Larry Larese can only cross his fingers and wait.

Uncertainty prevails as Westmoreland County tries to snag nearly $90 million in funding from President Obama's proposed $838 billion economic stimulus package, said Larese, director of county planning and development.

"The truth of the matter is we don't know what the final version of the bill is going to look like, or how the money will come," Larese said. "The list is obviously bigger than the amount of money proposed."

Applicants are unclear about whether money from the American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009 will be distributed via federal agencies directly to each state or via state agencies, which would decide where funding will go.

"You just don't know how it's going to end up, but you have to play the game and try to get what you can," Larese said.

Larese recently submitted the county list -- requests range from expansion of Twin Lakes Park to road resurfacing to industrial site improvements -- to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, which is compiling a list of requests throughout the region. The latest version includes about $10 billion in proposed projects in 10 counties and Pittsburgh.

"It's being ever-modified on a morning and afternoon basis," Jamie Colecchi, the commission's community assistance manager, said of the 188-page document.

"The draft is intended to spur discussion of our region's needs and bring that attention to the decision maker, whoever or whatever that may be, once the stimulus is put into action," Colecchi said.

Westmoreland is proposing economic development projects to:

- Equip the Sony Technology Center in East Huntingdon for industrial reuse for $20 million;

- Construct a multi-tenant facility at Westmoreland Distribution Park East in East Huntingdon for $3 million;

- Complete the second phase of development at Westmoreland County AirPark in Unity for $2.15 million;

- Redevelop a brownfield site in Arnold for $2 million.

Proposed community development projects include:

- Design and construction of a history and education center at Historic Hanna's Town in Hempfield for $7.5 million;

- Renovation of the county juvenile detention center in Hempfield for $4 million;

- Completion of the second phase of an expansion project at Twin Lakes Park in Hempfield for $2.2 million;

- Construction of a regional center for emergency management in Unity for $1.5 million;

- Completion of renovations to the Courthouse Square in Greensburg for $1.25 million.

For transportation, the county is asking for $26 million to resurface various roads, $3.3 million to replace the Baldridge Bridge in Unity, $2.4 million to reconstruct Slickville Road in Salem, $2 million to replace North Irwin Bridge, and $1.25 million to replace Beatty County Road in Unity.

The county wants to install a new sewage system at Westmoreland Business & Research Park in Upper Burrell and Washington Township for $800,000. It is seeking $6 million for environmental assessment and engineering for an Allegheny Valley Railroad and Norfolk Southern Commuter Rail Service to Pittsburgh.

The list will include several aviation development projects at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity and Rostraver Airport submitted by the airport authority.

The authority's proposed projects include upgrades to the main access road and public parking area at Arnold Palmer for $1.5 million; construction of a taxiway at Arnold Palmer for $250,000; construction of a terminal building at Rostraver for $2.5 million; widening the main runway at Arnold Palmer for $5.5 million; and increasing the weight-bearing capacity on the main runway at Rostraver and building a new taxiway there for $3.7 million.

"All of these projects are engineered and shovel-ready and are included in approved master plans for both airports and meet Federal Aviation Administration guidelines and regulations," said authority spokesman Dwayne Pickels.

But Larese said patience is necessary.

"Congress has said there will not be any line items under this package, so no individual projects will be listed on any federal legislation," Larese said. "It really comes down to a one-in-10 shot for all projects requested."

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