PA Route 6 Alliance officials are pictured in Carbondale in 2025 outside McDonnell’s Family Restaurant. The restaurant used Route 6 Alliance money to make improvements to the building’s facade. Businesses in Warren County will have a similar opportunity after the alliance received a $200,000 state grant for a facade program in Warren and McKean counties.

Warren and McKean county businesses will get a second bite at the Warren and McKean county businesses are once again eligible for facade improvements as part of the PA Route 6 Facade Program.

The PA Route 6 Alliance has received $200,000 from the state Department of Community and Economic Development’s Main Street Matters grant program earmarked for Warren and McKean counties. Commercial building owners and businesses or nonprofit organizations (with property owner approval) in Warren and McKean counties may apply for grants of up to $5,000 to support improvements to their building’s facade, the front exterior visible from the roadway. Grant recipients are required to provide a 1:1 match, resulting in a maximum total project investment of $10,000.

“We are grateful for the continued support of DCED and DCNR, which allows us to once again offer the

PA Route 6 Façade Program to businesses and organizations throughout the Route 6 corridor,” said

Candace Hillyard, executive director of the PA Route 6 Alliance. “Over the years, it has been incredibly

rewarding to partner with local communities and organizations to help revitalize downtowns, preserve

historic character, and support small businesses through façade improvements. When we launched our first façade program in the PA Wilds, our vision was to bring this opportunity to every county along the Route 6 Heritage Corridor. As we near the completion of our current program in the Pocono Mountains, we will have achieved that goal, making façade funding available in all 11 counties along the corridor. Reaching this milestone is both exciting and meaningful for our organization and the many partners who have helped make it possible. After years of expanding the program across the corridor, it is especially rewarding to come full circle and return to the communities where it all began. We are excited to launch a new round of investment in Warren and McKean counties and continue helping businesses and organizations strengthen the places that make Route 6 such a special destination to live, work, and visit.”

Eligible commercial buildings may be located anywhere within Warren or McKean counties. Eligible improvements include, but are not limited to, exterior painting, new signage, window replacement or restoration, and canvas awning replacement. Projects engage local contractors, construction companies, hardware stores, and sign shops, all of whom employ local residents.

Public meetings will be held throughout the county after the Fourth of July. Both Warren County meetings will be held Monday, July 6, with the first at 10 a.m. in the Youngsville borough building, 40 Railroad St., Youngville, followed by a 5:30 p.m. meeting in the Warren County Conservation District conference room, 4000 Conewango Ave., Warren. A virtual meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 15, with a link received after registration. To register, visit paroute6.com/programs-grants/facade/warren-mckean-counties.

To date, the PA Route 6 Facade Program has helped businesses in the PA Wilds (2020), Endless Mountains (2021), Great Lakes Region (2022), Lackawanna County (2023), and Poconos (2024-2025). Prior programs have resulted in façade and storefront improvements to 153 businesses.

“Investing in our Main Streets means investing in the people, small businesses, and communities that make Pennsylvania strong,” said Rick Siger, state DCED secretary. “This funding for the McKean and Warren Counties Facade Program will help revitalize local business districts, preserve the unique character of communities along the PA Route 6 Heritage Corridor, and create new opportunities for economic growth and tourism across the region.”