Back to list May 30, 2014 Developer Seeks LERTA in Shippensburg SHIPPENSBURG – Developers are seeking a real estate tax incentive to help lure a company to the Shippensburg area. Pulp and paper company Georgia Pacific is considering two sites near Shippensburg for a distribution center that would create about 50 jobs. Representatives from Cumberland Area Economic Development Corp., Franklin County Area Development Corp., and site selection firm KPMG asked the Shippensburg Area School Board to consider a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Abatement incentive. “The I-81 and I-78 corridors have been extremely active with industrial projects,” said Jonathan Bowser, CEO of CAEDC. “The one thing we have come to realize is that even though we have very desirable sites, there are other desirable sites in which local communities are going to incentivize the development. It’s a very competitive environment.” The expectation is that the facility would open by July 2015, according to FCADC President L. Michael Ross. Bowser said they are still waiting on details regarding the types of jobs at the proposed facility. “This is a good project,” Ross said. “I think the employment numbers are manageable given everything that’s going on in Shippensburg with Procter & Gamble and Volvo. The employment numbers are such that we’re not introducing another major challenge to the labor pool.” The LERTA incentive is extremely critical to recruiting the company, according to Bowser. The company is looking to build a 1.5 million-square-foot distribution facility, signaling an approximately $50 to $60 million investment. Two sites along I-81 near Shippensburg are under consideration: • The ProLogis Park in Southampton Township, Cumberland County, near Exit 29; • The United Business Park in Southampton Township, Franklin County, near Exit 24. LERTA provides real estate tax breaks phased out over a period of several years. Read the rest of the article from the Public Opinion here.
