It’s well known that the most shovel-ready projects are best-positioned for federal stimulus dollars. Rob Loughery, managing member for Keystone Redevelopment Group in Doylestown is a believer and is moving quickly to make sure Bucks County stays on pace.
PA Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8th) announced last week close to $800,000 in funds for the establishment of a Green Jobs Academy at the Bridge Business Center in Bristol. The public-private partnership brings together academic players like Bucks County Community College, Bucks County Technical High School, Drexel University and Delaware Valley College.
“We want to provide them space for this December so it’s up and running in January,” says Loughery, whose company has been converting 35 acres formerly owned and occupied by Rohm and Haas into the Bridge Business Center, a $25 million project that will rehab 200,000 square feet of existing office, laboratory and manufacturing buildings.
“This is a key component and we’re really focused on life sciences and alternative energy industries and one of the most important aspects for alternative energy is to have the right resources, which is human capital.”
The funds will be used for a program director, curriculum and state-of-the-art equipment. The partner groups plan on utilizing up to 10,000 square feet of an 110,000 square-foot building for the academy. Tuition is expected to cost $75 per course and up, and classes could include green aspects of building, roofing, heating and air conditioning and electric.
The business center has already received $1 million in stimulus funds in the summer to install a highly efficient energy system, including micro-turbines, chillers and a cooling tower in a retrofitted chemical laboratory.
“I think this just adds to the momentum,” says Loughery. “It represents the types of synergies we want on campus.”
Source: Rob Loughery, Keystone Redevelopment Group
Writer: Joe Petrucci