Originally posted on bizjournals.com on 5/10/2023 by Regional Industrial Development Corporation
The new facility designed by R3A Architecture will house 300 high-quality jobs once fully operational.
Re:Build Manufacturing’s decision to locate its new facility in New Kensington at the historic, former Alcoa site at the New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park is a huge win for the Pittsburgh region and a tremendous catalytic opportunity for the region. Twenty-six cities across the country were under consideration and Re:Build’s decision shows this region has what it takes to compete for growing companies and high-quality jobs.
The new 175,000-square-foot facility will house 300 high-quality jobs once fully operational. The site was once home to one of Alcoa’s earliest production and research facilities and a center of economic activity in the community. Once a vital manufacturing hub, the aim is for it to become that again.
Partnership helped attract Re:Build and must continue to be at the heart of any future business recruitment plans.
The Regional Industrial Development Corporation of Southwest Pennsylvania (RIDC) partnered with the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation (WCIDC) and entered into a purchase agreement with New Kensington’s Redevelopment Authority to take over ownership of the Re:Build facility and the remainder of the 1.1 million-square- foot park, bringing with them a strong track record of success in revitalizing old industrial properties.
The Commonwealth, through the Department of Community and Economic Development, Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority, and several state programs, provided grants and loans. The cities of New Kensington and Arnold provided their support, as did the Richard King Mellon Foundation. RIDC and WCIDC provided equity.
These partnerships are merely the beginning, as stakeholders including Carnegie Mellon University, Westmoreland County, Westmoreland County Community College, Penn State Digital Foundry and the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance will support Re:Build’s efforts to grow their business and bring additional new employees on board at this facility.
The presence of a high-quality, innovative force in the manufacturing sector could be a spark for additional investment in the region. And it builds on the positive moves the cities of New Kensington and Arnold have made in recent years to revitalize the downtown area.
Projects like this one take time to live up to their promises, but RIDC has taken on projects of this magnitude before and has a proven track record for revitalizing industrial relics and putting them back on the tax rolls. Its large portfolio and strong balance sheet are what allow it to make development decisions with a longer-term view of success, including properties like the former Westinghouse campus at Keystone Commons in Turtle Creek and the former Sony plant that is now the Westmoreland Innovation Center, and many others.
When state and regional leaders band together as a united front and present aggressive incentives packages, the region can be a formidable force — that’s what brought Re:Build Manufacturing to Pennsylvania. And it can be the first of many more wins if the lessons learned from this success story are replicated so the region can compete effectively attract the economic activity and jobs that revitalize communities.
Learn more about the Pittsburgh region’s economic development agenda, as the region increasingly becomes a leading player on the national stage.
The mission of the Regional Industrial Development Corporation is to catalyze and support economic growth and high-quality job creation through public policy advocacy, real estate development and finance of projects that advance the public interest. A not-for-profit entity, RIDC has developed over 2,800 acres in 14 industrial and innovation parks and manages over 7 million square feet.