Plans for the first warehouse that is part of a $1.5 billion redevelopment of the former U.S. Steel site in Falls Township were approved Monday evening.
The Falls Township Board of Supervisors unanimously gave preliminary and final land development approval to NorthPoint Development to build a 1 million-square-foot warehouse on land near the entrance to the site. Matt Gaston, the site’s development manager, said the location for the first warehouse is the old pipe mill on the massive 1,800-acre Keystone Trade Center property.
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The company is expecting to begin construction within months on the warehouse. A tenant for the large building has not been announced, Gaston said. NorthPoint Development builds warehouses on a speculative basis.
The first warehouse will be 49 feet tall with a maximum of 194 loading dock doors, 475 parking spots, including 18 handicapped parking spaces. Trucks would enter the site primarily via Tyburn Road and Route 13. The structure will be a concrete tilt-up-style with exterior walls.
Northpoint Development expects to submit plans for 2 million more square feet of construction in the spring.
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Supervisor John Palmer, citing a suggestion from the Bucks County Planning Commission, asked about using green energy for the project.
NorthPoint Development’s Jeremey Michaels, a project manager, answered Palmer’s question.
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“From a speculative standpoint … it is tough to make the financials work with the way the current electric structure is set up, but we’ve seen a lot of interest from different tenants coming in. A lot of which have inquired and requested solar for the roof structure. I think there will be a lot of future interest in that and we’ll continue to evaluate that,” he said.
Another NorthPoint Development official chimed in to state that most places where green energy, like rooftop solar panels, work best are on the West Coast. The company official noted those markets often have more than 250 days of sunshine.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Officials from NorthPoint Development, of Kansas City, have told the public in recent months that the Keystone Trade Center is designed to add as much as 15 million square feet of new warehouse space and 5,000 to 10,000 jobs with a total investment of $1.5 billion over the coming years. The plan is to develop the “largest e-commerce, logistics, and multi-model industrial project on the East Coast” with room for as many as 20 new buildings constructed on speculative basis.
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All three taxing bodies for the property – the Bucks County Commissioners, Falls Township, and the Pennsbury School District – agreed in December to allow the site to become a Keystone Opportunity Investment Zone from January 1 and ending on December 31, 2035. The designation will give the developer tax breaks to encourage growth.
In December, NorthPoint Development used local entity NP Falls Township Industrial LLC to buy the large property from U.S. Steel for $160 million.
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NorthPoint Development has agreed to provide updates to infrastructure and landscaping at the property. The company also plans to invest $25 million for remaining environmental cleanup at the property.
Northpoint Development has signed an agreement with the Morrisville Municipal Authority that will include building a new wastewater treatment plant.
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Also during Monday evening’s meeting, the supervisors approved a minor subdivision so the Morrisville Municipal Authority, which serves about 40,000 customers in Morrisville Borough and Yardley Borough along with portions of Falls Township and Lower Makefield Township, can move forward with plans to construct a new 10 million-gallon-a-day wastewater treatment facility to replace the existing 60-year-old plant along River Road in Morrisville.
The Morrisville Municipal Authority agreed to pay $4 million for the 54 acres where the new plant will be built.
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Supervisors Chairman Jeff Dence said the Township of Falls Authority will receive compensation through the project.
“This is a good thing for Falls Township residents,” he stated.
Previous reporting on the project:
- First Warehouse Proposed For Keystone Trade Center Project To Come Before Public
- Keystone Trade Center Project Allows Water Authority To Build New Treatment Plant
- Large U.S. Steel Site In Falls Twp. Sold For $160 Million
- County Commissioners Approve Tax Break For Massive Keystone Trade Center Plan
- Tax Breaks Could Help Development At Proposed Keystone Trade Center
- Keystone Trade Center Project Moves Forward
- Ground On Billion-Dollar Keystone Trade Center Could Be Broken By Spring
- Falls Twp. Holding Special Meeting On Proposed U.S. Steel Site Redevelopment
- Plans For U.S. Steel Site Show New Billion-Dollar Development, Potential For Thousands Of Jobs
- EXCLUSIVE: Large U.S. Steel Site To Be Sold To Developer
- U.S. Steel Seeking To Sell Fairless Works Site
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