Business park expansion progressing
The Fayette County Business Park Expansion Project is currently in the planning phase, with rapid progress being made monthly.
The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Fayette (RDA) closed on the property in September 2021, acquiring almost 60 acres from Mount Saint Macrina in North Union Township.
Since then, RDA officials have been working with Sleighter Engineering to begin master site and utility planning, as well as traffic and geo-technical engineering. The team is actively finalizing the project based on the $2.5 million in grant funding received from the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP), which must be used for construction-related activity.
County officials are also working closely with the Sisters of St. Basil, from whom the property was purchased, as it was important for the board of commissioners to take a thoughtful approach to this project.
The next steps include permitting and working with the state Department of Transportation to develop an entrance along North Gate Highway. Future plans include adding an entrance along state Route 40 near the Aldi grocery store.
Our goal is to complete planning by the end of 2022 and begin bidding out construction of Phase 1 in the spring. As there is still a lot of excavation and other work that must be completed before the property is site ready, Fayette County is actively seeking other state and federal funding sources.
This project has been extremely important to me for more than 20 years. In 2004, I led the county in securing $4 million in state and federal grants, which we used to create the initial Fayette County Business Park along Route 40 in South Union Township. Since then, the county has seen nonstop business growth.
That development has attracted more than 50 businesses and $115 million in private investment to date. We’ve already created more than 1,000 family-sustaining jobs in that business park, and the park’s latest expansion at the Mount Saint Macrina property will have the capacity to create 1,000 more.
The Business Park Expansion Project will play a vital role in Fayette County’s continued growth and prosperity. I look forward to welcoming the many new companies that will play key parts in helping us to continue moving Fayette County forward.
Vincent A. Vicites
Fayette County commissioner