The Clarion County Industrial Development Authority was awarded $5,290,166 in state funding today (May 25) to support the redevelopment of the former Clarion Owens-Illinois Glass Plant site in Clarion, according to Senator Scott Hutchinson.
The Commonwealth Financing Authority approved a $1,033,214 Business in Our Sites (BOS) grant and a $4,256,952 BOS low-interest loan for the redevelopment of the 28.5-acre site. The BOS funds will be used for the installation of utilities, site lighting, roads and streets, water and sewer infrastructure, demolition, remediation, excavation and grading, engineering and legal costs.
Overall, the $39 million Glass Works Business Park project calls for the demolition of the existing structures on the site, remediation of contaminated soil, installation of infrastructure and construction of seven multi-purpose buildings. The business park complex will provide 300,000 square feet of light industrial, warehouse and office facilities.
“The Glass Works project will redevelop the former glass plant site, which had been a fixture in the Clarion community for 105 years and at its peak provided more than 1,500 jobs. The closure of the plant in 2010 dealt a devastating blow to the local economy and left in its wake a deteriorating brownfield site,” said Senator Hutchinson.
“This BOS funding will help transform this underutilized location into a vibrant business park. There is already significant interest from a variety of companies in the business park, which could create more than 750 new jobs,” Senator Hutchinson continued. “This project is truly a godsend for the Clarion community and an economic boon for the region.”
Contact: Justin Leventry (717) 787-9684