logo
Mayfield to open bids on $15M mine reclamation project for industrial park

Mayfield to open bids on $15M mine reclamation project for industrial park

Yahoo13-05-2025

A nearly $15 million mine reclamation project is on track to start this summer in Mayfield and Archbald, paving the way for a $110-million-plus warehousing park above the Casey Highway.
Mayfield Borough Council will open bids during its meeting Wednesday to select a contractor to carry out a large, grant-funded project that will reclaim 87 acres of mine-scarred land just off Exit 5 of the Casey Highway at the end of Rushbrook Street. Once that land is usable, Reading-based Century Development Associates will construct two warehouses — a 745,200-square-foot warehouse in Mayfield and a 646,380-square-foot warehouse in Archbald — totaling 1.4 million square feet of warehousing space for its planned Century Logistics Center, which is projected to create hundreds of jobs.
Mayfield council President Diana Campbell expects to have the borough's engineer and solicitor review the bids in hopes of beginning work in June or July after council awards the contract. Mayfield, which operates on a $1.2 million annual budget, has never had a development as large as the $110-million plus warehousing project, she said.
'The process is a lot more involved than we ever could have imagined,' Campbell said. 'It's been a learning process for all of us, and we're coming out strong.'
In Archbald, borough officials anticipate extending the conditional approval the town granted for its portion of the project a year and a half ago. Borough Manager Dan Markey said council granted conditional use approval for the logistics park in December 2023, which expires after 18 months, requiring Century Development Associates to seek an extension if they do not have all of their permitting in place by June, Markey said. The project still needs permitting at the local and state level, including land development, zoning, stormwater and highway occupancy permitting, he said.
To fund the mine reclamation, the state Department of Environmental Protection awarded Mayfield $14.97 million through its Abandoned Mine Lands and Acid Mine Drainage Grant Program.
According to a public notice published May 2 in The Times-Tribune that advertised the available contract, work will entail installation of temporary erosion and sedimentation controls; drilling/blasting and earthmoving of 815,000 cubic yards of material; drilling/blasting and over-excavation, including structural backfill of 820,000 cubic yards for deep mine remediation; and final grading and site stabilization.
According to a DEP grant summary for the project, there were two coal seams that were historically deep mined on the site: the Top Clark and Clark beds, with a 16-acre area covering a portion of the Clark mine that is considered a potential subsidence zone. In addition to reclaiming the mines, other work includes removing spoil piles (mine waste), backfilling pits and excavating high walls, according to the DEP.
The contractor will have 365 days to complete work, said Ron Ryczak, Mayfield's grant administrator and a former borough councilman. Ryczak, who spent 32 years working at the DEP's Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation, said the most significant portion of the project will be 'daylighting' the uppermost coal vein. Core drilling found that the first underlying coal vein had been mined so much that it would not be conducive to building on top of, requiring crews to 'daylight' it, or blast all the way down to the original floor — about 50 feet down — and remove all of the material.
'All the material that gets blasted gets moved all the way down to what's considered the floor of that vein, and then at that point, they start bringing the material back up as engineered fill,' he said.
The engineered fill would be compacted and used as an underlying sub-base for the future warehouses.
Other remnants of coal mines include pits from strip mining and spoil piles, he said.
The borough hired Kaufman Engineering, Ryczak said, explaining the firm did the work necessary to calculate the figures included in the contract.
As work is underway, Kaufman will track the material being moved and the blasting using a drone, he said.
Mark Powell, the owner of Century Development Associates, said his project wouldn't have been possible without the nearly $15 million in grant funding. He estimates the total project will cost between $110 million and $120 million.
He anticipates starting construction on the first of his two warehouses next spring. Which warehouse he builds first depends on who will occupy the buildings, though Powell said he believes the Archbald one will probably be first because the mine reclamation work on the Archbald side will be done sooner.
'We're going to go all at it,' he said. 'We're going to put the foot on the pedal and go.'
The warehouses will take 10 to 15 months to build, depending on who the user will be, Powell said.
He projects it will create 500 to 700 jobs across the two buildings, though it depends on who occupies them. Powell estimated the jobs will pay $20 to $24 an hour with benefits.
Both Campbell and Markey noted the impact the logistics park will have on their communities.
The location is ideal because it's above the Casey Highway, so it won't bring truck traffic into residential areas, Markey said. The new jobs will support businesses in not just Archbald and Mayfield but other nearby towns like Jermyn, he said.
'The benefits are really widespread,' Markey said. 'They're not just going to benefit Archbald. They're not just going to benefit Mayfield. They're going to benefit the entire area.'
Although the site has a 10-year Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance designation, or LERTA, that reduces how much it will pay on property taxes for the first decade, Campbell pointed to the annually increasing tax revenue from the development, with the landowner paying more each year under the LERTA.
LERTAs are often applied to large warehousing projects like this, with officials touting them as key for being competitive and attracting developers.
'It's helping the developer, but it's … going to allow us to see a little more every single year than we ever had before,' Campbell said.
Roads will be the borough's top priority with the new tax revenue, in addition to parks and recreation with playground improvements and additional support for the borough's police, fire and emergency medical services, she said.
'It's going to help release the burden off of our residents a little bit,' Campbell said. 'We want to make our community as great of a place to live as possible.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

JSW Steel's crude steel production rises 8% YoY to 22.73 lakh tonnes in May 2025
JSW Steel's crude steel production rises 8% YoY to 22.73 lakh tonnes in May 2025

Business Upturn

time2 hours ago

  • Business Upturn

JSW Steel's crude steel production rises 8% YoY to 22.73 lakh tonnes in May 2025

By Aman Shukla Published on June 9, 2025, 10:45 IST JSW Steel reported its consolidated crude steel production for May 2025 at 22.73 lakh tonnes, reflecting an 8% year-on-year increase compared to 20.98 lakh tonnes in May 2024. The company's cumulative crude steel production for FY26 up to May stood at 47.56 lakh tonnes, marking a 13% rise from 42.18 lakh tonnes recorded in the corresponding period of the previous financial year. Within the overall figures, Indian operations contributed 21.94 lakh tonnes in May 2025, up from 20.13 lakh tonnes a year ago, representing a 9% growth. Cumulative production from Indian operations reached 45.93 lakh tonnes in the current fiscal, compared to 40.68 lakh tonnes last year, also indicating a 13% increase. JSW Steel's US-based Ohio facility produced 0.79 lakh tonnes during the month, slightly lower than the 0.85 lakh tonnes produced in May 2024. Year-to-date output from this unit reached 1.63 lakh tonnes, up from 1.50 lakh tonnes over the same period last year. The company reported 80% capacity utilisation for its Indian operations in May 2025, affected by a planned maintenance shutdown at the Dolvi plant's blast furnace. Operations resumed at the furnace on May 30, 2025. Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at

BCI Invests in KKR Tower Platform Pinnacle Towers
BCI Invests in KKR Tower Platform Pinnacle Towers

Business Wire

time6 hours ago

  • Business Wire

BCI Invests in KKR Tower Platform Pinnacle Towers

SINGAPORE & VICTORIA, Canada--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KKR, a leading global investment firm, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation ('BCI'), and Pinnacle Towers, an Asia-based digital infrastructure platform with a focus on the Philippines, today announced the signing of definitive agreements under which BCI will acquire a minority stake in Pinnacle Towers from KKR, which will remain the majority shareholder. Pinnacle Towers was established in 2020 to serve the rapidly increasing demand for connectivity and quality telecommunications infrastructure in the Philippines. Led by a highly experienced management team, the platform specializes in executing on Build-to-Suit ('BTS') telecommunications tower projects, optimizing the use and management of Sale-and-Leaseback ('SLB') assets with leading mobile network operators, and providing ancillary management services to industry players. In the span of five years, Pinnacle Towers has scaled to become the largest independent tower company in the Philippines with around 7,000 towers. 1 Lincoln Webb, Executive Vice President & Global Head, Infrastructure & Renewable Resources, BCI, said, 'We are excited to work closely with KKR and Pinnacle's management team to support the growth of the business. The Philippines represents a compelling market for long-term capital, especially in essential digital infrastructure services. This investment aligns with our emerging markets strategy of backing high-quality infrastructure assets alongside strong institutional partners. We look forward to supporting Pinnacle Towers as it continues to enhance digital connectivity and drive meaningful impact across the Philippines.' Projesh Banerjea, Managing Director, Infrastructure, KKR, said, 'We are very proud of the success that we have achieved with Pinnacle Towers to serve the Philippines' connectivity needs. Since our initial investment, we have collaborated closely with Pinnacle Towers' outstanding management team to deepen the platform's capabilities and scale its presence organically and through bolt-on acquisitions. We are delighted to welcome BCI, who share our long-term vision and commitment to developing critical digital infrastructure, as strategic partners and look forward to building on Pinnacle Towers' strong growth momentum.' Patrick Tangney, Chairman and CEO of Pinnacle Towers, said, 'Over the last five years, with the support of KKR, Pinnacle Towers has grown to become the leading independent tower company in the Philippines. BCI's investment marks an important milestone in our journey and is a strong endorsement of our mission. With BCI and KKR as strategic partners, we are well-positioned to continue driving greater digital connectivity in the Philippines and across the region.' BCI Infrastructure & Renewable Resources has a global portfolio with nine active investments in the Asia-Pacific region, including Rakuten Mobile (a leading communications tower company in Japan), Altius (a leading communications tower company in India), and Cube Highways (the largest toll road operator in India). The program continues to expand its presence in the region with the addition of this minority stake acquisition in Pinnacle Towers. KKR made its investment in Pinnacle Towers from its Asia Infrastructure Funds I and II. KKR first established its global infrastructure team and strategy in 2008 and has since been one of the most active infrastructure investors around the world. KKR's Asia Pacific infrastructure platform was established in 2019 and has since organically grown to approximately US$13 billion in assets under management. The transaction is expected to be completed by Q3 2025, subject to customary regulatory approvals. About BCI British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) is amongst the largest institutional investors in Canada, with C$250.4 billion in gross assets under management as of March 31, 2024. Based in Victoria, British Columbia, with offices in Vancouver, New York, and London, U.K., BCI manages a portfolio of diversified public and private market investments on behalf of its British Columbia pension fund and institutional clients. Learn more at About KKR KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR's insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR's investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website at For additional information about Global Atlantic Financial Group, please visit Global Atlantic Financial Group's website at Pinnacle invests in, builds and operates telecommunications infrastructure with a focus on towers and related assets. Pinnacle is an Asia-focused digital infrastructure platform with a strong focus on the rapidly growing Philippines market. Frontier's leadership team includes founders of a number of highly successful tower companies and former C-level executives from some of the world's leading wireless operators. KKR first invested in Pinnacle Towers in 2020.

SOLVE FSHD and Modalis Announce Strategic Collaboration to Develop an Innovative CRISPR-Based Epigenome Editing Treatment for Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy
SOLVE FSHD and Modalis Announce Strategic Collaboration to Develop an Innovative CRISPR-Based Epigenome Editing Treatment for Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy

Yahoo

time7 hours ago

  • Yahoo

SOLVE FSHD and Modalis Announce Strategic Collaboration to Develop an Innovative CRISPR-Based Epigenome Editing Treatment for Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy

VANCOUVER, British Columbia & TOKYO & WALTHAM, Mass., June 08, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SOLVE FSHD, a venture philanthropy organization dedicated to accelerating treatments for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), and Modalis Therapeutics Corporation (TSE 4883; "Modalis"), a CRISPR-based epigenome editing therapeutics company focused on rare genetic diseases, today announced a strategic collaboration to develop an innovative therapy for FSHD, a debilitating muscular disorder affecting approximately 1 million individuals worldwide. The novel therapy leverages Modalis's proprietary CRISPR-GNDM® (Guide Nucleotide-Directed Modulation) technology, which can dynamically modulate gene expression without introducing double-strand DNA breaks. SOLVE FSHD will provide strategic funding to support the development of Modalis's MDL-103 program. MDL-103 is an innovative therapeutic solution that continuously suppresses the expression of the DUX4 gene, the toxic disease-causing gene for FSHD, which becomes abnormally activated due to epigenetic changes in the D4Z4 repeat region on chromosome 4. MDL-103 is designed to have durable activity over long periods of time under the control of a strong, muscle-specific promoter, and is delivered to the muscles of patients using a muscle-tropic AAV delivery system. Modalis's CRISPR-GNDM® technology has the potential to transform the treatment of FSHD by epigenetically silencing the expression of DUX4. "SOLVE FSHD is pleased to partner with Modalis and to add them to our diverse portfolio of collaborators that are advancing potential therapies for FSHD," stated Eva Chin, Executive Director of SOLVE FSHD. "SOLVE FSHD identified Modalis as a company committed to finding a cure for this debilitating condition. We were impressed by their unique approach to targeting the epigenetic cause of FSHD, using a platform technology that has shown promise in other neuromuscular diseases. We believe that the support from SOLVE FSHD will allow Modalis to accelerate the advancement of MDL-103 into clinical trials." "We are delighted to be working in partnership with SOLVE FSHD and greatly appreciate the invaluable support for the development of MDL-103," said Haru Morita, CEO of Modalis. "This strategic collaboration is a strong validation of Modalis's CRISPR-GNDM® technology and our MDL-103 program. As a pioneer in this technology, we have demonstrated promising long-term drug efficacy in mouse models, shown durable target engagement and safety in non-human primates, and exhibited excellent biodistribution in neuromuscular disorders. We believe that MDL-103, which incorporates CRISPR-GNDM® technology with a muscle tropic AAV delivery system, has significant potential as a breakthrough treatment for FSHD." About SOLVE FSHD SOLVE FSHD is a venture philanthropic organization established to catalyze innovation and accelerate key research in finding a cure for FSHD. Established by renowned Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist, Chip Wilson, the Wilson family has committed $100 million to kick-start funding into projects that support the organizations' mission to solve FSHD by 2027. The goal of SOLVE FSHD is to find a solution that can slow down or stop muscle degeneration, increase muscle regeneration and strength, and improve the quality of life for those living with FSHD, visit About Modalis Therapeutics Corporation Modalis was founded in 2016 and conducts research and development activities in Massachusetts, USA. Modalis is a pioneering leader in the field of epigenetic medicine. Modalis develops therapeutics for patients suffering from serious genetic disorders such as neuromuscular diseases, CNS diseases, and cardiomyopathies. Modalis's proprietary CRISPR-GNDM® technology is capable of specifically up or down modulating the expression of disease-relevant genes without introducing double-strand DNA breaks. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts SOLVE FSHDAlexandra Grant, House of Wilsonalexandrag@ Modalis Therapeutics CorporationCorporate Planning Departmentmedia@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store