PA SITES (Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites)

PA SITES Program Overview

Program Name: Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites (PA SITES)

Administrator: Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED)

Geographic Scope: Statewide Pennsylvania

Program Focus: Industrial site development and preparation to create shovel-ready locations for business investment and economic development

Background

Governor Josh Shapiro developed PA SITES after soliciting feedback from national site selectors. The Governor secured $500 million for site development in the 2024-25 bipartisan budget, including $400 million specifically for PA SITES. Since program inception, PA SITES has awarded over $146.4 million in funding to 37 projects.

Eligible Projects

• Site preparation and demolition of hazardous/obsolete buildings
• Utility extensions (natural gas, electric, water, sanitary sewer)
• Infrastructure improvements and right-of-way acquisitions
• Geotechnical studies, grading, and land clearing
• Stormwater management installation
• Reclamation of abandoned mineland

Recent Northeastern PA Awards (Round 3)

Columbia County:

• Berwick Industrial Development Association (BIDA): $935,789 grant for demolition of two hazardous buildings (14,400 sq ft total) to prepare site for 125,000 sq ft future development

Luzerne County:

• Greater Hazleton Community-Area New Development Organization, Inc.: $11,450,000 ($6,300,000 grant + $5,150,000 loan) for Humboldt Industrial Park Northwest (HIPNW) development - 150 acres with five parcels (18-33 acres each) for buildings 185,000-310,000 sq ft

Lackawanna County:

• Century Development Associates, LLC: $6,000,000 grant for infrastructure development on 230-acre former coal mine property (Mayfield/Archbald) - will support grading, utility extensions, and PennDOT Right-of-Way acquisition for two large-scale manufacturing/logistics sites (1.4 million sq ft total)

Schuylkill County:

• Schuylkill Economic Development Corporation: $3,108,663 ($1,554,331 grant + $1,554,332 loan) for Highridge Business Park improvements - 26.4 acre parcel with infrastructure, transmission extension, stormwater management, paving, and curbing

Impact

• PA SITES played critical role in securing major deals: Eli Lilly ($3.5B facility in Lehigh Valley, eligible for up to $25M) and Johnson & Johnson ($1B+ expansion in Montgomery County, eligible for up to $15M)
• Pennsylvania ranked 11th nationally in 2025 Business Climate Rankings (up 7 spots)
• Site Selection Magazine ranked PA among top business climates

Supporting Programs

• PA Permit Fast Track Program: Streamlines permitting for complex economic development projects; Century Development project received 5 permits ahead of schedule, saving ~18 months in development time
• Office of Transformation and Opportunity (OTO): Coordinates permitting acceleration

Contact

Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED)

Application Process

Application Timeline: Rolling quarterly basis - applications accepted continuously

Submission Details:

• Submit applications to Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED)
• Applications reviewed on rolling quarterly schedule
• Organizations can apply for both grants and loans

Eligible Applicants:

• Economic development organizations
• Industrial development associations
• Community development corporations
• Government entities
• Private development companies (in partnership with public entities)

Required Information:

• Project description and site details
• Environmental assessment (if applicable - asbestos, lead, contamination)
• Site preparation and infrastructure plans
• Cost estimates and project timeline
• Evidence of business interest/market demand
• Local support documentation

Note: Specific detailed application form and requirements not provided in available source material. Contact DCED directly for current application materials and detailed requirements.