Pittsburgh, Pa. − October 10, 2024 − Senator Lindsey M. Williams (D-Allegheny) and Rep. Mandy Steele (D-33) announced that Cooper-Siegel Community Library will receive a $650,000 Multipurpose Community Facilities Program grant. Cooper-Siegel is currently undergoing a major renovation project to finish the lower level of their current building, adding a large conference room, three additional small group meeting rooms, a dedicated makerspace, a flexible multi-purpose area, and a new open staircase. These new additions will add an additional 6,500 square feet of space to the existing library and help meet the current and future needs of the growing community.
“Cooper-Seigel has been forward-thinking about how it can meet the ever-evolving needs of the community,” said Senator Williams. “This new space will provide opportunities to connect in person to friends and neighbors, but it will also give people the chance to use technology to connect to their doctors, school, work, and new places. I’m proud to partner with Cooper-Siegel Library and Rep. Steele to bring this space and these resources to the community and the region.”
‘The Cooper-Siegel Library is the reason my children love to read! I’ve spent countless hours at this amazing community hub and I’ve seen first-hand what an incredible asset this library is to area families,” said Rep. Steele. “Helping to push money to this project to ensure that residents have access to an outstanding library and reliable internet service made a lot of sense and I was glad to advocate for this much needed funding.”
Jill McConnell, Executive Director of the Cooper-Siegel Library said, “We are thrilled to receive this grant! These funds will be used for Cooper-Siegel Community Library’s renovation project that aims to expand our community’s access to the resources, technology, and services they need to live, learn, and work.”
The Multi-Purpose Community Facilities Program (MPCFP) is funded by the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund established under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. A total of $45 million in grant funds were awarded to community anchor institutions for projects that will construct, acquire, or improve facilities that will be open to the public and will directly enable work, education, and health monitoring.
Additional information about the MPCFP grants can be found here. A full list of this year’s recipients can be found here.