Cranberry Township unveils Armstrong Great Lawn with grand opening festivities
CRANBERRY TWP — Township residents have a new front yard to call their own.
What started as a vision to create a true town center became a reality when the township celebrated the grand opening of the Armstrong Great Lawn with a Celebrate Cranberry event on Friday afternoon, May 16, in front of the municipal center.
Serving as the 2024 Cranberry Township Community Chest Project of the Year, the plot of land was designed to be a “pedestrian-friendly shared space.”
“I think it’s another step in Cranberry’s life,” said Jerry Andree, the CTCC Board of Directors president. “We all have a shared vision for where our community is now and where it needs to go. When you have that vision, you can move mountains, so I think this is so exciting.”
The $2.5 million expansion that transformed an outdated parking lot just off Rochester Road into an appealing community hub was a collaboration between the nonprofit, township officials and more than 100 local donors.
Without a downtown, Cranberry’s municipal center has served as the heart of the township since its opening in 1991. However, officials long envisioned a meeting area that extended beyond brick and mortar.
“This just continues that legacy and that vision of creating and continuing to make this a great gathering space,” township manager Dan Santoro said. “With everything that’s happening around the township, it’s engaging this space for people to walk, use the library, recreational amenities and the services that are already here.”
Thanks to the support of numerous sponsors and the township’s public works department, the space features a number of distinctive elements.
As the title sponsor, Armstrong ensured that high-speed internet access was available for anyone interested in working outdoors. FirstEnergy Foundation and Fun Fore All Family Fun Park donated more than $25,000 apiece to build a new children’s playground.
Experience Butler County, Bruce and Conni Mazzoni, and Keystone Ridge Design all served as amenity sponsors, with the latter providing more than a dozen pieces of outdoor furniture.
Local engineering firm Herbert, Rowland & Grubic sponsored a water fountain that added another appropriate aesthetic.
Rep. Stephenie Scialabba, R-12th, presented township officials with a house citation to honor the opening. Additionally, after several speeches commemorated the occasion, a glistening new donor wall was revealed directly behind the flagpole.
“The building has been renovated several times, but has never been renovated with the consideration of the outside environment,” Andree said. “This really takes it to the next level.”
Santoro noted that the revamped area will not only enhance the township’s existing programs, such as Santa’s First Stop and The Great Pumpkin Festival, but also create opportunities for new ones.
“We’re going to program this space,” he said. “We’ll have movies on the lawn and run kitty soccer for the really young children. We’ll have the first ever 16066 Cranberry Barbecue Bash coming in the fall, which is a new event we’ll bring to the lawn.”
All of those new possibilities are on the table because of the effective collaboration that went into the project, Supervisors Chairman Bruce Hezlep said.
“Everybody in the community participated in making this a reality,” he said. “That’s what makes me so proud of living in Cranberry. It sounds trite, but it’s a great place to live. Everybody really cares about this community.”
