LindenPointe land earmarked for BC3

By Joe Pinchot
Herald Staff Writer

HERMITAGE September 24, 2009 08:35 pm

— Hermitage city commissioners approved an agreement to essentially give away land for the Butler County Community College expansion project, as long as certain conditions are met.
Officials agreed to sell two lots in LindenPointe technical business park, South Hermitage Road, to Subscribers Encouraging Economic Development Inc., a local investment group, but no money will change hands as long as the land is used for BC3 parking.
The sales agreement sets the value of the land at $33,000 an acre, $113,850 for the 3.45 total acreage.
“The city believes the education component of the park is a valuable addition to the park and a good investment in our community as a whole,” said City Manager Gary P. Hinkson.
The amount of indebtedness will decrease by 10 percent a year.
BC3 has offered classes in LindenPointe since 2005 in a building built by SEED. BC3 wants the BC3 Education Foundation to buy the building and property, and renovate and expand the building for more classroom and computer lab space and a student lounge.
The two lots for parking are across the street from the building.
The project will displace Novocell Semiconductor, but city officials are working with the company to find new space.
The sales agreement calls for the BC3 Education Foundation to buy the property from SEED by Dec. 31.
Selling the lots to SEED now puts the existing and expansion properties into the hands of a single owner, which is required under state law for the land development process, said Assistant City Manager Gary M. Gulla.
Commissioners on Wednesday approved land development plans for the building expansion and parking lot.
In other LindenPointe news, commissioners accepted a $25,000 grant from the Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission, Oil City, to help with the city’s plans to build a technology center with business incubator suites and a testing laboratory.
The grant is contingent on the city getting a $4.3 million grant from the federal government for construction. The state already has pledged $1.25 million.
City officials are retooling designs for the tech center to make it more environmentally friendly, which was a request from the possible federal funding agency, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.