Article appeared in the Huntingdon Daily News, June 28th, 2025
A project to improve access to the Riverview Business Center at Lenape Drive in Shirley Township has received a major grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).
The Southern Alleghenies Planning & Development Commission (SAP&DC) announced Friday the project is one of two recipients of major ARC grants totaling more than $3.7 million.
Of that more than $3.7 million in funding, the ARC approved $2.8 million in local access road funds for the Riverview Business Center expansion access project to Huntingdon County Business & Industry.
The funds will be used to make essential roadway and infrastructure improvements along Lenape Drive, including the installation of a traffic signal and construction of two 250-foot turning lanes.
The upgrades will enhance traffic safety, accommodate the expansion of businesses at the park and support the creation of up to 250 jobs.
The ARC funding of $2,856.162 will go toward the project’s total investment of $3,006,209.
“We are grateful to our partners, SAP&DC and the Huntingdon County Commissioners, for their support throughout the application process,” said HCBI director Debra Clark in a press release. “This project has been years in the making, and we deeply appreciate ARC for recognizing its impact. The improvements directly benefit current tenants and open the door for future development— HCBI is currently in talks with three business prospects, and we have four shovel-ready parcels and 45 additional acres available for growth.”
Huntingdon County Commissioner Scott Walls shared Clark’s sentiments.
“This is great news for Huntingdon County,” said Walls in a press release. “As business expands, the highway access improvements will support the safe and efficient flow of traffic to the business park, while also helping to reduce congestion along Route 522. It’s encouraging to see more businesses choosing to locate and grow here. We remain committed to finding new ways to make Huntingdon County an attractive place for economic development.”.
SAP&DC authored the successful grant proposal and helped coordinate key partnerships between HCBI, Huntingdon County, and local municipalities.
Clark discussed HCBI’s plans to apply for the ARC grant and the growing need for the project during a HCBI board meeting in November 2024.
“As the park continues to grow, some access problems are occurring at its main entrance,” she told the board, adding that SAPD&C conducted a traffic impact study (TIS) at the park in early 2024 in an effort to find a solution.
She said the TIS was approved by PennDOT in May 2024 and called for a traffic signal at Lenape Drive and Route 522, a 250-feet right turn lane along northbound Route 522, and a 250 feet left turn lane along southbound Route 522.
“Approximately 0.03 miles of Lenape Drive will be widened to accommodate the new intersection,” she added.
Clark also explained how the improvements will impact the businesses in the area.
“The improvements to Lenape Drive will likely require some right-of-way acquisition upgrades to the rail crossing,” she said. “The TIS also requires that potential sight distance improvements be studied for the much smaller ‘back door’ entrance to the park at Arrowhead Way (Township Road 554) and state Route 103 (Beacon Lodge Road).”
She said the entrances to Bonney Forge and the VFW along U.S. Route 522 will likely be modified to better facilitate the changes.
“This project will create adequate access to a growing business park that contains three of Huntingdon County’s 10 largest employers. It will enable IFC Services and Cabinetworks Group, two resident businesses, to complete their planned expansions and create new jobs.”
The intersection improvements will also aid in attracting more businesses to Riverview Business Center.
“It will allow the park’s 54.26 acres of unoccupied parcels to be developed,” said Clark.
At the time, Clark said it was anticipated the work could be done between 2026-2028. The total cost of the improvements are expected to cost about $3 million.
Anticipating the project would cost more than the available grant funds, Lee Slusser, director of SAP&DC’s planning and development division, visited the Huntingdon County Commissioners during one of their weekly meetings in November 2024 to seek a commitment of $150,000 to complete the project, if needed.
ARC officials sold Slusser at the time that $2.8 million is the largest amount the federal economic development partnership has ever funded in the state, and they were hesitant to increase the total.
“This has been a continuing concern for that intersection and the business park,” said commissioner Jeff Thomas following Slusser’s presentation. “I’ve seen the problems there with trucks missing the turn, needing to come completely across the road to make the turn. It’s a tremendous safety concern.”
Besides the safety improvement, Thomas said the added advantage will be job creation.
“And the commissioners certainly support that,” he said.
The commissioners voted to provide a letter of commitment for the funds, saying thaey will search for any available grant money to use for the match rather than county budget dollars.
The second ARC grant provides $930,319 to Somerset County for the development of 1,500 linear feet of new trail that will connect the 9/11 National Memorial Trail to the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail in the Garrett area. This long-anticipated project will attract 2,100 additional visitors annually, support three new local businesses and expand the area’s role in the regional trail economy.
In Friday’s announcement, Slusser said the two projects are significant.
“A new signalized entrance will help Riverview Business Center businesses create up to 250 new jobs. Meanwhile, the 9/11 Trail project will draw new tourism spending across every community it touches,” he said. “These awards were only possible thanks to the collaboration of county commissioners, municipalities, applicants and the SAP&DC staff. We can’t thank them enough.”
