Electricity Capacity Is Maxed Out Near Reading Regional Airport

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Berks County‘s next industrial park sits in an area ripe for development. It’s 155 acres close to Route 222 and surrounded by many potential workers.

Now that Berks Park 78 has opened, this industrial site near Reading Regional Airport is the next big economic development project community leaders hope will attract jobs, tax revenue and business investment.

First, though, this underdeveloped area in Bern Township needs more electricity and gas to become shovel-ready.

“You need to have an adequate amount of electric and gas for the prospects that might be coming to your industrial park,” said Thomas C. McKeon, executive director of the Berks County Industrial Development Authority. “It’s essential to have the infrastructure, to have an adequate amount of it in the ground and readily available so that there’s no questions for anybody when they come.”

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article/20140121/BUSINESSWEEKLY/301219999/1052#.Ut6oxvQo6c8

Ten Years Of Cabela’s: Tons Of Taxes, Tons Of Business

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It was a poor place for businesses, planners thought.

The slopes of farmland in northern Berks County would be difficult to build on.

Nearby roads were heavily traveled, but didn’t provide a good way in.

The infrastructure improvements necessary to fix those problems would be expensive, and zoning laws would complicate the process.

That was how the Berks County Planning Commission and a national site selection firm viewed 150 acres of fields near Route 61 in Tilden Township a little over a decade ago.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=513221

Met-Ed To Invest $116 Million

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Metropolitan-Edison Co. plans a $116 million expansion of its electrical infrastructure in 15 counties, including Berks, the utility said Thursday.

In northern Berks, the FirstEnergy subsidiary will spend nearly $10 million to improve service and capacity for future growth in an area now serving 40,000 to 50,000 customers, according to Scott Surgeoner, Met-Ed spokesman.

On Thursday, workers tackled the upgrade at the Northkill substation along Route 183 in Jefferson Township. The project in Berks should be completed by June.

The area includes everything within the parameters of Route 183 north from Route 222 to Interstate 78, east to Route 61 and south to Route 222.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=468434

PetSmart To Open $50 Million Warehouse In Bethel Township

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

National retailer PetSmart plans to open a $50 million distribution warehouse in Berks Park 78 in Bethel Township, creating 500 permanent jobs and 390 construction jobs.

This is the second Fortune 500 company slated to open in the park by January 2014.

A Dollar General distribution center, which plans to employ 500 workers and an additional 75 truckers, announced its plans last month.

Thomas C. McKeon, executive director of the Berks County Industrial Development Authority, said he is ecstatic the two large companies selected Bethel.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=398727