MVI celebrates newly renovated Cornerstone Apartments
On Thursday, June 26, Mon Valley Initiative welcomed community members to an open house at its Cornerstone Apartments in West Newton. The event celebrated the completion of recent renovations to the historic building, part of a broader effort by MVI to preserve affordable housing throughout the Mon Valley region.
Over the past year, Cornerstone Apartments, along with several other properties in MVI’s rental portfolio, received significant upgrades. Thanks to generous philanthropic investments, the seven-unit building received new windows and exterior doors, updated flooring and kitchen cabinetry, refreshed interior paint, and improvements to the HVAC system. Additional upgrades were made to shared amenities, including laundry facilities and basement storage units.
Located in the heart of downtown West Newton, the building was originally constructed in 1890. Known historically as the Dick Building after its original owner, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Many original architectural details remain intact, such as a stained glass window, fireplace mantels, turret window seating, and a distinctive rough stone façade. Over the years, the building’s basement has housed various businesses, including a barber shop and an antique store, while the first floor was home to a bank and the upper floor served as residential apartments.
Mon Valley Initiative, in partnership with Downtown West Newton, Inc. (DWNI) and support from Westmoreland County, first renovated the property in 2003. Today, the building includes four one-bedroom and three two-bedroom apartments. A majority of the units are currently reserved for households earning no more than 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
With these new renovations, the historic building will continue to serve the West Newton community for years to come and provide crucial access to affordable rental housing for community members.
To learn more about MVI’s rental application process, click here.
To view coverage of the event in the June 27 issue of the Mon Valley Independent, click here.
