Ground broken at AC Valley Industrial Park
ALLEGHENY TWP — Butler County commissioners and officials from surrounding townships and counties helped break ground Monday morning at the Allegheny Clarion Valley Industrial Park for sewer system repairs.
“This is a wonderful outcome, and I’m looking forward to more projects like this in the future,” said state Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-21st.
The project, which is expected to be completed by March of 2024, is estimated to cost a total of $5.5 million.
Butler County commissioners approved the use of $500,000 in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act in mid-October. But that is just one revenue stream for the project, said Mark Gordon, the county’s chief of economic development and planning.
“We had to apply for a couple grants,” Gordon said. “We worked with state Sen. Joe Pittman (R-41st) on a $1 million grant. Then we worked with the county commissioners to get the half a million in ARPA funding to get us started.”
The park, situated near Interstate 80 and Route 38, has been under a consent order from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for nearly four years due to failing water and sewage systems, Gordon said.
“There really was two paths to today,” Gordon said. “First, all the engineering and technical side of it, like understanding what’s needed and what the right technology is. Then there is a business aspect, which is a second path. There is not just the initial funding, but how are you going to fund it long term.”
The commissioners also gave the OK for Gordon to request matching grants of $500,000 from Armstrong, Clarion and Venango counties, as well as the $1 million grant put forth by Pittman and an H20 grant of $977,000 from the state.
“All four counties involved are pretty equal when it comes to employment at the park,” Gordon said. “About 25% of the employees at the industrial park reside in each of the four counties.”
A collaborative effort from different municipalities and counties was ideal for this project, because if not, this could have fallen solely into the hands of Allegheny Township and its residents, Gordon explained.
“I appreciate the county commissioners, Mark Gordon and Butler County Community Development Corporation,” Chuck Stowe, chairman of the board of supervisors for Allegheny Township said. “I think we are in good hands. I just look forward to getting this project underway.”
According to Stowe, there are about seven to eight businesses that reside at the industrial park, which hosts between 500 and 600 employees.
Gordon said the remediation of the sewer and water system could be expanded to include residential properties, allowing for additional development in remote locations.
“The long-range plan is to get sewage down to exit 42,“ Stowe said. ”That is an expansion for water and sewage. State Sen. Mary Jo White was senator for this area before Hutchinson. She was the one who originally worked at trying to get water and sewage for exit 42.”
