Partnering Progress

Strengthening the SVC-Latrobe Partnership through the R.K. Mellon Foundation Grant

“It was a great compliment,” she said, “and energizing, given the good start Latrobe was making in its revitalization. We had completed a blight study through Westmoreland County and were working to update Latrobe’s zoning ordinance. We have seen the private sector step up with some great redevelopment projects, and we felt that we could use this opportunity to dig deeper into some of the opportunities and engage more people in the process.”

Boxx quickly took a valuable leadership role in planning the grant’s execution, convening a small group of leaders to begin collective discussions.

Briana Tomack, president of the Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Chamber of Commerce; Linda McKenna Boxx, chair of the McKenna Foundation; and Lee Intachai, assistant director of community relations and outreach at Saint Vincent College.

Through a memo of understanding among these partners, a process was defined for moving projects forward and committing grant funds. In the hometown of Fred Rogers, the planning committee was aptly named the Be My Neighbor Committee.

Chaired by Mallory, the committee is comprised of leaders from SVC, the Greater Latrobe School District, the city of Latrobe, Independence Health, the Latrobe Community Revitalization Program, and the Latrobe Foundation, along with representatives from the Greater Latrobe- Laurel Valley Chamber of Commerce and other business owners and professionals.

The group has identified pillars on which to dedicate resources and grant funding, including connecting Latrobe’s downtown area with Legion-Keener Park, examining ways to enhance broad recreational opportunities within and around the city of Latrobe, improving housing resources within the city, and continuing the ongoing revitalization of Latrobe’s downtown area. Subcommittees have been developed dedicated to the execution of each pillar, with representation from Saint Vincent College included in each subcommittee.

Mallory explained that the Be My Neighbor Committee is utilizing the funds as a planning grant, conducting thorough studies to determine the next steps necessary in carrying out the pillars.

“We’re able to get people together to brainstorm. There is typically a continuous cycle for planning grants like this if needed, and we’re looking to use this seed money as hopefully a precursor to the next grant cycle.”

The connecting of downtown Latrobe to Legion-Keener Park, one of the largest hubs of outdoor recreational activity in Westmoreland County, was identified as a priority due to both the aging population residing within the city and an upcoming extensive renovation of Memorial Stadium, located within the park, with plans calling for the expansion of its track to allow more competitions, both at the high school level and for the SVC track and field program.

Meet the Ambassadors

In her role as assistant director for community relations and outreach, Lee Intachai has worked tirelessly at maintaining and strengthening the relationship between the College and the local community since her appointment in April, most notably spearheading the launch of the new Saint Vincent College Ambassador Program, which utilizes SVC students to promote the College throughout the area.

More than 20 current students have been enlisted to the Ambassador Program for 2023-24, while several current high school seniors intending to attend Saint Vincent in 2024 are also taking part. Since the Program’s launch, Intachai’s team has hit the ground running, participating in community events; volunteering with community groups including Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Three Rivers Youth; and being active on campus with Pittsburgh Steelers training camp the SVC Orientation Program for incoming freshmen.

In addition to the plans for the track team, Saint Vincent’s physical presence in downtown Latrobe has recently grown with the relocation of its Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) from Aurelius Hall to 911 Ligonier Street in the heart of the city.

“If you look outside from the SBDC offices toward Legion-Keener,” said Mallory, “there’s a clear corridor that we can really focus on to concentrate our efforts.”

The committee is working to develop a survey of sidewalk conditions and ADA compliance in the corridor, as well as developing clear signage to aid pedestrians in accessing the park.

In addition to Legion-Keener, Latrobe boasts an array of outdoor recreation spaces with a multitude of playgrounds; the creation of new boat launches along Loyalhanna Creek; and a trio of trails for walkers, joggers, and cyclists, including the Saint Vincent-Latrobe Trail, the Lincoln Avenue Trail, and the Creekside Trail. The second pillar intends to create a public GIS map of out-door recreational areas within the city, fulfill a study and create a focus group for users of the trails and boat launches, and identify future outdoor recreation wants and needs in the Latrobe community.

“We intend to have GIS mapping so that those who may be new to Latrobe can instantly find the locations of these trails, parks, boat launches, athletic fields, and playgrounds,” said Mallory. “We’re looking at ways to connect the Lincoln Avenue and Saint Vincent-Latrobe trails, and we’re doing focus groups, which will include Saint Vincent students and members of the Saint Vincent Community, to look at how to better utilize these assets. This will all help us create a wish list for things we want to do moving forward.”

While Saint Vincent College is the recipient of the grant, Mallory emphasized that its execution is a truly collaborative effort by the many entities represented on the Be My Neighbor Committee.

The third pillar was developed, in part, after a blight study of Latrobe conducted by the Westmoreland County Planning Commission and aims to develop plans for the rehabilitation of houses and an increase of owner-occupied homes within the city. Along with improving current housing conditions and making the city more attractive to homebuyers, Mallory believes that this initiative will also prove beneficial for Saint Vincent’s commuter population.

“We want to make sure that our students who live downtown are in really nice areas and not in adverse situations,” added Mallory.

The fourth pillar targets downtown business assistance, economic development, and community health. Consisting of two segments, it will feature heavy involvement from Saint Vincent College.

The first segment will aim to strengthen current community business partnerships and identify new opportunities for student internships and full-time employment with local talent. Plans call for the Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Education Foundation to partner with Saint Vincent faculty, as well as its Office of Career and Professional Development and Office of Community and Global Engagement, to assess community and industry needs to create a new ecosystem of pedagogy resulting in student placement within the Latrobe community.

Noting that twenty-four percent of Saint Vincent students land careers in Westmoreland County after graduation, Mallory said there will be a focus on attracting these graduates to careers in Latrobe.

“Saint Vincent is well-known for keeping students here in the region,” he said. “But, how can we drill that down even further and look at keeping more of them in Latrobe?”

A survey will be developed for downtown business owners, Saint Vincent students and faculty, and Greater Latrobe students, while a thorough market analysis will be completed for business partnerships and enhancements.

For the second segment, the SVC SBDC and the Latrobe Community Revitalization Program will partner with consultants to perform a cost-benefit analysis for targeted industries that could relocate into downtown Latrobe and conduct surveys and meetings to assess the needs of current Latrobe business owners to retain and enhance their businesses.

“This pillar is probably the most critical,” said Mallory, “because it’s strengthening all of the community-based partnerships that we have. There has been a lot of enthusiasm surrounding this pillar. It has brought people together who are looking at the next ten to fifteen years for downtown Latrobe, and it allows us to make sure that Saint Vincent is a good steward and truly aligned with the city’s economic revitalization.”

There is no definitive timetable for the fulfillment of each pillar, though Boxx said that progress has already been made in several areas.

“Some of the smaller pieces or projects are compelling and low-hanging fruit,” she said. “We are trying to implement them as soon as we can. The best example of this was when pillars one and two, before they were combined, met with a group of Saint Vincent faculty and Student Government reps. When asked whether they ever came into Latrobe, the response was, ‘We didn’t know what Latrobe has to offer!’ and it put the onus right back on us. We are developing a website to nicely show the recreational opportunities in the area, with the GIS work part of the planning phase. We also quickly realized that signage to our town, parks, and stadium was woefully inadequate, inconsistent, and confusing, and we are developing a comprehensive signage system to address this need.”

“From economic, education, and health standpoints, each of these entities have an impact on how one grows up in and experiences Latrobe.”

“There has been a very conscious effort to get the who’s who of Latrobe business and commerce involved,” he said. “From economic, education, and health standpoints, each of these entities have an impact on how one grows up in and experiences Latrobe. There is truly a shared accountability with this committee, and this is really important because we all have our areas of expertise. All of us are committed partners in the community, and it’s important that we keep that alignment.

“This kind of work is complex and can take you in a number of different ways” he continued, “but has so far been really wonderful for us, as it truly cements us as a community partner and shows that we are invested in Latrobe.” ♦