NEW CASTLE, PA. Commission approves Millennium Park plan

Some property owners have indicated they do not want to sell their land.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A plan that will allow Lawrence County to take private land for a multimillion-dollar business park got its first nod from the county planning commission.
Commission members approved the redevelopment plan for Millennium Park, a proposed 1,200-acre business park bounded by Harbor Road and Pa. Route 60 in Neshannock Township.
The plan also must be approved by the county redevelopment authority and county commissioners before it can be used.
If approved, it will give the county redevelopment authority power to take land by eminent domain. Eminent domain is the government's right to take property, usually in exchange for fair compensation.
The county has authorized the Lawrence County Economic Development Agency to negotiate with the six property owners for the land.
At least two have agreed to sell, and the others are still negotiating. Some have indicated that they do not want to sell their property, officials said.
Economic development
Millennium Park is a proposed high-technology park that has been identified by Gov. Ed Rendell as a top priority of the state's economic development plan. The state has committed $15 million to the project, which will be supplemented by $7.2 million in local money. The county also has pledged $3.5 million.
A semiconductor plant promising 3,000 jobs has shown interest in the site, county and state officials have said.