HERMITAGE Planners urge construction of business-park building

A local development group plans to put up the 12,000-square-foot building.
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- LindenPointe, the city's planned technology park on Pa. Route 18, is trying to lure a second tenant.
Hermitage Planning Commission voted Monday to recommend the city approve a land development plan for SEED Inc. to erect a building on one of seven proposed lots in the 115-acre park.
SEED, Subscribers Encouraging Economic Development, is a private development group of local individuals put together after the devastation of a tornado May 31, 1985, that did extensive damage in the Shenango Valley, particularly in Wheatland.
SEED built several buildings on speculation in Wheatland and has since taken on other development projects, said John Mastrian, president.
"We've kick-started a lot of projects," he said, adding, "We believe in this one [LindenPointe]."
Negotiations
Mastrian said SEED has been negotiating with a prospective technological tenant for a building in LindenPointe, but nothing is signed.
Even if that deal falls through, SEED will go through with the construction, erecting a building of about 12,000 square feet on speculation, he said.
Hermitage is a partner in the development of LindenPointe with KAKE Development Co. of Hermitage. The city owns 55 acres of the park; KAKE owns the rest.
The SEED building would be located in KAKE's portion of the park, said Marcia Hirschmann, city director of planning and zoning.
The first tenant in the park, Regional Cardiology Associates, located on KAKE property about two years ago.