Gov. Tom Corbett announced Thursday that the state is investing $7 million to turn a 195-acre brownfield site at Pittsburgh International Airport into an international trade hub.
The site, which is federally-designated for international trade, is expected to include 1 million square feet of office space, 90,000 square feet of research and development space and a 400-room hotel and convention center.
The “Pittsburgh International Airport World Trade Center” is expected to bring more than $200 million in private investment, as well as create 7,000 jobs—1,200 in construction.
Randy Forister, vice president of development at Pittsburgh International Airport, said it will take about 2 years to finish the ground preparations for the project.
“We have three old coal mines on the property,” he said. “So, those have to get cleaned up. That will take care of some of the acid mine drainage that we have in this area. And then we’ll start bringing the roadway in.”
Corbett said the development should help bring a balance between to the airline industry and Pittsburgh-based businesses.
“As we develop our industries here, I believe the airlines are going to see there’s a need to get more flights into Pittsburgh,” he said. “So it really does work together—not one thing alone, but there’s a teamwork approach to this.”
The entire $32 million project should be completed in about 10 years, according to Forister.
The commonwealth’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program is putting up $5 million for the project, while the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Department of Community and Economic Development are both giving $1 million.
The Allegheny County Airport Authority originally applied for $15 million in state grants.
