Landing the $1.2 billion hot strip mill at ATI-Allegheny Ludlum's Brackenridge Works required the cooperation of state and local elected officials, who took key steps to set the stage for the project.
It happened with a sense of urgency as ATI considered putting the new mill in Kentucky, which was offering an incentive package that included cheap electricity, or on its property in Midland, Beaver County, which already had the state designation of a Keystone Opportunity Zone.
Either scenario posed the likelihood of Ludlum eventually leaving the Valley.
State legislators, including state Rep. Frank Dermody of Oakmont, state Rep. Jeff Pyle of Ford City, and state Sen. Sean Logan of Monroeville, went to work pushing legislation on two fronts. One was passing a bill that allowed businesses such as Ludlum, which uses huge amounts of electricity, to cut their long-term deal with power companies and thus lower costs.
A second bill allowed for expansion of the Keystone Opportunity Zones (KOZ) to include the ATI-Ludlum project. It will provide 10 years worth of tax abatement from the counties, municipalities and school districts on new construction related to economic development. In return, ATI-Ludlum will pledge to invest at least $750 million into new development and create or preserve 1,400 jobs, which happens to be the normal size of the work force at the Brackenridge Works.
Once the legislation was approved, it was the local officials' turn to step up and keep the relationship with Ludlum from going on the rocks.
Brackenridge Council, Harrison Township Commissioners and the Highlands School Board approved the tax abatements for the KOZ.
"It's a no-brainer," George Conroy, Harrison commissioners' chairman said at the time. "Basically, it means getting that or not getting anything because, if they don't build it here, I think they'll close Brackenridge."
Brackenridge Council was called to go beyond that.
The Brackenridge Works belongs to that borough in name only. The mill is located in Harrison, but on its western end it abuts Mile Lock Lane in Brackenridge. ATI officials told the borough it would need to expand the mill property's footprint to fit the new project. To do that, Brackenridge Council vacated Mile Lock Lane and will reconfigure the street to allow the mill to move over about 20 feet.
After some behind-the-scenes wrangling with company officials, borough council approved the action on Sept. 9.
On Sept. 17, ATI announced that the hot strip mill would be built at Brackenridge.
No comments:
Post a Comment