Looking out over the 43 acres of bare land in east Hempfield, community leader Jay Anderson thought back to his days as a Boy Scout leader.
“When you get to Scout camp, it’s just this big open area, but then everyone starts settling in and pretty soon it becomes a real village,” Anderson said. “And that’s exactly what’s going to happen here.”
Anderson joined local and state officials in the groundbreaking for the future Hempfield Municipal Complex on Weatherwood Lane. The $16 million project includes new municipal offices, a county emergency operations center, a 35-acre park and more.
Excavation work on the site began in early August. It is near the intersection of Hempfield, Greensburg, South Greensburg and Southwest Greensburg, and Commissioner Doug Weimer said he hopes the new complex will encourage connectivity between the towns.
“This was part of our overall plan for the future of the community,” Weimer said. “The access to Route 30 will be great, and hopefully the park space will help attract families to move here.”
The first phase of the project will include a 14-acre park with a wading pool, gazebo and nature area with fitness facilities. It will also include a connecting road between Weatherwood Lane and Spruce Street and pedestrian paths.
The proposed park is located in a “high need” area as defined by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, meaning there is no park within 10 minutes in the surrounding communities. The property was purchased from the former Excela Health System in 2021. The community has committed about $8.7 million to the initial phase of the project.
Commissioner Bill Bretz said he looks forward to establishing a county emergency command center in the new municipal complex.
“In an emergency, seconds and minutes count,” said Bretz. “The command center is probably the most advanced in planning and will probably have the greatest impact.”
Weimer said he hopes a partnership with Mutual Aid could result in an on-call ambulance at the complex, which has easy access to Route 30, I-70 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Extension.
“This will be a hub for connecting Hempfield, Greensburg, South Greensburg and Southwest Greensburg,” Weimer said.
Anderson agreed.
“The central location is a real plus,” he said.
Other amenities include ADA compliant trails, a paved parking lot with electric vehicle charging stations, and public restrooms.
Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. A native of western Pennsylvania, he joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor at the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. Reach him at [email protected].
