Governor Josh Shapiro has unveiled the latest round of PA SITES funding, allocating more than $39 million to 11 initiatives across Pennsylvania. The effort focuses on readying industrial properties for swift business expansion, fostering job growth and bolstering the state’s economic foundation.
NAIOP Pittsburgh members are at the forefront of several recipients. Imperial Land Corporation secured a $5.2 million grant and $2.5 million loan to advance phases two and three of the Fort Cherry Development District in Washington County’s Robinson Township. This ongoing initiative will expand roadways and utilities across sites poised for up to 6 million square feet of industrial, flexible, and office space. The Fort Cherry Development was a stop along the NAIOP Bus Tour earlier this year in partnership with the Washington County Chamber of Commerce.
Separately, SunCap Property Group, through its ownership of Nichol Avenue McKees Rocks LLC, received $6 million for phase two of a 72-acre former brownfield in Allegheny County’s Stowe Township. The investment will cover environmental cleanup, rail enhancements, and site improvements to support a 283,000-square-foot modern distribution center, plus options for custom builds on parcels from 5 to 20 acres. Furthermore, SunCap Property Group’s, Bill Palmer, will be a panelist at our October Chapter Breakfast Turning Policy into Profit: Navigating the New Era of Tax Credits & Opportunity Zones — NAIOP
These awards follow the program’s inaugural distribution in May, where NAIOP member Regional Industrial Development Corporation (RIDC) obtained close to $7 million to restore structures at the New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park in Westmoreland County. Drawing from a historic Alcoa campus spanning 1.2 million square feet across 12 buildings, the upgrades are converting the site into a contemporary center for advanced manufacturing, light industry, and technology-flex operations, starting with 130,000 square feet of revitalized space. Earlier this year, RIDC’s RE:Build Manufacturing located in the New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park won the NAIOP Award for Best Industrial Renovation Project. The partnership between the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation (WCIDC) and RIDC at the manufacturing park showcases their commitment to revitalization in the region.
Programs like PA SITES are essential for overcoming obstacles in site development, turning idle land into productive assets that draw investment to Pennsylvania. With over $113 million now invested in 29 ventures, it underscores a steady commitment to practical economic progress that NAIOP supports and advocates for. To engage with professionals shaping such projects, join NAIOP Pittsburgh.