The Schuylkill County Economic Development Corp. is seeking a $3 million grant to build a truck service plaza at Highridge Industrial Park.
The Schuylkill County commissioners approved the grant submission Wednesday at a work session.
"We are looking at concepts and we feel pretty optimistic that we can wrap it up in the foreseeable future," Frank Zukas, president of SEDCO, said Thursday.
The 2014 National Infrastructure Investments Tiger Discretionary Grant is awarded through the state Department of Transportation and covers the construction of an access road, paving for a diesel fueling area, lighting and a convenience store.
"All the things that go along with a trucking service area," Zukas said. "This will give us another phase of development working towards an actual commercial trucking facility there as well."
The service plaza will be joined by a travel plaza SEDCO received a $500,000 grant for in 2012. Both plazas will be in the 36-area tract of land already cleared just off Interstate 81 near Minersville.
"This is one of those projects that is shovel ready," Zukas said. "Everything is permitted completely. All we need is approval on the grant and we can start by the end of the year. If we get approval anywhere in June, July or August time frame, we can finish before the end of the year."
SEDCO had an agreement with PennDOT to build the plaza 12 years ago when the business park was built. In exchange, PennDOT built an exit at mile marker 119 on Interstate 81. PennDOT filed a lawsuit in 2010 against SEDCO for not completing the $3.5 million project, but litigation on that matter has been on hold.