Construction of Westmoreland County’s 20th industrial park could begin in 2027 on a revised plan for a 110-acre site that straddles Hempfield and Unity townships.
Jason Rigone, executive director of the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp., said Thursday final design work could soon begin for the proposed $8 million project. The site is on land purchased in 2020 along Georges Station Road, near Route 30. The county commissioners approved a management plan that will leverage more than $4 million in state funding.
Originally conceived as a mixed-use project including office space, homes and manufacturing, the proposal has been changed to feature only light industrial uses, Rigone said.
“We backed off on looking at private office space and residential uses because the market has changed after covid. We have a need for light industrial uses to support the eastern part of Westmoreland County,” Rigone said.
Residential development at the site could be considered in the future, he said.
The county, through its economic development arm, purchased the land five years ago with designs to create a new multi-faceted development on former farmland. Construction relies on state funding and matching county funds that could be secured through loans based on the property’s value.
Commissioners on Thursday hired Provident Real Estate Advisors LLC to assess the property’s value, a necessary step before final design and planning work can be completed, Rigone said.
Officials said construction and site work is estimated to cost about $6 million, with another $2.5 million allocated to address concerns regarding traffic patterns and access to the property. State and local approvals are still needed to move forward with the project.
The proposed site was one of three major industrial projects addressed Thursday by the commissioners. The board OK’d project management agreements for the ongoing New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park and Redevelopment and the Pennsylvania Safety, Transportation and Research Track — or PennStart project in East Huntingdon.
Construction of the 70-acre New Kensington project is underway with demolition of six existing structures on the site slated for this summer. The project management agreement signed Thursday allows the county to access $9.2 million in state matching grants for ongoing work at the site.
In the southern end of the county, the $20 million East Huntingdon project is being coordinated by PennDOT. It was unveiled in 2022 and calls for construction of a 3-mile test track for automated vehicles and training for emergency personnel. Thursday’s management agreement paves the way for for the project to access a $1 million state grant, Rigone said.
“We’re very excited to have these and that they are moving forward,” said Commissioner Sean Kertes.