Room for rooms

Dec. 13—SHENANGO TOWNSHIP — A new hotel may be coming to Shenango Township, with local officials supporting the project with property tax breaks.

Shenango Township Board of Supervisors Chairman Tom Hubert said the hotel is expected to be located along Spangler Road, which already has a Holiday Inn Express along the road's southern curve, just northeast of the intersection of state routes 18 and 760 and the Interstate 80-Interstate 376 interchange.

The addition would bring the number of hotels near the interchange to seven — with the Holiday Inn Express, Red Roof Inn and Quality Inn north of the I-376 eastern terminus and Super 8, Park Inn and Hampton on Winner Lane between I-376 and the I-80 overpass.

A spokesperson with Castle Partners, the new hotel's developers, said officials hoped to close on the land and hotel franchise in the next couple of months, but otherwise could not comment on the project now.

According to Mercer County online tax records, Travaglini Enterprises Inc. owns both the parcel containing the Holiday Inn Express and a neighboring parcel to the west.

Hubert said his understanding was that the new hotel would be nearby, and that the developers may buy and demolish some homes to make room for the hotel.

"They said they'd like to get started next spring," Hubert said of Castle Partners. "I think it's supposed to be a higher-end hotel, like the Holiday Inn Express."

To support the project, Shenango Township supervisors awarded a 10-year tax abatement was awarded for the project at their Oct. 19 meeting. The vote was 4-1, with Supervisor Dale Perry dissenting, Hubert said.

West Middlesex schools Business Manager Mary Sternthal said the school board unanimously approved a 10-year tax abatement, which will run concurrently with the township's tax abatement, at its Dec. 4 meeting.

Mercer County Senior Chief Clerk Ann Morrison said the current county Board of Commissioners had awarded an abatement for the project.

Morrison said the site would have to comply with the guidelines and requirements for abatement, and that more review and information may be needed by the incoming county commissioners.

While municipalities would still collect taxes on the land, Hubert said the tax abatement would be against the structure. The tax abatement would begin the year construction on the structure begins.

Hubert said the township supervisors have awarded tax abatements for similar developments in the past.

Such initiatives can encourage not just short-term economic development from other developers, but long-term growth down the road, such as bringing new families to the area — benefiting the township and school district, he said.

"It opens the door to let developers and builders know we're open to expanding the development of the area," Hubert said.

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