Fed official: County a model for economic development

By Tom Fontaine
Herald Staff Writer

After touring the former Westinghouse plant Monday morning, a panel of state and federal officials gathered at Pennsylvania Power Co.’s Clark office to praise the county’s development efforts and offer suggestions for future success.

The audience included current and former county commissioners and area mayors, businessmen and officials.

Winner Development Corp., owned by international businessman James E. Winner Jr., bought part of the Sharpsville Avenue complex in December for $500,000. Since then, Winner has applied for millions of federal and state dollars to tackle a cleanup and revitalization project at the site. William Steiner, executive director of the Northwestern Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission, lauded Winner’s efforts. “It’s rare to see a local businessman who wants to put money back into their town,” Steiner said. “It’s a real tribute ... that says, ‘This is where I want to put my money to work.’”

The panel of officials said the county has proven it can put state and federal money to work. David Black, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Community and Economic Development, called Mercer County “a model for economic development.”

“We know state and federal funding is going to be invested well in Mercer County. We know if we put money here, it’s going to be used wisely,” Black said.

“There are good projects here, and it is easy to invest money here,” Black added. Anthony Pecone, a U.S. Economic Development Administration representative, agreed. Since the federal EDA was founded in the 1960s, Pecone estimated it has invested $40 million in northwestern Pennsylvania — and created at least 20,000 jobs, he said. The money was well spent, he added.

Randy Coleman, area manager of Pennsylvania Power Co., asked officials for “tips and tricks” to landing project dollars.

U.S. Rep. Phil English, who has helped draw federal dollars to this region, outlined a blueprint for fund-hunting success. English touted a $13 million federal grant he helped secure for a $100 million sewer and water project in Erie.

English said a detailed plan and local support helped “engage the federal government,” despite the limited amount of federal infrastructure funding.

English said local support of projects and the local economic know-how of people like Larry Reichard, executive director of Penn-Northwest Development Corp., Mercer, have made a strong case for the county when it has competed for dollars.

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