Our Executive Director, Rich Fitzgerald, joined Larry Richert on KDKA Newsradio for his weekly segment on regional news.
Dr. Miko Rose, Founding Dean, College of Osteopathic Medicine discusses IUP’s Proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine and Lisa Scales, President & CEO, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank shares insights into the organization’s history, mission and work.
Read more »Five years after its biggest enterprise was opened there, a major expansion may be taking shape with the help of state and federal development funds in the Windy Ridge park in White Township.
A grant awarded to Indiana County in May will be utilized to aid development of about a quarter of the property on the southern end of the Oakland Avenue business district, following action Wednesday by the Indiana County Board of Commissioners.
That action was requested of the county commissioners by the Indiana County Office of Planning & Development.
“Access Roadway Projects proposes a public-private collaboration with the Indiana County Development Corporation, a 501©6 non-profit with project administration by (Pennsylvania Department of Transportation) District 10, proposes design, permitting and construction of two access roads of approximately 550 feet (0.11 miles) and 300 feet (0.06 miles), respectively, and related infrastructure to support the 210-acre Windy Ridge Business and Technology Park,” said Byron G. Stauffer Jr., executive director of both ICOPD and ICDC.
“When complete,” Stauffer continued, “these two access roads will serve five development lots totaling 55.202 acres.”
At the juncture of state Route 286 (Oakland Avenue) and U.S. Route 422, and not far from an interchange with U.S. Route 119, Stauffer said the park is in a strategic location, “geographically located to be a regional job center to support office, manufacturing, distribution and an array of other growth industries.”
However, little seems to have happened since Urban Outfitters opened a fulfillment center there in October 2019, that services that company’s digital customers across the United States.
According to the Urban Outfitters urbn.com website, the location was designed with efficient and ergonomic processes crafted to handle the company’s brands of furniture and large footprint items.
“The ICDC has received a number of inquiries for the subject property,” Stauffer told the board, “However, the lack of adequate access roads has been challenging.”
The way toward those access roads may have gone through a couple stops in Harrisburg, and apparently will need another stop in Washington, D.C.
As announced by Gov. Josh Shapiro in May, ICDC is receiving $1 million out of more than $10.6 million in PA SITES (Pennsylvania Strategic Investments To Enhance Sites) funding.
The governor’s office said PA SITES funds will be used there for engineering, environmental cleanup, demolition, and the construction and site preparation for a 500-foot extension of a roadway to Lot 21 and an intersection connecting to Lot 1.
Additionally, DCED said, funds will be used for street lighting, utility facilities, signage, sanitary sewer, storm water management, and erosion and sediment controls.
ICDC later secured additional funding, this time $1 million from the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. Stauffer said that $1 million will serve as matching funds for the first million.
Also with approval from the commissioners Wednesday, ICOPD will seek to file an application for $475,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission Access Road Program.
The Windy Ridge access road plan was one of several actions sought by ICOPD that the commissioners approved Wednesday.
One was approval of a resolution that recertifies that the Indiana County Revolving Loan Funds, inluding the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act Revolving Loan Fund, are being operated consistent with existing Economic Development Strategy and in accordance with the policies and procedures contained in the administrative plan.
“This is a housekeeping item required semi-annually by the (U.S.) Economic Development Administration,” ICOPD Deputy Director for Economic Development Angela Campisano told the commissioners. “Our Economic Development Strategy is embodied within the document, ‘SmartMoves for a Changing Region,’ which is developed by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission and endorsed by EDA.”
ICOPD Deputy Director for Community Development & Housing David Morrow had three items to present for approval by the county board, two of them for the Dixonville Commons building project:
Third was a $6,227 change order in the contract with Sheesley Electric for the YMCA of Indiana County Locker Room Renovation Project, to be covered by YMCA and RACP funds. It brings the total contract for that work to $116,227.
Stauffer also had two other matters for the commissioners’ consideration:
Arielle Kaye, right, speaks with students during Pittsburgh Robotics Discovery Day. (Photo by Adam Reinherz)
Pittsburghers expanded their minds by making the world a bit smaller. Through presentations and conversations inside the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, more than 4,000 people observed advancements in automation, artificial intelligence and other rapidly evolving technologies as part of Pittsburgh Robotics Discovery Day on Nov. 20.
Our Executive Director, Rich Fitzgerald, joined Larry Richert on KDKA Newsradio for his weekly segment on regional news.
Dr. Karen Riley, President of Slippery Rock University, joined the show to talk about Slippery Rock’s innovative strategic plan and its new electrical and computer engineering program. Later, Laura Herrington, Executive Director of the Indiana County Tourist Bureau, dialed in to promote the ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ Parade and Festival
Read more »Our Executive Director, Rich Fitzgerald, joined Larry Richert on KDKA Newsradio for his weekly segment on regional news.
Jenn Apicella, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Robotics Network, shared details about the upcoming Pittsburgh Robotics Discovery Day (Nov. 20 from 9am – 6pm), where over 130 regional robotics companies will showcase their technologies and highlight career opportunities. Later, David Bromberg, CEO and Co-Founder of Pearl Street Technologies, called in to discuss their groundbreaking SUGAR technology, which enhances power grid analysis through advanced modeling and simulation.
Read more »In Southwestern Pennsylvania, we’re standing on the edge of a transformative decade for transportation. The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is more than just a planning body. We are a collective force uniting 10 counties — Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland — and the City of Pittsburgh, all with a shared mission of improving connectivity, fostering economic growth and building a resilient future for all residents. Our work today will help set the foundation for a transportation system that truly meets the needs of our communities as we move through the challenges and opportunities of the next decade.
Read more »The Armstrong County Business Retention Office, headed by George Skamai, along with Armstrong County Commissioners, John Strate, Anthony Shea and Pat Fabian, initiated their 2024-25 business tours.
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) spearheads this overall effort; the SPC is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the 10 county area in Southwestern Pennsylvania that helps counties, including Armstrong County through the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), their inclusive cities, municipalities and townships access over an estimated $39B in state and federal transportation and economic development funding has been allocated to the region through 2045.
Read more »Our Executive Director Rich Fitzgerald and Board Chair Pat Fabian (Armstrong County Commissioner) joined WPXI-TV’s ‘Our Region’s Business’ to talk about the importance of working together as a region to secure state and federal investment. Commissioners from many of the ten counties in the Pittsburgh region recently joined the Allegheny Conference in Washington, DC to make the case.
Read more »The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) recently announced that Lillian Gabreski has been named its Director of Transportation.
She will join the organization’s leadership team, lead a department of 13 staff members, and oversee transportation initiatives on behalf of the 10-county region.
Gabreski has an exceptional background in strategic planning and transportation, as well as securing state and federal grants.
Read more »New appointments and changes in leadership have been made by Trinity Metro, Luminator, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) and STV.
The SPC has appointed Lillian Gabreski to serve as its director of transportation. She will lead a department of 13 staff members and oversee transportation initiatives on behalf of the 10-county region.
