Hazleton, PA -
When industrial prospects come calling, the local economic development organization has to be ready or they will miss the boat.
In order to do that, having sites ready for immediate construction - with permits and other approvals already done - is essential.
So CAN DO, the Hazleton area's economic development group, obtained a state grant to help get its industrial sites ready to roll.
In fact, the $750,000 Pennsylvania Discovered and Developed in Pennsylvania grant - with a goal of helping businesses become more innovative - is helping CAN DO and other groups ready sites all over Northeastern Pennsylvania.
CAN DO President Kevin O'Donnell said being ready is a must.
“The grant is to help all economic development organizations make sites more prepared for the fast-paced marketing environment we're in right now,” O'Donnell said. “They will use this money to get sites prepared so that when a customer comes along, we are ready to serve them.”
CAN DO is sharing the pot of money with other regional economic development organizations, O'Donnell said.
“SEDCO (Schuykill Economic Development Corporation), Pocono Mountain (Economic Development Authority), SLIBCO (Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Co.) and Wayne County (Economic Development Corp.) split the remaining $550,000 on the five-year, interest-free money to get sites up and ready,” O'Donnell said.
All of the money is now committed, O'Donnell said. CAN DO is using $100,000 to get two sites ready - site 106 in Humboldt East and site 19 in CAN DO Corporate Center in Butler Township.
In Schuylkill County, $200,000 will go to two projects, one in the Mahanoy Business Park, and the other in the Highridge Business Park.
SEDCO Vice President Brian Hansbury said SEDCO is using $100,000 on each project.
“In the Mahanoy Business Park, we are trying to get up to 2 million square feet permitted,” Hansbury said. “There is some infrastructure there. There is a water line, so now we are working on a sewer. The property is between the (Mountain Valley) golf course and the interstate (81). We are developing it in partnership with the landowner, the owner of the golf course. ... We are using the money for land development and storm water permits.”
The money is a loan that SEDCO and other economic developers agree to pay back once sites are sold.
“When the money is paid back to CAN DO, the loan administrator, it is then available for the next project,” Hansbury explained. “It is a revolving loan fund.”
The latest industry CAN DO welcomed to the area was attracted to an existing building.
Packaging Wholesalers took a 300,000-square-foot space in a 450,000-square-foot building along Green Mountain Road in Humboldt.
“It will create 40 jobs,” said CAN DO Vice President Joe Lettiere. “We're excited, because this building had been sitting vacant or was on short-term leases for a number of years. It (the deal) gets this building that has been sitting vacant off the market and hopefully incentivize more development from Mericle (Commercial Real Estate) or other developers.”
CAN DO owns another large building that is being expanded.
The Tosca Ltd. building, also known as multi-tenant building No. 11, is being expanded by 25,000 square feet to suit a tenant. The expansion is expected to be done by Feb. 1, Lettiere said.
Another way to be ready for new tenants is to have an emergency preparedness plan.
Greg Kurtz, CAN DO's director of operations, said the organization is working with local industries, fire personnel and a consultant to develop an emergency preparedness plan for 3,000-acre Humboldt Industrial Park - one of the largest industrial parks in the state, and the largest industrial park in the area.
“In the event there is a spill or release of something that is hazardous to the employees in the park, there's thousands of people who need to exit the park in a safe. timely fashion,” Kurtz said. “We're going to be working out details on how we can make sure everybody is aware of how this should occur. The industries are going to be part of this planning process.”
CAN DO is also developing wetlands areas in the Humboldt park - and maybe even a hiking and biking trail.
“There is a large, flat area near railroad tracks we are utilizing for future plans for a nature or fitness trail,” Kurtz said. “We are gaining a little bit of interest from the industries as it is being discussed.”
Kurtz also said CAN DO has changed its plans to cross a creek in the 300-acre Humboldt Northwest section on the north side of Route 924.
“We were unable to get a concrete box culvert until next year,” Kurtz said. “In an effort to finish this up within the permit cycle, we chose to look at another design. It's a structural aluminum culvert. It's life expectancy is actually longer than concrete.”
In line with its strategic plan, Kurtz said CAN DO is continuing to reduce its operating costs.
“We're doing some lighting upgrades,” he said. “About 32 pole lights at Humboldt Station are going to LED. The electrician we hired is helping us retrofit the existing light fixtures. Visibly, you're getting more light. It is a new lamp, and it is focused downward.”
Also, CAN DO is saving money with natural gas, Kurtz said.
“We just signed another 12-month contract as gas prices have dropped recently,” Kurtz said. “Currently, we are looking at electricity rates that are at an all-time low. Our electricity contract is good until next May. The contract we have takes advantage of the low rates now.”
BY JIM DINO / PUBLISHED: DECEMBER 6, 2016 / http://standardspeaker.com/news/can-do-sharing-grant-to-ready-industrial-sites-1.2126566
