Alvernia University secures $3 million grant for Reading and Pottsville CollegeTowne initiatives

Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program funds American House renovation and Pottsville CollegeTowne Phase II construction

Reading, PA (11/01/2024) — Alvernia receives a $3 million grant from the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) for the second phase of the renovation of Pottsville CollegeTowne and to begin the renovation of the American House at Reading CollegeTowne. To date, Alvernia has secured a total of $18.5 million in redevelopment grant resources for the CollegeTowne initiatives in Reading and Pottsville. The award was among a number published today by Gov. John Shapiro's office.

"The CollegeTowne initiatives continue to bring our communities together and inspire belief in the redevelopment of Reading and Pottsville," said Alvernia University President Glynis A. Fitzgerald, Ph.D. "This funding will continue to reshape the future of both cities and we are grateful to Governor Shapiro, Senators Schwank, Argall and Martin, Representatives Guzman and Twardzik and countless others for their continued belief and support."

The university last received a grant award of this kind in 2022. Alvernia launched the CollegeTowne initiative in Reading in late 2019. Since its launch, Alvernia has completed two phases of Reading CollegeTowne, investing $43 million into the City of Reading by purchasing and renovating the John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne, a 250,000-square-foot living and learning facility at 401 Penn Street. Phase III of the Reading CollegeTowne initiative will include the renovation of the American House at Reading CollegeTowne, which will include a state-of-the-art community-based health center in partnership with Berks Community Health Center. The university will also add additional business incubator space for the O'Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship and retail space.

The grant for Pottsville CollegeTowne will allow the university to finalize the renovation of the Pottsville CollegeTowne location, a former Giant Grocery store location at 500 Progress Avenue in downtown Pottsville that opened in January 2023. This will include new retail space and partnership with the Schuylkill YMCA.

RACP is administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational and historical improvement projects. RACP projects are authorized in the Redevelopment Assistance section of a Capital Budget Itemization Act, have a regional or multi-jurisdictional impact, and generate substantial increases or maintain current levels of employment, tax revenues, or other measures of economic activity.

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Alvernia University is a Catholic comprehensive university with a liberal arts foundation founded by the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters in 1958. The university serves nearly 3,000 students in Reading, Pottsville and Philadelphia with a unique blend of rigorous liberal arts education, strong technical training in many high demand majors, ever-expanding experiential learning opportunities through study abroad and internship experiences and community engagement through its Franciscan-based community service model.

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Alvernia University's American House at Reading CollegeTowne and Pottsville CollegeTowne facility.