Tionesta Market Village Plan Unveiled

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Forest County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tionesta’s long-vacant downtown will be given a jump-start this spring with the creation of the Tionesta Market Village. The Forest County IDA and IDC have partnered up and completed plans to establish this addition to the main street on the southern of the two IDA-owned lots, now known as the “Gazebo Lot”.  This site will become the home of several custom-built small scale retail buildings designed to look like 1800s store fronts, fronted by a wide walkway for shoppers and offering a variety of small retail establishments.

While the IDA owns the property, the IDC is funding this project and is now searching for new start-ups or small home-based businesses looking to move into a small retail space.  This is an attempt to fill two needs: providing small, high-visibility retail space to small businesses and making use of the vacant property until a permanent development is established.

“Over the past couple of years there have been several individuals that have expressed an interest in starting a small business in downtown Tionesta.” says Dick Johnson, owner of Forest Hardware in Tionesta and Vice President of the Forest County IDC.  “Two of the biggest drawbacks are the lack of available space and the cost of building new.”  He hopes that the Market Village will give those people an “economically feasible way to get their new ventures up and running.”

IDC president, Farley Wright, says “The project is a unique, low-risk, high potential reward grass roots effort to increase the attraction and traffic to the community.  It’s an opportunity, without relying on governmental funding, to assist local folks as well as benefit our community.”  In answer to why this type of use for the property, he adds “Sometimes you can’t wait for others to provide the solutions; and while there may be detractors (nay-sayers) to the project, I know of no one that has presented a better idea.  We can support the effort and contribute to its success, or we can deride it and it may fail…….but at least we are doing something.”

Read more:  http://www.forestcounty.com/uploads/article_Tionesta%20Market%20Village%20Plans%20Unveiled.pdf

Lancaster City Zoners OK Variance, Exception For Wash House

The large commercial building at 420 W. Grant St. has been reinvented in the past two years as the Wash House after the closure of EMJAY Display, a maker of point-of-purchase store displays.

The 14,000-square-foot building has become an incubator of small start-up businesses, including a construction company, two woodworkers and a ballroom dance studio.

Yet one thing was missing in the building’s renewal: city zoning approval.

On Monday, Mitchell Jureckson received a variance of required parking spaces and a special exception for a fitness studio from the Lancaster city Zoning Hearing Board for the Wash House.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/672153_Lancaster-city-zoners-OK-variance–exception-for-Wash-House.html#ixzz1yHLQAJJ7

Business Incubator Hatches At York College

Image via Wikipedia

I am always excited to report on these things! 

The 7,100-square-foot Kings Mill Depot is now open to any for-profit corporations in the start-up phase, small businesses entering a growth phase or existing companies launching new projects.  The best part is that the incubator is for firms dealing with technology, health care, sciences or engineering.  The incubator is all about creating good paying jobs that have a high growth potential.  Lord knows Pennsylvania needs decent paying jobs that will support families!

Applications are being accepted through the J.D. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship at York College.  Faculty, staff and students are available to help with business development! 

Contact Jeff Vermeulen at (717) 815-6639 if your firm would like to take advantage of the awesome opportunity!

Bethlehem also has a very successful job incubator at Lehigh University.  You can also read about that here: http://roysrants.wordpress.com/2010/04/13/bethlehem-job-incubator-recepient-of-6-million-dollar-federal-recovery-act-grant/

Three York County Projects Will Benefit From Pennsylvania Bond Sale

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The Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program is going to receive just that, an infusion of capital that will make three York County projects possible.  Approval has been given for the sale of $650 million dollars in bonds by Pennsylvania Treasurer, Rob McCord.

The Northwest Triangle project is waiting on a $7.5 million dollar grant to demolish buildings and make way for new construction.  For more information on the Northwest Triangle, you can read my post on this very large brownfield redevelopment project in York City.

York College is waiting on $4 million dollars to complete various projects around their campus including the creation of a business incubator!

The York Fire School wants to construct a new building for live-burn training.  They have applied for $1.5 million dollars to complete this project.