The Mon Valley

We are proud to call the Mon Valley home.

The Monongahela is formed by the confluence of the West Fork River and its “East Fork”—the Tygart Valley River—at Fairmont, West Virginia. The river is navigable its entire length with a series of locks and dams that maintain a minimum depth of 9 feet (2.7 m) to accommodate barges. In Pennsylvania, the Monongahela is met by two major tributaries: the Cheat River, which joins at Point Marion, and the Youghiogheny River, which joins at McKeesport.

MVA serves the Mid-Mon Valley, roughly defined as Elizabeth to Brownsville (North/South) and Smithton to Bentleyville (East/West). The communities that make up this area have a strong manufacturing heritage and though many communities have seen a decline in population, the area is still 100,000 people strong.

The area is also host to a variety of recreational activities, including:

  • Boating
  • Fishing
  • Golf
  • Hiking and Biking
  • Swimming
  • Parks
  • Bowling
  • Music Concerts

The area is also home to many historical sites, including:

  • The Whiskey Rebellion
  • Donora Smog Event
  • Native American History
  • And more

We need your help to expand this site. We are creating a local directory of local businesses, shops, restaurants, sites and anything else you would like to feature in the Mon Valley.  Send your listing via the form below.

    DCNR awards $157,250 to continue development on Charleroi Riverfront Park

    Charleroi, PA, November 7th, 2019 –The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) announced a grant award of $157,250 to the Mon Valley Alliance Foundation (MVAF), formerly the Mon Valley Progress Council, to continue development on the Charleroi Riverfront Park project.

    The DCNR Recreation and Conservation grant program is funded with a variety of state and federal funding sources including the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund (Key 93) which includes Key-Community and Key-Land Trust and the Environmental Stewardship Fund (ESF).

    The grant funding will be used in conjunction with a matching grant from the Washington County Local Share Account ...

    Blight removal continues in Charleroi, PA

    Charleroi, PA, September 17th, 2019 –The Mon Valley Alliance (MVA), owner of the blighted Coyle building in Charleroi, PA, rejected two offers to purchase the property for lack of funding and no evidence to support the ability to renovate or restore the structure, among other items.

    “Mobilization has occurred on the demolition contract and the removal of the structure is continuing forward. Environmental remediation is complete and the building demolition, preparation of the lot, and marketing/sale of the property for new development is in process” according to Ben Brown, CEO of the MVA. This substantial investment is being made with ...

    Coyle site to be prepared for new development

    Charleroi, PA, July 25th, 2019 –The Mon Valley Alliance (MVA), owner of the blighted Coyle building in Charleroi, PA, has announced plans to demolish the structure and prepare the site for new development, according to Ben Brown, it’s CEO.

    “A demolition contract has been executed. Environmental remediation will be the first phase, followed by disconnection and relocation of utility lines, the building demolition, preparation of the lot, and marketing/sale of the property for new development” Brown said. The entire demolition and remediation process is expected to take a few months, pending weather and utility scheduling.

    Since its purchase of the property ...

    Town to Town Mini-Grant Program Announced

    Proceeds from the Mon Valley-Opoly Paint and Sip will go towards Mon Valley Alliance Foundation’s (MVAF) Community Development Fund that is implementing a mini-grant program for local individuals and businesses. MVAF will be awarding five separate $250 grants until the end of 2018 under a rolling application system. Mini-grant applications are due by no later than 2 p.m on the last day of the month for consideration for the next month.

    Potential applicants may include organizations such as educational institutions and schools, religious organizations, municipal organizations, parks and recreation and other groups whose main purpose is to benefit ...

    Choose Your Impact with Community Development Funds

    MVA has created four new community development funds to help support and start new projects that strengthen the community and benefit the region: Mon Valley Community Development Fund, Workforce Readiness Fund, Startup Incubation Fund and the Historical Preservation Fund.