Real Estate Collaborative awarded $10 million to prepare former Frog, Switch & Manufacturing industrial site for new development

Mechanicsburg, Pa (May 7, 2025) –

Governor Shapiro announced yesterday that the Commonwealth has awarded the Real Estate Collaborative, LLC (REC) more than $10.2 million to transform the 27-acre former Frog, Switch, & Manufacturing (Frog Switch) industrial complex into a pad-ready site for future mixed-use development.

With more than 40 industrial buildings and a landfill, Frog Switch, located on High Street at the Borough’s eastern gateway, is one of the largest industrial properties in the County in need of redevelopment.

REC was formed as a subsidiary of the Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation to repurpose underutilized properties. The project was awarded a $6,136,698 grant and a $4,091,132 loan, totaling $10,227,830, through the Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites Program (PA SITES) to stabilize and secure the site, demolish the former industrial buildings, and conduct environmental remediation activities, as necessary. With Frog Switch located just a few minutes from Interstates 81 and 76, and a short distance from Harrisburg and major freight rail yards, the site is an ideal location to foster new development.

“This is an exciting day and tremendous step forward for the Carlisle community,” REC Chair Andrew Notarfrancesco said. “With these funds we will be able to perform the work necessary to make the site economically viable for redevelopment. On behalf of the REC board, we are extremely grateful to our many supporters, which include the Mayor of Carlisle, Sean Shultz, the Cumberland County Commissioners, Kelly Neiderer, Jean Foschi, and Gary Eichelberger, and our state elected officials, as well as the extensive cooperation we received from the current site owners.”

The Borough of Carlisle, the Cumberland County Commissioners, the current site owners, and several state legislators including Sen. Greg Rothman, Rep. Barbara Gleim, Rep. Torren Ecker, Rep. Nate Davidson, Sen. Patty Kim, and Rep. Thomas Kutz, each expressed their support for REC’s project and application to PA SITES.

The project is made possible through the Commonwealth’s new PA SITES program, which began accepting applications for its full-scale program last fall. The program was established to provide grant and loan funding to develop competitive sites for businesses to relocate or expand within the Commonwealth. Of 66 applications received, 11 projects received funding in the first round of PA SITES, totaling $64 million.

“We are very appreciative of Governor Shapiro and Secretary Siger’s leadership on the economic development front, including the establishment of the PA SITES Program, and we are ecstatic that the Governor and his team have awarded REC the critical funding necessary to move this project forward,” Jon Cox, Cumberland Area Economic Development Board Chair and a member of the REC management group, said. “Without intervention, redevelopment of this site would not be economically viable and would risk further deterioration, blight, and safety issues for the community for years to come. These funds give Carlisle the opportunity to breathe new life into the property.”

The Frog Switch site has been used for industrial purposes for approximately 185 years. Its current namesake comes from the railroad “frogs” and “switches” that were once produced extensively at the site. Most recently, the site produced manganese steel castings for crushers; however, in June 2023, the Frog Switch Board of Directors determined that it was impossible to continue operations due to international competition and the prohibitive costs of necessary capital improvements.

While environmental investigations are underway to determine what remediation will be necessary to make the site safe for redevelopment, it is clear that the existing industrial buildings are in poor condition and not economically or structurally viable to repurpose. The complex consists of a patchwork of buildings, many of which have a shell-like structure that housed foundry and casting operations. Large 15-foot subsurface pits and decades-old steel machines as large as a small house occupy the largest buildings, requiring extensive work to prepare the site for future development. In the near term, REC will use PA SITES funds to erect a fence around the property, disconnect utilities, and create entry barricades to increase site and public safety, while it finalizes its demolition and environmental remediation plans, as necessary.

A unique Spanish Mission style building, historically used as an office, will likely remain on the site, as it appears in good condition and helps preserve a connection to the site’s former use. Once REC completes demolition and remediation activities, it will solicit a request for proposals, asking private entities to submit preliminary plans for the redevelopment of the site. REC will then sell the property, enabling diverse economic opportunities to flourish in the Borough.

For questions or comments, please contact REC Chair Andrew Notarfrancesco at [email protected].