Massive Bellefonte-area warehouse project passes muster, with conditions. What comes next?
One of the largest proposed developments in Centre County history was conditionally approved Tuesday, moving it one step closer toward becoming a reality.
The Centre County Planning Commission conditionally approved plans for a massive fulfillment center warehouse at Benner Commerce Park. The vote was unanimous.
Developer SunCap Property Group still has several hurdles to clear before any construction is OK’d. That includes approvals for stormwater management and the completion of traffic and engineering studies.
Even more standard authorizations and inspections would need to follow. Final approval would come from Centre County and Benner Township, county Subdivision and Land Development Planner Christopher Schnure said Wednesday.
A more than 1 million-square-foot warehouse is planned for a 103-acre site along Penntech Drive. Nearly 700 jobs are expected to be created, which would make the warehouse one of the largest private employers in Centre County.
The company behind the project was not made publicly known; developers are bound by a nondisclosure agreement. There is no timeline to make the information public, a SunCap representative said during Tuesday’s meeting.
The planning commission, Chairman D. Richard Francke said, was not concerned which business would use the warehouse. The process remains the same no matter the project’s scope, he said.
“We call balls and strikes,” Francke said in response to a woman who expressed concern the commission was approving the plans without knowing which company would use the facility. “We don’t set the rules.”
About 900 parking spaces are planned, in addition to upward of 80 bays for semitrailers. Minimal traffic improvements are expected to be needed, aside from the installation of a long-awaited traffic signal at the intersection of Benner Pike and Penntech Drive.
A Centre Area Transportation Authority bus stop is also planned.
Tuesday’s conditional approval marked the furthest step the project took. Plans were first submitted in early April, but were withdrawn a week later without reason. A nearly identical plan was resubmitted in July.
