(Ambridge, PA, May 1, 2014) – Value Ambridge Properties at the Ambridge Regional Distribution and Manufacturing Center has just announced a major refurbishing and remodeling project that’s scheduled to begin early this summer. Already one of the area’s largest, and most successful, industrial business parks, it has been operating from its location, at 2301 Duss Avenue, Ambridge, for the past 26 years.

Originally developed by Spang, Chalfant & Company, Inc., in 1903, the complex has been an important center of industry for over 100 years. Among area residents, it is best-remembered as the local home of the Armco Steel Corporation, which manufactured seamless pipe. The company, which was one of the region’s largest employers during the era when the steel industry dominated the local economy, owned the property from the mid-1950’s until 1985.

Value Properties, Inc., New York, NY, purchased it in 1988, and, along with its general partner, Value Ambridge Properties, invested heavily in its cleanup and renovation.  Having participated in the Brownfield Redevelopment and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Act 2 Land Recycling Programs, the park received its Pennsylvania Act 2 Clearance in 2011.

The upcoming renovation will be the largest, and most ambitious, project in recent history. Designed by Desmone and Associates Architects of Pittsburgh, the master plan includes new buildings, parking areas, and access ways throughout the site.  Among the new edifices will be flexible manufacturing spaces, and perhaps, some new office buildings to be located along Duss Avenue.

Marked improvements will also be made to the existing building façades; and new signage, and other embellishments, will be added at the north and south gates.  Substantial landscaping elements will be incorporated throughout the property.  Because the complex covers 85 acres, across Ambridge and Harmony Township, this will beautify the surrounding area as well, as it will create tree-lined streets, landscaped islands, and more grassy areas.

The park already offers considerable advantages, including its central location, which makes it convenient to Pittsburgh, the airport, Cranberry Township, Interstates 79 and 376, Routes 65 and 60, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Because it’s close to the river, and has seven rail spurs that connect to the Norfolk Southern Railway Systems, its tenants have several shipping options, too.

It houses 22 buildings that contain over one million square feet of leasable, build-to-suit, “Industrial Strength Space,” including warehouse, office, wet lab, distribution, and manufacturing facilities. Entirely zoned for industry, it’s a designated Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) and Enterprise Zone, with national and international tenants, ranging from small businesses, to Fortune 500 companies.

The revamping will also expand the park’s already-ample manufacturing facilities, making it even more conducive to the operations of companies that may relocate to the area for Shell Oil Co.’s proposed ethane cracker plant. Should that project come to fruition, it would be situated just eleven miles away from the Ambridge Regional Distribution and Manufacturing Center.

Besides increasing the park’s aesthetic appeal, the renovation will further help it to revitalize a region that has already been bolstered by its presence.

General Manager, Debi Leopardi, who is heavily involved in community-minded projects, on and off the job, is excited about the undertaking, as it underscores an interesting parallel that she

has observed during her years at the complex. “I’ll be celebrating my 10^th anniversary here in July,” she says, “and I’m delighted with these developments, because our growth always seems to be reflected, not only in Ambridge, but in surrounding towns as well. At the same time, our park consistently mirrors the close-knit atmosphere of the nearby neighborhoods. That means that the work ethic that characterized those that built this park over a century ago, and everyone who has worked here over the years, has been passed down through the generations.  That just goes to show that the integrity and sense of pride in the people around here is incredibly deep-rooted; and that’s exactly what is needed to keep this area thriving well into the future.”

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Ambridge Regional Center
2301 Duss Avenue, Suite 1
Ambridge, PA 15003
Phone: (724) 266-4661

https://www.ambridgeregional.com/tradition-growth/