyville boat livery and develop a trail in Pymatuning State Park; $5.6 million to build a housing unit at the state Correctional Institution at Mercer; $4.5 million to develop a natural resources center along the Lake Erie shoreline for Edinboro University; $5.5 million for several projects to expand McKeever Environmental Learning Center in Sandy Lake and $650,000 to rehabilitate the marina at M.K. Goddard State Park.
A 50-state performance study recently released by Syracuse University and Governing Magazine sheds light on Pennsylvania's capital budget process. During the past 30 years, various Legislatures have authorized $31.7 billion worth of projects, but only $9 billion worth, or 28 percent, have been completed.
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