State grant expected to bring Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre outdoor shows to Aspinwall, Sharpsburg

In just a few months from now, people might be able to prop a lawn chair along the shores of the Allegheny River and watch ballet dancers glide across an outdoor stage.

A mobile performance area is expected to facilitate riverfront shows on a strip of property between Aspinwall and Sharpsburg.

The project, through the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT), will be funded by a $150,000 state grant announced Thursday.

Money was made available via the Gaming Economic Development Tourism Fund, which supports community projects in Allegheny County from casino slots gambling revenues.

“We are still in the very early planning stages of a June Open Air event,” said Jenna Bodnar, PBT public relations manager.

Details are not yet finalized.

As proposed, the grant will pay to develop a site for a mobile stage that will provide seasonal performances along the Allegheny River.

The “SAM-450” is a 66,000-pound set-up about 45 feet deep and 78 feet wide, providing about 3,400 square feet of stage area.

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre debuted a similar stage last year in Schenley Park, in Pittsburgh’s Oakland section.

State Rep. Sara Innamorato, D-Allegheny, said the attraction will become an integral component to R-47, the $1.15 billion economic development project slated for the 1.5-mile long property that stretches from 13th Street in Sharpsburg to Center Avenue in Aspinwall.

The grant was one of several that will impact Lower Valley communities.

Etna Community Organization is set to receive $175,000 to cover costs associated with the Etna Center for Community.

Money will help pay for a historic building in the heart of Etna’s business district.

Megan Tuñón, ECO executive director, called the grant a game-changer for residents.

“These funds have made it possible for Etna to establish a community library and community space that will offer programs and services that directly respond to the needs of residents,” Tuñón said.

Millvale also is slated to receive a grant worth $150,000 for the borough’s Bennett Station Town Square project.

Money will pay to repair, replace and insulate the 6,300-square-foot roof and downspouts on a building in the main business district, which suffered fire damage in recent years.

The grant will also cover upgrades to an access portal and replacement of an exterior loading dock garage and walls.

“The grant enables us to put on a new roof with solar panels,” Jaime Renda, a member of the Millvale Community Development Corporation, said. “There is much excitement surrounding this long-awaited project.”

Innamorato said each of the projects will have significant impact and drive economic development.

“Each unique project will help attract both local and out-of-town visitors,” she said.

In all, more than $9.3 million was awarded to 33 projects in Allegheny County through this round of GEDTF grant funding.