The Mount Pleasant Corporate Center is planned for the former sites of the Mount Pleasant and Diamond Coal Breakers, which is the current site of Keystone Concrete Block and Supply Company in the 700 block of West Linden Street in Scranton. Seventeen acres of the project are located in a Keystone Opportunity Zone, and plans include 150,000 square feet of office space and 50,000 square feet of commercial/retail space. When completed, the total project investment is estimated to be $27 million. It is also estimated that 1,000 area residents may be employed at the Mount Pleasant Corporate Center upon full occupancy.

On January 24, 2005, the Scranton Redevelopment Authority (SRA) received a $175,000 Business In Our Sites planning grant for the planning and design of the park. The master planning, engineering studies, and the infrastructure design are completed. Construction of the office park is expected to start March, 2007.

The Mount Pleasant Corporate Center project fulfills a recommendation of the Scranton Lackawanna County Enterprise Strategy. The Enterprise Strategy is a broad-based economic strategy developed with the City of Scranton and Lackawanna County. After a thorough analysis of the area with significant public input, the Enterprise Strategy identified several objectives to be completed for our economic future. The Mount Pleasant Corporate Center fulfills one of the strategies identified by the Enterprise Strategy, which calls for the creation of modern, ready-to-go large office facilities in close proximity to downtown Scranton.

“The strong partnership formed for this grant initiative is a testament to our area’s continued growth,” stated Austin J. Burke, executive vice president of SLIBCO. “We thank Congressman Paul Kanjorski, Senator Arlen Specter, Senator Rick Santorum, Mayor Christopher Doherty, the City of Scranton, the Scranton School District, the Lackawanna County Commissioners, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance, and the SRA for their assistance in obtaining the EDA grant. Our unity will help fuel the growth of downtown Scranton.”

EDA grant funding was used to develop several SLIBCO projects, including the Scranton Enterprise Center, the MetroTech Center, Scott Technology Park, Office Park at Montage, Stauffer Industrial Park, and the Keystone Industrial Park.

SLIBCO is The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce’s “bricks and mortar” arm, and has constructed most of Lackawanna County’s industrial, business, office, and technology parks. In addition, SLIBCO has constructed and owns five major buildings totaling approximately 1 million square feet. Since its creation in 1946, SLIBCO working in concert with the Chamber’s other development arms has developed more than 2,700 acres and has spearheaded more than 342 major development projects. These projects have created more than 20,000 jobs and have added more than $527 million in new real estate investment to the local economy.

For more information contact Andrew C. Skrip at 570.342.7711 or at askrip@scrantonchamber.com. More SLIBCO information is also available at www.scrantonchamber.com