NAR Transforming Neighborhoods Grant Benefits Greensburg

A Pennsylvania city was one of only four locations selected nationally in 2023 to receive a Transforming Neighborhoods grant from the National Association of Realtors®.

Greensburg will be the beneficiary of guidance from the Counselors of Real Estate® as part of the program, which underwrites the $40,000 cost. The CRE Consulting Corps team will tour the downtown, surroundings, and several abandoned and vacant downtown parcels and meet with elected officials and community leaders to learn more about the area in July. The CRE site visit will conclude with a presentation delivering their recommendations, followed by a written report with short- and long-term action steps for revitalizing and/or redeveloping downtown Greensburg.

Jackie Buhn, CRE Consulting Corps team leader for the Greensburg project, said, “The Counselors of Real Estate Consulting Corps is pleased to share our expertise and offer guidance to assist the city of Greensburg. Our team has expertise in valuation, development, planning, as well as downtown revitalization and we are excited to visit and learn about Greensburg. We’re particularly interested in talking to people about why they live here, what’s great about Greensburg and how they envision carrying those great things into the future. We look forward to offering our problem-solving skills to help Greensburg in its efforts to spur increased activity and investment to create a vibrant downtown.”

The Realtors® Association of Westmoreland, Indiana and Mon Valley has partnered with the city of Greensburg, the Greensburg Community Development Corporation and the Westmoreland County Landbank and Redevelopment Authority to seek redevelopment guidance to revitalize downtown Greensburg.

Earlier this year, RAWIM received a $7,500 NAR Smart Growth grant to help fund a master plan for the downtown Greensburg business district. RAWIM and the two community organizations also funded a downtown master plan that will be launched this fall following the CRE Consulting Corps’ report.

“The Realtors® Association of Westmoreland Indiana and Mon Valley are committed to making our communities better places to live, work and play,” said Tracy Miscik, RAWIM president. “As a Greensburg resident, I am excited about the future of our city and look forward to the progress that will result from this initiative. Our Realtors® association has tools and resources to help local governments in Westmoreland and Indiana counties and we look to forming more partnerships in years to come.”

“Excellent planning work is being completed by the city of Greensburg, Greensburg Community Development Corporation and the Westmoreland Landbank and Redevelopment Authority and I look forward to seeing the transformation of the city in years to come,” said Justin Capouellez, RAWIM’s field representative.

The Counselors of Real Estate®, an affiliate of NAR, is an international consortium of credentialed real estate problem solvers who provide expert advice on complex real property and land-related matters. The CRE® Consulting Corps, a public service initiative created by CRE, provides municipalities, local Realtor® associations, not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions and government entities answers to real estate challenges which ultimately enhance the performance of a property or series of properties.

Only 1,000 professionals worldwide hold the CRE credential. Counselors have created and endowed the MIT Center for Real Estate, resolved the dispute between the developer of the World Trade Center and its insurers post September 11, led the privatization of U.S. Army Housing, developed a multibillion dollar 10-year Master Plan for the Philadelphia Public Schools, and been retained by the Polish government to revitalize that country’s national railway system.