Stout, Levdansky Announce $140K Grant for Washington County

HARRISBURG, April 16, 2010 - - State Sen. J. Barry Stout and state Rep. David Levdansky today announced a $140,931 grant to assist with predevelopment planning activities for the Phoenix Business Park in Union Township in Washington County.

“The planning and predevelopment activities that will be funded by this grant are essential first steps towards turning this brownfield site into a prospering industrial business park in Washington County,” Stout said. “After completion of this much-needed business park, we expect to be able to create more than 500 steady jobs for local residents.”

The 142-acre brownfield site is located above the former Montour 10 underground mine. The site has an estimated one million tons of gob that must be reclaimed prior to completing the development of the site.

“The process of reclaiming this brownfield site into a 70 acre light industrial park will not only create jobs, but restore a stream, remove dangerous highwalls and reduce acid mine drainage,” Levdansky added. “I am pleased our state is partnering with the developer to move this project forward.”

This grant will assist the developers in obtaining information necessary for determining what types of businesses would be most appropriate for locating at the park, the proper parcel layout of the park, as well as the per acre selling price.

The grant is administered by the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) under the Business in Our Sites Program.

The CFA was established as an independent agency of the Commonwealth to administer Pennsylvania's economic stimulus packages.

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