Drilling Company Coming to Mt. Morris
Washington, PA Observer-Reporter
22 January 2010
By Cara Host, Staff writer
chost@observer-reporter.com
WAYNESBURG - A Morgantown, W.Va., drilling company is set to buy over
half of Meadow Ridge Business Park in Mt. Morris.
Royal Crown Development, which also does business as Shaft Drillers
International and North American Drilling, is set to buy about 62 acres
of business park, which is jointly owned by the county, Greene County
Industrial Development Authority and Regional Industrial Development
Corp.
The company has agreed to buy the land for $875,000, but some terms of
the sales agreement have not been finalized. Commissioners directed
Solicitor Cheryl Cowen to complete the process so that the county can
close on the deal soon.
Several messages left at Royal Crown's offices in Morgantown were not
returned Wednesday or Thursday.
The IDA and the RIDC in Pittsburgh started developing the 108-acre
business park in 1998. In recent years, the county has tackled several
infrastructure projects to make the park more appealing to businesses.
Those efforts attracted state and federal money to make improvements to
the access road and to extend a water line to the area. Allegheny
Power's 138-kilovolt power line project near the area will essentially
upgrade the electricity system to the park.
The park is designated as a Keystone Opportunity Zone, which gives
businesses that move into a KOZ a break on local and state taxes. If
the drilling company moves to Meadow Ridge Business Park, it will enjoy
tax abatement through 2017.
In other business, commissioners approved an agreement with Management
Engineering Corporation of Pittsburgh for preliminary engineering
services at Greene County Airport. Commissioners want to replace and
relocate hangars at the airport to free space along Route 21 for
business development.
MEC, which served as construction manager on the courthouse renovation
and more recently, Murtha Drive, will work on an as-needed basis to
give cost estimates and complete preliminary engineering work. MEC will
be paid between $11 and $65 an hour, depending the level of expertise
needed to complete the task.
Commissioners renewed a contract with Maximus, an accounting firm that
helps the county with cost allocation. Maximus will be paid $7,100 a
year to audit county expenses and determine how much of state subsidies
can be used to offset utility bills and other costs.