SHARON Industrial site gets a $500K boost

Pennsylvania has put $3.25 million into the project so far.
THE VINDICATOR, YOUNGSTOWN
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- The state is kicking in $500,000 to help redevelop a brownfield site along the Broadway Avenue industrial corridor.
Gov. Mark Schweiker stopped Thursday afternoon in Sharon to announce the grant from the state's capital budget redevelopment assistance program.
The money will go to the Shenango Valley Industrial Development Corp., the nonprofit project developer of what is called Legacy Commons.
The target is 83 acres of industrial land that once was part of the Sharon Steel Corp. in Farrell and Wheatland and the National Castings plant in Sharon.
The project is expected to create 335 jobs and help retain 135 others.
John Holliday, SVIDC's former executive director, said the grant brings the state's total contribution to the five-year-old project to $3.25 million.
Uses
John Fair, SVIDC board chairman, said the money will be used for site improvements, storm sewers, landscaping and other site preparation work.
"This funding will help revitalize the community and attract developers who are looking for potential sites for new businesses in Mercer County," Schweiker said.
Precision Steel Services, Kalco Metals and Legacy Products are recent tenants that have located in the Farrell portion of the project site and the SVIDC is in the second phase of environmental testing on the Sharon section which should be ready for development in the spring.
Sharon Tube Co. and AIM NationaLeasehave occupied the Wheatland section of the project for the past two years in what is known as Henry Evans Industrial Park, named after the late Sharon Steel executive.
Holliday said the entire 83 acres will soon be dedicated as Henry Evans Legacy Industrial Park.
This project has been a team effort, he said, citing a list of individuals and government agencies that have had a hand in the redevelopment effort.
Job creation
Schweiker said the state's No. 1 assignment during his eight years as lieutenant governor and later governor has been the creation of jobs and it helped create 500,000 of them during that time period.
The state has also reduced the cost of doing business in Pennsylvania by $19 billion through tax cuts, workers compensation reform, electric deregulation and reduced red government tape, he said.