This once abandoned industrial building, formerly a part of Cytemp Specialty Steel,
will see a total transformation in coming weeks and months, as a $1.25 million PA
First grant will make it available for two currently planned business expansions
and open the door for four more prospective businesses. Herald photo/Joshua
Sterling
State grants developers $1.25M for renovation of 6 buildings
Estimated 80 jobs will be created as a result of the project, slated to
begin soon
By Joshua Sterling
jsterling@titusvilleherald.com
Wednesday, May 14, 2014 4:06 AM EDT
With construction work ongoing at the Titusville Opportunity Park, a land once home to
a sprawling steel mill, Titusville Redevelopment Authority was presented a $1.25 million
PA First grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic
Development Tuesday for continued work to repurpose the complex for a modern,
diversified economy.
Titusville Redevelopment Authority (TRA) Executive Director Jim Becker opened the
ceremony by welcoming the many guests from local, regional, state and federal
governments, project engineers, school district officials and the Titusville Area Chamber
of Commerce.
He said the project to breathe new life into the crumbling and abandoned steel mill
buildings has been a monumental undertaking that has spanned more than a decade.
The goal is to continue bringing new jobs and a growing tax base to Titusville.
"When the redevelopment authority purchased this abandoned steel mill in 1998, no
one knew exactly what was going to happen here," Becker recalled, adding that his
predecessor, the late Mike Allyn, "knew what the community needed was for us to take
on this project. And, he knew that we had a lot of work ahead of us."
Becker said that TRA knew back then that the repurposing of the 206 acres and
670,000 square feet of industrial buildings "was going to be massive in size and
scope."
Today, the industrial park, which officially opened in 2000, is home to 18 employers and
approximately 275 employees, Becker said.
"There's truly a generation of people in this community who had never seen the lights
on in those buildings."
With the grant announced Tuesday, Becker said six more abandoned buildings at the
west end of the industrial park, totaling 85,000 square feet, will be renovated and
readied for prospective tenants, including the immediate expansion of two existing
businesses — Roser Technologies Inc. and AlturnaMats.
The buildings will also house crane capacities from 3 to 20 tons.
Both of those companies have committed to hiring 30 new employees, each, in the two
buildings into which they will expand. And, based on the size of the four other buildings
and interest expressed by other companies, TRA estimates "at least" 20 additional job
openings.
"Once again, an incubator was needed. But, we weren't in a position to do it on our own.
That's when DCED again stepped in to assist us with funding this project."
Becker said the combination of several efforts lead to the complete transformation of the
complex.
"It's only with the assistance of DCED and local entrepreneurs that we were able to turn
this once abandoned brownfield site into an active, growing and successful industrial
park."
State official calls Titusville's
reemergence good for Pa.
Becker then gave the floor to DCED Secretary C. Alan Walker, who was appointed to
his post in 2011 by Gov. Tom Corbett. Walker had previously appeared in Titusville for
the dedication of the Towne Square Building's renovated office space, in 2012.
On Tuesday, he said projects like the ongoing renovation at Titusville Opportunity Park
give him a great deal of optimism for the future of Pennsylvania.
"It's an exciting time for me to be here," he said. "I'm amazed by the opportunities that
we have today in small communities, especially as [they] relate to economic
development."
Walker said that the area can be seen as a barometer for the status of the entire state.
"It's places like Titusville, and innovators like Col. Edwin L. Drake, that define
Pennsylvania's emergence as an industrial power, and home of strategic thinkers who
dare to dream."
He added that, throughout his travels across the state, he's noticed a common theme:
"If you build it, they will come," he said, quoting the film "Field of Dreams."
"If we fail to improve and reinvent, others will pass us by," he explained. "Having movein-ready business parks, with updated infrastructure, is key to attracting new growth to
Pennsylvania. What you are doing here, at the Titusville Opportunity Park, will definitely
help grow the economy of this community.
"Today marks another chapter in your book of progress."
Walker closed by tying together the world's first oil boom, in 1859, to the growing shale
gas industry.
"While Titusville was at the center of the oil boom, you are situated in close proximity to
the Marcellus and Utica shale development. I have no doubt that you will capture a lot of
the downstream supply chain and manufacturing, right here in Titusville. It really is a
great story of reemergence, with our industries of the past providing the foundation to
support the industries of today.
"Thank you, for helping build a stronger Pennsylvania, and a brighter future."
Becker ended the ceremony by adding, "We look forward to this project moving
forward."
Titusville City Manager Larry Manross, who attended the event with a couple members
of city council, said the ability to continue the renovation of the industrial park is very
good news for Titusville.
"Anything that creates jobs in our town is gigantic," he said. "If this is going to help
create 80 jobs, there couldn't be anything better. Jobs are what makes the tax base.
That's what makes the world go round."
Stiffler McGraw Northwest will be the engineering firm charged with the project.