As part of the deal, the Redevelopment Authority purchased the former Freight Station and City officials signed a lease for the .341 acres on which it sits. The building’s purchase was funded by donations from local citizens, William & Jeanne McKelvey and Don Bird, and a grant from the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies.

An environmental assessment and remediation were conducted prior to demolition. The cleared site is set to be the home for Johnstown’s Gateway Greenspace Project. The Redevelopment Authority was awarded a $84,800 PennDOT Transportation Enhancement Grant and $49,200 Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Community Conservation Partnership Grant to fund the creation of a downtown greenspace. The Gateway Greenspace Project will transform one of the City’s most highly visible brownfield sites into an aesthetically pleasing greenspace parklet and passive recreation area at the gateway to the downtown. Located along the Stonycreek River, the development of the Johnstown Gateway Greenspace will be a first step in restoring our riverbanks into a natural setting, providing an ecological friendly site for native species to be returned to the area. The project will include soil placement and the planting of selected native shrubs and trees. Also planned for the site is an attractive “Welcome to Johnstown” arch, a flower garden, benches and lighting. Improvements are also planned for the access to the greenspace in the form of new walkways. When completed, the Johnstown Gateway Greenspace will be an integral piece of the Johnstown Open Space/Greenway Network Plan, and the Cambria County Greenway Plan.