State awards $2.85 million in business grants in valley

Oct. 27—Redevelopment grants awarded to businesses in Sharon and Hermitage are expected to boost the local economy and assist Sharon in its downtown revitalization efforts.

The state has approved four Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grants totaling $2.85 million awarded to Hermitage and Sharon businesses:

— $1 million — Joy Cone in Hermitage

— $500,000 — Penn-Northwest Development Corp., Mercer County's lead economic development agency

— $500,000 — Buhl Community Recreation Center in Sharon

— $850,000 — JCL Development, Sharon.

JCL Development will be working on developing the Chestnut Avenue block buildings in downtown Sharon.

"We were really excited," said Jim Landino, owner of JCL Development. "I probably can't thank people enough. It's a big gift to the city."

The former Wilson's furniture building on East State Street at Chestnut needs an updated elevator. The 20,000-square-foot space above Evolve Gym is waiting for a tenant, said Landino, who owns the building.

The money will also be used to renovate the space above the Shenango Valley Chamber of Commerce office on Chestnut, which JCL Development also owns.

"We're going to do what we do — gut it out to get it to its bones and bring it back to life," Landino said.

Landino said the group is chasing other financing, and remaking the Chestnut Avenue buildings could be $2.5 million project.

"Our goal is to make it the centerpiece of the city," Landino said.

Sharon City Manager Bob Fiscus said it's important for Sharon to have supportive partners in Harrisburg as it goes through a radical revitalization movement.

"With the Buhl Club being a recreation hub for the city and the Shenango Valley and the development of the downtown city corridor with our JCL development partners, these are tipping point factors for change in our city." Fiscus said. "Add to that the support of Penn-Northwest in helping the former Wheatland Tube plant get funding for renovations — another piece of the revitalization puzzle which could attract new manufacturing and new jobs," he said, referring to the former tube mill north of the downtown that sits along the Shenango River behind the former Westinghouse plant.

The plant had been operated by Sharon Tube Co. and was bought by Wheatland Tube, which eventually closed the mill.

Rien Construction, Brookfield, has bought or is in the processing of buying the site, said Rod Wilt, Penn-Northwest's executive director. It includes two industrial buildings, each about 130,000 square feet,

The site also comes with a modern office building water treatment equipment and has rail access, Wilt said. Rien will market the buildings for industrial use, he added.

Penn-Northwest will receive $500,000 to repair the roof of the factory, as well as replace the lighting and the above-ground concrete there to allow for manufacturers to run production lines, enabling the building to remain an important part of the manufacturing resurgence.

State Rep. Mark Longietti, D-7, Hermitage,, and state Sen. Michele Brooks, R-50, Jamestown, announced the grants Thursday in a joint release.

"The Sharon industrial building renovation project will expand the region's ability to attract a significant manufacturer and a source of good-paying jobs," Longietti said. "While funding to upgrade roadway and transportation logistics for the Joy Cone plant will help ensure this world-class manufacturer continues to grow and thrive in Hermitage."

The Joy Cone plant expansion project received $1 million. Joy Cone employs more than 670 people, with 140 of those positions created since October 2020. With the current expansion plans, Joy Cone intends to hire another 90 employees in the next year.

"I appreciate the opportunity to work with Joy Cone, which recently celebrated 100 years in our community, as the company continues to add jobs and exponentially expands its facilities here in Mercer County," Brooks said. "It's always a sense of pride when seeing their world-famous products being used while watching a favorite movie and even when I'm in Harrisburg."

Buhl Community Recreation Center will receive $500,000 to support the major expansion of amenities, facilities and exercise equipment that has been under construction since spring.

"Sharon is the Shenango Valley's core community, so expanding the city's recreational and hospitality opportunities drives economic growth for the entire region," Longietti said. "The new funding for Buhl Community Recreation Center will build on the major facility improvements already underway by ensuring the center has the needed infrastructure — including parking, electrical and mechanical upgrades — to support the expansion. It's estimated that the project will help increase membership by 3,500 and add nine permanent full-time jobs."

Follow Melissa Klaric on twitter @HeraldKlaric or email her at mklaric@sharonherald.com

Follow Melissa Klaric on twitter @HeraldKlaric or email her at mklaric@sharonherald.com