Harrisburg, Pa. – December 16, 2021 − State Senator Jay Costa today voted in favor of the preliminary maps that were presented to the Legislative Reapportionment Commission (LRC). The preliminary maps were approved by the LRC and now enter a 30 day public comment period.
The Senate preliminary map was accepted unanimously by the commission.
“I’m proud of the preliminary product that we advanced today, as well as the thoughtful and bipartisan process we used to get here,” said Senator Costa. “After months of hearings and countless hours of testimony from experts and the public, we’ve drafted a document that creates representative seats, compact and contiguous districts, and elevates minority voices.”
This year, the LRC accepted publicly submitted maps and allowed testimony via Zoom to make the process more participatory than in the history of redistricting. There were 9 meetings, 6 hearings, 29 publicly submitted maps, testimony from 51 citizens and 29 experts.
Due to COVID related challenges, census data was delivered five months late which compressed the timeline for a preliminary map. Despite this, the Commission is submitting a map on schedule with the expected May primary for 2022.
“I hope that everyone takes a close look at the plan as a whole but more importantly, their area of the state and gives us feedback about what they like but also what they don’t like about the map,” said Senator Costa. “We will be taking those comments seriously when putting together the Final Plan.”
More information on future meetings and the preliminary map are available at redistricting.state.pa.us.
Pittsburgh, Pa. – December 6, 2021 − Senator Jay Costa today announced the award of a $2 million state grant for Yeshivath Achei Tmimim of Pittsburgh, and $2 million for The Riviera at 350 Technology Drive.
Yeshivath Achei Tmimim will use the grant for the rehabilitation of the Greenfield Campus of the Yeshiva Schools. The Jewish day school purchased the former St. Rosalia Catholic School in Greenfield and that facility will now operate as its boys’ school. St. Rosalia was built in 1923 and for many years operated as an elementary school in the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh before it closed in 2018.
The property exceeds 70,000 sq ft and will educate 300 boys, housing 50 to 60 of them from out of town. Yeshiva Schools was founded in 1943 and the Greenfield expansion is part of its most recent 5-year plan.
The Riviera at 350 Technology Drive is a state-of-the-art office space that will offer bio-tech and wet lab space.
“These grants allow the state to invest in organizations and businesses that are investing in our communities and in our people,” said Senator Costa. “These are exciting projects that I’m happy to help come to fruition. Both entities are assets in our region and their expansions will benefit so many.”
Today’s grants are provided for by the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP), a Commonwealth grant program administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects.
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Project will reimagine the site of the worst anti-Semitic attack on U.S. soil
Pittsburgh, PA − December 6, 2021 − Governor Tom Wolf visited the Tree of Life in Pittsburgh today to announce $6.6 million in state funding to support the rebuilding and reimagining of the synagogue. The governor was joined by Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa and members of the Tree of Life’s REMEMBER. REBUILD. RENEW campaign which will transform the site of the worst antisemitic attack in U.S. history into a new place of hope, remembrance, and education.
“Following the tragedy that occurred here, Pennsylvanians came together in solidarity to support the Tree of Life and the other congregations,” said Gov. Wolf. “We continue to stand with you today as the Tree of Life community works to reimagine this space into a welcoming place of reflection, education, and healing.
“I am proud to join you by providing this state funding to the Tree of Life’s efforts to remember and rebuild here and create a place for residents and visitors from around the world to reflect, learn, and grow.”
The state funding was provided through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP), which supports community, economic development, and revitalization projects throughout Pennsylvania.
“We are tremendously thankful to Governor Wolf for this significant and generous investment in our effort to establish a new and reimagined space that serves not only our congregation but all of Tree of Life’s neighbors and the broader community,” said Rabbi Jeffrey Myers. “Our campaign and the grant that comes in support of it provide an opportunity to collectively renew our resolve to fight antisemitism and bigotry of all kinds, as we continue our journey of healing.”
The project will create spaces for worship and education as well as to commemorate those who lost their lives in the tragedy. A new home for exhibitions and public programs of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh will be included.
”Tree of Life has been near and dear to me for many years – since I grew up just a few blocks away, to representing Squirrel Hill in the state senate, to grieving with this community in the past years,” said Sen. Costa. “Its history is long, but so is its future and I’m honored to be even just a small part of the REMEMBER.REBUID.RENEW project.”
“For decades, this special place has housed joyous and important life events and enriched the spiritual and cultural lives of countless families,” said Representative Dan Frankel. “With state funding, along with the vision and hard work of community members, we can help restore the Tree of Life building to its work as a spiritual home alongside of its new and crucial role as a witness to history.”
Eleven people were killed and seven were wounded in the antisemitic attack at the Tree of Life on Oct. 27, 2018.
In 2019, Gov. Wolf honored the victims during a trip to Lithuania and Poland. The governor carried a mezuzah from inside the synagogue with him as he visited Paneriai and Auschwitz-Birkenau, two prominentt locations of atrocities against the Jewish people during the Holocaust.
The governor also wrote the names of the 11 victims in the guestbooks at both locations with the intent of memorializing them in perpetuity. Following the trip the governor returned the mezuzah to Rabbi Myers.
Pittsburgh, Pa. − December 3, 2021 − Senator Jay Costa and Representative Dan Frankel today announced the award of $6.6 million in state grant funding for the rebuilding project at the Tree of Life in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh.
The project will transform the site of the worst anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history into a new place of hope, remembrance, and education.
“Rebuilding after this attack means so many things,” said Senator Costa. “This project is for a reimagined space that is healing and welcoming – an honor to the memory of those we lost, and a haven for many years to come. I was proud to support this funding, but also additional resources we allocated this fall from other programs.”
Representative Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny) thanked the governor for supporting the vision of the many devoted Pittsburghers who have worked to created a memorial that can uplift our community and contribute to a more peaceful future.
“After the attack on the congregations in the Tree of Life building three years ago, many noted that our community had joined a club that nobody wants to be in: those devastated by hate-driven violence. This funding allows the site of that trauma to become something more — a place of remembrance, healing and education for all.”
“I am pleased to announce these projects will receive the state funding they need to improve or create new community projects and facilities that add to the quality of life for residents in these communities,” Governor Wolf said.
Supported through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP), the funding for a multitude of projects statewide will support critical expansion projects, providing opportunities for additional employment training, job creation and community services.
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Pittsburgh, Pa. − December 1, 2021 − Senator Jay Costa today announced the award of nearly $3.5 million for school safety and violence prevention grants in Allegheny County.
“Community organizations are the lifeblood of our region, and they know best the needs we face,” said Senator Costa. “Today’s grants, though they come from the state, will go to organizations and projects that have their finger on the pulse of our community and know best how to face our challenges. I truly believe these awards will prevent acts of gun violence from again striking close to home.”
Today’s grants come from the Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Grant Program, a top priority of Pennsylvania Senate Democrats, administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD).
The following organizations in Allegheny County will receive grant funding:
- 1Hood Media Academy – $350,000 for a new gun violence prevention campaign to train youth and young adults as media activists with the skills to conduct violence prevention campaigns in their own communities.
- Allegheny County – $1,496,000 to implement and expand the Cure Violence program in communities most impacted by gun violence.
- Carnegie Library of Homestead – $346,820 to support the Youth Development and Restorative Justice Program, where trained counselors and program coordinators mentor at-risk youth to develop conflict-resolution skills to reduce violent crime amongst teens in the community.
- Homewood Community Sports – $50,000 for community sports, mentoring and enrichment to deter youth from gun or group violence.
- Neighborhood Resilience Project – $500,000 to support and expand the Trauma Response Team, which cares for the acute needs of family and friends of homicide victims of gun violence.
- The Kingsley Association – $700,000 to support expansion of its Teen LEAD program – a year-long learning experience for at-risk teens ages 13-19 in East End communities of Pittsburgh to help them to apply life skills learning, build a positive self-image, recognize personal leadership characteristics, and gain part-time employment.
PCCD received 340 unique applications requesting just under $170 million in funding – and these groups are primarily small organizations with honorable missions but small budgets.
- 10 of the awards are going to groups with annual budgets of $25,000 or less;
- 7 of the awards are going to groups with annual budgets of more than $25,000 but less than $75,000;
- 8 of the awards are going to groups with annual budgets of more than $75,000 but less than $250,000;
- 12 of the awards are going to groups with annual budgets of more than $1 million;
- 3 of the awards are going to umbrella organizations on behalf of organizations.
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