The city of Connellsville has made great strides in the past years. A new 56 room hotel (Cobblestone) opened in 2017, new restaurants, vacant buildings are seeing new uses and blighted properties are being transformed into event centers and retail shops. The Great Allegheny Passage Bike trail runs right through the downtown, and tourism on the bike trail is up. The Amtrak Station in Connellsville has added a ride on - ride off service allowing bicyclists using the Great Allegheny Passage to roll their bikes on at any stop along the trail. Old mansions are being turned into bed & breakfast overnight stays allowing tourists more options. Highlands Hospital is transforming itself into a state of the art hospital, and just purchased an old school that they are transforming into a branch of the Cleveland Clinic for Autism expanding that program to include upwards of 75 students. The Joseph A. Hardy, Connellsville Airport is in the process of seeking funding to expand its runways, and a new terminal was constructed a few years ago. Connellsville's art scene is growing with new public art projects being created each year. Connellsville has an abundance of "turn of the century" churches. All the churches have seen historic preservation efforts, and now all the church steeples are illuminated at night. Youghiogheny Glass has expanded it's warehouse and sells their stained glass all around the world. It's one of only a few stained glass manufacturers left in the United States. Connellsville still has it's problems, but for a city it's size has seen great progress and continues to grow in a positive direction.
Daniel |
Connellsville, PA |
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