Connellsville wants biker heads in beds

As Connellsville, Fayette County ponders its economic future, locals see opportunities in that old real estate adage: location, location, location. Two new businesses and an expanding one are taking heed and providing a key amenity for users of the Great Allegheny Passage: a place to stay overnight.

Trail-related tourism has had a big impact on small towns along the 150-mile trail in Pennsylvania. Cathy McCollum of the Progress Fund’s Trail Town programs told a recent Connellsville community meeting that since 2007, 44 new businesses have opened in six Pennsylvania trail towns, bringing 187 jobs. With 700,000 trail users annually, demand for accommodations is booming.

“It’s been a need that’s been identified for a number of years,” says Michael Edwards, director of Connellsville Redevelopment Authority. “It’s a positive use for a lot of properties, in this new industry. There are no other large industries in town.”

John and Lucy King, owners of La Boheme, a specialty store for Bohemian glass and crystal, will open Connellsville Bed and Breakfast above their West Crawford Avenue location for the summer season. The Greenwood Guesthouse anticipates a summer opening. Rivers Edge Camping and Cabins has added two new cabins at its 35-acre site.

Edwards says that the economy slowdown hasn’t deterred local entrepreneurs or the visiting cyclists who bike the Passage. “The trail is an inexpensive vacation, so the need has arisen” for more places to stay overnight, he says.

Source: Michael Edwards, Connellsville Redevelopment Authority
Writer: Chris O’Toole