LEWISTOWN - The Mifflin County Industrial Corporation met for its quarterly board meeting Tuesday morning to discuss a variety of projects, including the transition into the Keystone Communities program through the Pennsylvania Department of Community Economic Development.
The Keystone Communities program is designed to streamline revitalization efforts within a specific community by partnering like-minded organizations that share common goals. Under the program, townships, municipalities and organizations like MCIDC would pull resources to accomplish these goals.
As it stands now, MCIDC and the Downtown Lewistown Inc. are moving toward establishing a partnership to gain the Keystone Communities status.
The MCIDC board voted unanimously to draft a "Letter of Intent" to send to DCED, the first step in gaining Keystone Communities status.
MCIDC president Rob Postal said the state wants to see the partnership agreements in place, which would allow the new organization, which has yet to finalize a new name, access to loans, grants and possible tax credits for yet to be established "Enterprise Zones."
Postal said the MCIDC Plaza could be a good example of an area that has the potential to be declared an Enterprise Zone.
"If we collaborate we can use resources to do some industrial development work," Postal said.
As part of this transition, MCIDC is looking at the possibility of moving into an adjacent building formerly occupied by Kardex, which manufactured automated retrieval systems. MCIDC and DLI would then occupy the same building, as well as another possible, yet to be named local agency.
President of DLI Jon Zimmerman said "we are way ahead of any other county in the state we are at the forefront," in obtaining the Keystone Community status.
Other topics at the meeting included the following:
The board discussed the Expansion Drive Project adjacent to the GE Inspections Technology plant in the Industrial Park in Granville Township. MCIDC is helping to secure state and federal funds to improve Expansion Drive.
The board also discussed expanding on the current Mann Edge housing project at the corner of Dorcas and South Water streets.
The board also plans to look into obtaining a 20-acre plot of land once owned by Freedom Forge in Burnham, which will be up for sale in September.
