Ambridge Borough has achieved Gold in the Sustainable Pennsylvania Community Certification, a program managed jointly by the Pennsylvania Municipal League and Sustainable Pittsburgh. The Borough’s sustainable policies and practices have advanced community improvement efforts such as streetscape projects, vacant land reuse, a thriving green business district, and efficient material use and recycling. Several structures in the Historic District have been purchased and restored, and remediating brownfield sites is an integral part of the Borough’s vision.
Examples of the Borough’s initiatives include a streetscaping project in the Historic District, designed to improve access for all modes of transport. This project is set to start construction in 2018. Ambridge received funding to provide a complete face-lift for its downtown corridor situated on Merchant Street between Fourth and Eighth Streets. Ambridge seeks to make its downtown a focal point for residents and visitors by implementing improvements like sidewalk cafés, ornamental street lighting, green stormwater management, street trees, and others. Small businesses have utilized façade grants to reface their storefronts. Several businesses in Ambridge have earned recognition as a Sustainable Small Business. This program helps businesses become more sustainable in their operations and encourages shoppers to shop both local and sustainable.
Plans are in place to replace the Borough’s abandoned factories with new residential and commercial use structures. Site work has already begun on one Brownfield property to construct the Beaver County 911 Center. The old American Bridge factory was converted into the Port of Ambridge, an industrial park with many smaller, steel-related businesses, and the former Armco plant experienced a renaissance as a mixed-use complex of industrial, commercial and office space and was renamed the Ambridge Regional Manufacturing and Distribution Center. Ambridge houses numerous Historic Landmarks and is sustainably developing and enhancing operations. By combining the old-world charm of its industrial past with the flavor and accessibility of its Historic District, Ambridge is leveraging what it has to move itself towards a sustainable and prosperous future.