Industrial park expansion called vital for Westmoreland County's future growth

Development of three pad-ready lots at the soon-to-be expanded Westmoreland Distribution Park North in East Huntingdon is just what is needed to attract more industry and jobs to the region, Westmoreland County officials said Friday.

“We will invest in our communities and in our townships to make sure we have the equipment and the platforms, the land we need, to have growth for many years to come and the jobs available for the future,” said county Commissioner Sean Kertes during the groundbreaking for the second phase of development of the 183-acre site.

Construction will begin in October on the $6.3 million project to prepare parcels on more than 78.8 acres at the industrial park. When finished, the area could accommodate up to 625,000 square feet of new building space.

The sites could be ready for sale by next summer. The project is vital to help Westmoreland attract companies in need of large sites with easy access to major roadways and other transit options, such as what is available at the cluster of five industrial development parks in the East Huntington and New Stanton areas, said Jason Rigone, executive director of the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp.

“We’ve got to prepare sites. There aren’t many pad-ready sites out there larger than 10 acres and there seems to be interest in sites that size,” Rigone said.

Sites in the Westmoreland Distribution Park North expansion range from 13 to 38 acres, officials said.

The project is financed by a $2,032,750 state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant and a $2.35 million low-interest loan from the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority. Work will include earth moving, creation of stormwater ponds, erosion and sediment control measures, landscaping and relocation of a gas line.

Officials said the county’s industrial park system is a driving force of economic development.

“We are losing population. Everyone is leaving the state, going to neighboring states, so the question is what can we do better, what can we do in Westmoreland County,” said state Eric Davanzo, a Rostraver Republican. “There’s a vision and we have a plan to do great things here. Investments like this, we can get good family-sustaining jobs, right here, not just in the 58th District but in all of Westmoreland County.”

The county operates 19 industrial parks and Rigone said most have little to no space remaining. As of the end of last year, 165 companies were located in the county system and occupied more than 7.6 million square feet of building space, employed nearly 9,000 workers and generated about $6.4 million in tax revenue.

The county’s 20th industrial park is expected to be built in the next several years.

The economic development agency in 2020 purchased 110 acres from the county near Georges Station Road in Hempfield, where a planned mixed-use development will include office space, manufacturing and possible residential area.

Most of the financing for that $8 million project is complete and construction could begin in spring 2024, Rigone said.

Related:

• Westmoreland banks loan for East Huntingdon industrial park development