A $400,000 state grant will pay for new sidewalks, underground utility lines and pedestrian safety upgrades along Bala Avenue in Bala Cynwyd.

The City Ave District announced the award on Wednesday, Sept. 16, through Pennsylvania's Statewide Local Share Account (LSA) program, which is funded by gaming revenues. The project covers the 200 block of Bala Avenue and North Highland Avenue, replacing deteriorated sidewalks and moving overhead power lines underground.

Engineering and final design come next.

Construction is expected to begin in spring 2027.

As we reported Sept. 17, the grant was part of a larger LSA package. State Sen. Amanda Cappelletti (D-17) and state Rep. Mary Jo Daley (148th District) helped secure the funding. Daley has also served on the City Ave District board.

"Targeted infrastructure investments like this make a real difference in how people experience a community," Cappelletti said in the announcement. "This funding will improve safety and accessibility on Bala Avenue while supporting the small businesses that make this corridor an increasingly important part of Lower Merion …"

The sidewalk project is one piece of a broader push to reshape Bala Avenue. City Ave District received a Main Street Matters designation in December 2025, placing the corridor at the center of a five-year revitalization strategy focused on walkability, small-business growth and public space improvements.

That designation unlocked a separate $1 million Main Street Matters award earlier in 2026 to help rehabilitate the historic building at 202 Bala Avenue. Plans for that property call for a 2,500-square-foot hospitality-driven commercial space at street level and three residential units on the second floor, according to City Ave District.

Next door, developers Core Development and HOW Group are advancing a larger mixed-use project at 210–216 Bala Avenue. That development would bring more than 80 new residences, 3,000 square feet of retail space, 118 parking spaces and a public gathering plaza to the block.

Bryan Fenstermaker, president and CEO of City Ave District, said the grant and the development are moving in the same direction. "We are doubling down on Bala Avenue," he said, "and we are grateful to Senator Cappelletti and Representative Daley for helping us move this important project forward."

No public hearing on the sidewalk project has been scheduled. Residents can follow updates through City Ave District at cityave.org.