Cleanup, sign give city new 'front door'

New Visions wants to create similar green spaces throughout the city.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- It is a snippet of property at the corner of North Jefferson and Falls streets, but improvements have made a big difference.
New Visions of New Castle dedicated the plot Friday, unveiling a stone "Welcome to New Castle" sign. The sign is bounded by two stone pineapples.
The lot owned by the New Castle Redevelopment Authority was once filled with weeds and high grass. New Visions was given a right of entry by the authority and has had it cleared, landscaped and added a sandstone wall donated by Human Services Center, said Roger Smith, New Visions president.
Diane Coury, a New Visions board member, likened the site to the "front door" of the city. She read years ago that the founder of McDonald's restaurants said "if your front door is dirty, what do people perceive about your business?"
"When you come to New Castle, this is your front door. I know it's small, but I think you are the sum of all your parts," she said.
More is needed
Smith noted that the Urban Land Institute recommends municipalities provide 25.5 acres of park land for every 1,000 residents. In New Castle that would equate to about 600 square acres, he said. The city only has about 113 square acres of park land right now, Smith added.
"The creation of green spaces like this one needs to be replicated throughout the city," Smith said.
A $5,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development was secured by state Rep. Chris Sainato of New Castle, D-9th, to help pay for the work. An additional $6,000 was spent on other needed items, Smith said.
Vince Rozzi and Paschak Associates of Pittsburgh were landscape architects on the project. Dennis Rozzi did most of the work and the New Castle Junior Women's Club bought mums and other plants. Ranier DeVido Stone donated the design of the sign and did the stone work.