Press Releases

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) today announced a $742,450 grant to Lackawanna County from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to reconstruct and widen a 1.2-mile section of roadway and install two bus shelters to service the Stauffer Industrial Park, which supports 2,861 jobs across 17 businesses.

Providing robust funding for ARC is consistently one of Cartwright’s priorities as a member of the House Appropriations Committee. For fiscal year 2020, he fought successfully to fund the commission with $175 million.

In coordination with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Lackawanna County will use the funds to make the Stauffer Industrial Park more accessible from Keyser Avenue and Oak Street, both of which connect to the PA Turnpike. The project also improves emergency access the industrial park and surrounding community.

“The Stauffer Industrial Park is home to many thriving northeastern Pennsylvania businesses, and by adding bus shelters and increasing access to the park with public transportation, we are connecting more people to the opportunities offered by these businesses,” said Cartwright. “It isn’t enough to have good jobs in our region; they have to be accessible for workers. When we invest in infrastructure improvements, our communities thrive, and I am glad ARC also sees the value of projects like this one.”

The Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners issued the following statement: “We are very grateful for Rep. Matt Cartwright’s efforts in securing the $742,450 Appalachian Regional Commission federal grant to fund additional paving and road upgrades in Stauffer Industrial Park.  We also appreciate the efforts of The NEPA Alliance on this project.  This distribution center is heavily used by a number of local and national businesses to transport goods across the country.  This type of commerce has a tremendous impact on our economy, especially during this unsettled period that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused.  This grant will help keep business moving in Lackawanna County,” the Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners explained in a joint statement.   

“The completion of the Stauffer Road reconstruction has been a priority for Lackawanna County and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance,” said Jeffrey Box, President and CEO of NEPA Alliance. “This is the second investment from the Appalachian Regional Commission for the project that will help sustain over 2,800 jobs. We are thankful for Congressman Cartwright’s support of the project and our work!”

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) was established by an act of Congress in 1965 as a regional economic development agency that represents a partnership of federal, state, and local government. Its mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in the 13 states of the Appalachian region.