The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Pennhurst, 2 others get state funding for redevelopment
complete.
The Cyprus Foote Mineral Co. processed lithium and other mineral ores from 1946 to 1991 at the site, dumping waste into pits and on the ground that subsequently contaminated the site and groundwater.
Declared a federal Superfund site in 1992, the cleanup didn’t begin until 2005 when the purchasers of the land, Frazer Exton Development, wanted to build a senior living facility on a portion of the property.
“This is a very happy time for the owners of Frazer Exton Development,” Dan Sevick, president of the company, said at the time.
Sevick, along with Walters and Charles Lyddane are listed as developers in the current project, Grigalonis said.
“We’re excited about the redevelopment of underperforming assets,” Grigalonis said of the two Chester County projects.
In Montgomery County, MRA Group of Horsham purchased the Rohm & Haas property for $10 million in March from the Dow Co., which acquired Rohm & Haas in 2012.
It has rebranded the site as the Spring House Innovation Park, or SHIP, where there are 11 buildings with nearly 600,000 square feet of space.
The campus, which totals 133 acres at an interchange with the Route 309 expressway, is less than three minutes north of the Fort Washington exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Mike Wojewodka, senior vice president of MRA Group, said Wednesday, “we are creating a regional center of excellence.”
Plans include first class office and laboratory facilities, a campus environment with a university-affiliated presence.
Also in the plans are a boutique hotel with full amenities, co-working space with on-demand offices and shared office/conference facilities, on-site child daycare, a health/fitness center, and a retail village.
“With township, county and state support, we will continue to redevelop the campus into a best-in-class innovation park,” Wojewodka said. “The funds will allow us to replace and enhance the robust campus infrastructure including roadways, fiberoptic network, underground utilities and energy efficiency improvements.” To contact Business Writer Brian McCullough, call 610-235-2655 or send an email to bmccullough@21stcenturymedia.com.