Gov. Josh Shapiro is greasing the wheels for Pennsylvania's economic engine with a hefty infusion of cash aimed at spurring on shovel-ready sites for businesses. The state's top exec, along with Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger, revealed a $10.6 million grant through the PA SITES program. This initiative is designed to prep sites across the Keystone State for business attraction, promising more jobs and bolstering the local economies. The announcement, which took place in the Lehigh Valley, highlights over $1.1 million directed to the Allentown Commercial and Industrial Development Authority for key utility extensions.
“It’s great to be back here in the Lehigh Valley – where just a few months ago, Secretary Siger and I announced our Commonwealth’s first economic development strategy in nearly two decades. That strategy recognizes that in order to compete and create opportunity, we need to invest – and we’ve heard loud and clear that Pennsylvania needs to develop more sites we can use to sell our Commonwealth to companies that want to grow and thrive here,” Shapiro said, according to a state press release. Last year's feedback from top site selectors indicated an urgent need for more ready-to-go sites, prompting the PA SITES pilot program's birth. Since its conception, it has garnered an overwhelming response, with 102 applications requesting north of $236 million, vastly outpacing the original $10 million in grants available.
Funds from the pilot program will be distributed across various counties, such as Allegheny County, which is set to receive over $2.3 million for development at the Carrie Furnace site, and Bucks County with a $2.5 million allotment for transportation improvements. Shapiro's 2024-25 budget proposal slates a whopping $500 million toward PA SITES, aiming to make the state an even more tantalizing destination for businesses.
“The PA SITES program will allow AEDC to accelerate our redevelopment of a vacant brownfield and return the property to productive use. Thanks to Governor Shapiro and his team, the launch of the PA SITES Program this past fall was perfect timing to assist us in making this unique site ready for development,” R. Scott Unger, Executive Director of the Allentown Economic Development Corporation, told the state newsroom. This sentiment is echoed across regional leaders, such as Don Cunningham, President and CEO of Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, who championed the program for making otherwise challenging properties viable for development. Amidst a landscape where neighboring states like Ohio, New York, and Virginia are seemingly ahead in the game, the Governor's approach to level up Pennsylvania's offering has been warmly received. Rep. Josh Siegel attested that it's a "historic victory for Allentown" and a chance to forge pathways out of poverty through job creation.
The budget proposal extends beyond PA SITES, with Shapiro gunning for $25 million through the Main Street Matters program to shore up small businesses across the state, $20 million funneled into large-scale innovation sectors, and $3.5 million for the Pennsylvania Regional Economic Competitiveness Challenge, intended to fortify regional growth strategies.
