ZELIENOPLE — Sign Innovation, a Harmony-based company that makes custom signs for businesses, plans to build a facility in the borough this year.

Borough council Monday night voted to give preliminary approval to a subdivision and land development plan for a property on Halstead Boulevard.

This will give new life to the property that has been vacant since 2008 when the 120,000-square-foot Pennsylvania Collision Parts warehouse burned down.

The 13 acres is zoned for industrial use, said borough manager Don Pepe.

The project still needs a building permit, though the application process is nearly complete, Pepe said.

Sign Innovation is planning to develop the property in two phases, said President Ray Roccon.

The first phase includes a 32,536-square-foot building for the company’s headquarters as well as space for light industrial manufacturing. It would use the already existing parking lot, which can hold 53 parking spaces.

The new building will have almost double the space the company currently has.

“Ultimately, we’re continuing to grow. We’re taking on some new larger retail clients and the space is necessary. The property in Zelienople is convenient for our customers and employees,” Roccon said.

The company currently has office and manufacturing space at two buildings in Harmony and one in Evans City. The new facility would allow the company to consolidate into one building.

Sign Innovation hopes to get borough approval and complete construction this year, he said.

It also plans to build a 50,000-square-foot expansion to the building and a second building that would be about 95,000 square feet, both to be leased to other companies.

Roccon said they hope to move forward with the expansion this year, though it will depend on interest in the space and lining up prospective lessees.

Sign Innovation was founded in 1983. The company employs 27 people and designs, manufactures installs and services a variety of signs.

The fire at Pennsylvania Collision Parts did $6 million in damage.

It was discovered late at night on March 9, 2008. Some 100 firefighters from 19 departments battled the blaze for several hours.

That company then moved into a warehouse in Allegheny County and took 30 jobs with it.

The burned down building used to house the Vesuvius USA plant.