2 firms offer to work together on Hermitage technical park

HERMITAGE, Pa. -- Two local engineering and architectural firms are joining forces to do the design work on the city's Gateway Commerce Park.
Ed Winslow of E.A. Winslow & amp; Associates of Hermitage attended a city commissioners' workshop Monday asking that his company and HHSDR of Sharon be hired for the job.
City Manager Gary Hinkson said both companies have done work individually on the park site along South Hermitage Road and have offered to combine their services to do the final infrastructure design on the planned technical park, which is expected to attract high-technology businesses.
They've offered to do the work for $149,250, which is about 7 percent of the estimated $2 million in anticipated infrastructure construction costs, Hinkson said.
The commissioners are expected to vote on the matter Wednesday.
The city has a total project cost of $5.8 million with half of that coming from a state capital budget grant. Much of that expense is in land purchase costs. Hermitage has formed a partnership with KAKE Development Co. of Hermitage to develop the 117-acre site.
KAKE is putting in $2 million while the city is putting up about $1.3 million to complete the financing.
The project is expected to bring in $77 million in private development and create 1,750 jobs.