HAMBURG - Hoping to bring more business to the area, state and local officials on Friday dedicated a new 1,100-foot stretch of highway leading from the borough to Route 61.
It took seven years and more than $4 million to develop this extension of the borough's two-lane Grand Street, which leads to a new intersection on Route 61 just north of the facility for Advanced H20 at 316 Front St. It opened July 17, John Leonforte, the borough's code enforcement manager, said.
"This new access will enhance development of more than 40 acres for new commercial and industrial opportunities, bringing more jobs and growth to the Hamburg area," borough Manager Marisa C. Lenceski said in a speech before a crowd of 20 on Friday at a special event staged near Grand and Front streets.
MBC Development, Schuylkill Haven, owns land bordering the north and south sides of the new stretch of Grand Street, James W. Miller, MBC president, said Friday.
"There are about 23 developable acres. They're for sale or lease and we're looking for customers. Right now, there are no signed contracts," Miller said Friday.
"I hope they start building here and put some businesses in, but I haven't heard of anything happening yet. Before, this was a dead end. Now you have a reason to go through here," Doug Vaughn, president of Fairmount Foundary, Hamburg, said.
The intersection of Grand and Front was a dead end in the borough's industrial district. Seven years ago, municipal leaders started making arrangements to cut a path through a grassy field to build a road to Route 61, Leonforte said.
The Berks County Redevelopment Authority, Reading, took the loans for the project, Cathy Miller, the authority's fiscal officer, said Friday.
"It didn't cost the borough anything but there were cases when they fronted money and I turned around and reimbursed them," Miller said.
The total project cost was still being calculated Friday but Miller said "it's between $4 (million) and $4.5 million."
Funding sources included: a $1.3 million federal Section 108 loan; $550,000 in federal stimulus funds; $250,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funds through Berks County; and a $700,000 Pennsylvania Infrastructure Bank Loan to the Berks County Redevelopment Authority.
The general contractor was J.D. Eckman Inc. of Atglen, Chester County.
"Now that the project is complete, the borough is responsible for the upkeep of that road," Miller said.
Leonforte said the borough owns 1,000 feet of the new road and the state owns the right of way leading to the intersection.
"Today, we're here for two reasons: to formally announce to the community the new Grant Street/Route 61 access into Hamburg and to thank all the parties who have supported our efforts and have helped to make this project a reality," Lenceski said.
"We believe this project is an investment that will pay great dividends to the borough and surrounding communities. Along with improved commuter access to and from Hamburg and Route 61, we've improved access to our industrial district for companies like Advanced H2O, KMX International, Fairmount Foundry, other existing industries and yet-to-be-developed industrial sites, while moving the heavy truck traffic off of Fourth Street, allowing for a safer shopping and dining experience," Lenceski said to the crowd at the dedication ceremony.
Those present included state Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-124, and state Sen. David Argall, R-29.
"The question is always 'How can we bring more jobs to this part of our territory?' And the second question we get asked most often in Hamburg is 'Can you help with the traffic?' So getting a new way in and out, bringing more jobs here and, hopefully, getting fewer trucks to travel on your main streets, this is a win-win for everybody," Argall said.
"Any time that you can have another way to move traffic in and out of a community, it's certainly a benefit to the residents. As we stood here I watched some of these trucks come in and out and I think about the route that they would have had to take if this had not been here," Knowles said.
Ken Hollenbaugh, CFO of KMX International, said the new road will make it easier for truck traffic to go in and out of the borough.
"Some of our trailers are 13 axles long and some are 19 axles long. They're some of the largest vehicles on the road. When the trucks had to go through town on Fourth Street, it did create much difficulty for drivers. So this does make it so much more convenient. It will keep the larger trucks out of town. And this makes it so much easier for us to get onto 61 and 78," Hollenbaugh said.
"And last but not least, thank you to the late Senator Rhoades, who was instrumental in helping get this whole project started," Lenceski said.
"When we work together, we can get things done," Knowles said.
Lenceski was referring to Sen. James J. Rhoades, a seven-term senator who died Oct. 18, 2008, at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest after suffering injuries in a car crash the previous day. He was 66.