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For Immediate Release: November 7, 2003
For additional information,
please contact Precision Design at 570-455-3533
Breaking ground on the new CAN DO Corporate Center Office Building
are, from left: Earl Berger, Chairman, Greater Hazleton Chamber
of Commerce; Leonard Nork of CAN DO; Jim Cummings, Penn's Northeast;
Kevin O'Donnell, President, CAN DO; Kevin O'Neill, Citizen's Bank;
Sen. Raphael Musto, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Kris Jones, Congressman
Paul E. Kanjorski's Office; Robert Moisey, Chairman, CAN DO; Ransom
Young, Supervisor, Butler Township; Commissioner Steve Urban, Luzerne
County; and Donna Palermo, President, Greater Hazleton Chamber
of Commerce.
Inspired by the success of its first office building in attracting
several hundred white-collar jobs to Greater Hazleton, CAN DO is
once again breaking ground on a state-of-the-art office building
in the CAN DO Corporate Center.
Officials joined CAN DO representatives today to formally begin
construction on the new, environmentally friendly 54,794-square-foot
office building in its corporate center at the intersection of Interstate
80 and State Route 309 in Drums, Luzerne County. Site preparation
has already begun and the building is expected to be ready for occupancy
by early summer 2004.
The Class A office building continues a CAN DO tradition of constructing
facilities in hopes of being able to attract companies by having
a building that is ready for occupancy.
"CAN DO was one of the first economic development groups in the
country to construct shell buildings, which are buildings that
can be subdivided easily to meet the needs of new tenants. These
buildings were designed to attract companies looking for a new
location on a quick timetable," said CAN DO Chairman Robert J.
Moisey.
"We did something similar with our first office building in the
CAN DO Corporate Center . We built the building hoping to land
a company that wanted to locate somewhere quickly. That strategy
paid off when Convergys agreed to lease the building before it
was even finished," Moisey said. Convergys has since left the corporate
center, but has been replaced by global-leader Network Solutions.
"In today's rebounding economy, we believe it will be a big advantage
to have a world-class office building ready for immediate occupancy," Moisey
continued. "We believe this will give CAN DO and Greater Hazleton
an edge."
The office building will incorporate the latest technology required
by white-collar, back-office business. In addition, it is strategically
located near Interstate 80 at Route 309, giving a tenant or tenants
easy access to New York City .
Recently, a white paper commissioned by U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski
suggested that companies in New York City maintain a redundant
operations center within a certain distance of the city.
"This paper recommends that major corporations in New York City
have a backup facility that can store data within one millisecond
of an incident. While we hope such tragedy never happens, we believe
CAN DO can offer companies the capabilities they need," Moisey
said. "After all, New York City is only about two hours east of
this new building."
By incorporating special energy-saving and ecological measures,
the CAN DO Corporate Center Office Building #2 is considered a
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) project, which
means its design meets certain environmental criteria.
"LEED standards are developed by the U.S. Green Building Council," said
John R. Ackerman, P.E., CAN DO Director of Operations. "There is
a whole list of criteria that we will follow to make this office
building as energy efficient and environmentally friendly as possible."
LEED standards include:
• Positioning the building so inside spaces receive
plenty of natural light
• Using windows that include inert gases between
the panes to reduce heat transfer between inside and outside
• Reducing the heat buildup on the roof by using
a light color (which is more reflective)
• Incorporating recycled materials in the construction
• Purchasing some materials that are produced regionally
to reduce transportation costs and effects
• Installing bicycle racks and showers to promote
alternative transportation
• Landscaping with water-efficient plants and designs
to eliminate the need for irrigation
• Allowing for the eventual use of alternative fuel
vehicles by installing charging stations
• Using Energy Star-compliant equipment throughout
the building
• Installing can-type site lighting systems to prevent
light from bleeding into adjacent areas
• Using low-emission adhesives, CFC-free HVAC systems,
carbon monoxide monitors, and other technology to improve interior
air quality for employees
CAN DO also applied for a grant to install photovoltaic cells
on the building's roof, which means it could use solar power to
generate some of its own power, Ackerman added.
"When it first opened, the CAN DO Corporate Center was honored
for its environmentally friendly design with the Arthur D. Little
Award for Excellence," said W. Kevin O'Donnell, CAN DO President. "Today,
we are continuing that tradition by constructing a new office building
that will bring new jobs while being very efficient and attractive."
The new office building was designed by Highland Associates of
Clarks Summit and is being built by The Quandel Group of Harrisburg
,
The building is located in a Keystone Opportunity Zone, which
means the tenant or tenants will benefit from reduced state and
local taxes. So far, the KOZ program has created about 2,000 new
jobs in Greater Hazleton - more than 15 percent of the statewide
job total.
"Most people do not realize that the KOZ program is generating
tax revenue for area municipalities and the school district. New
jobs mean new employees, which mean increased wage taxes. New jobs
may mean a new home, which means new property taxes. And new jobs
mean people can buy more things and support local businesses," O'Donnell
said. "Besides, almost all companies considering a move to Pennsylvania
today say, 'Only show me the KOZ sites."'
Funding for the project came from many different sources, said
Bernadette J. DeBias, CAN DO Director of Business Development.
"By bringing together various federal, state, and local agencies
and groups, CAN DO was able to secure more than $6 million for
the new office building," DeBias said. Also, PPL is assisting CAN
DO in the project by paying a portion of the mortgage interest
until a tenant has been secured.
In 2002, U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum visited CAN DO and presented
a $2 million check from the U.S. Economic Development Administration
(USEDA). The Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority added
roughly $1.75 million; the Luzerne County Office of Community Development
secured $400,000. Local financing rounded out the funding package.
"CAN DO invested more than $13 million for the first and second
office buildings in the Corporate Center ," O'Donnell said. "This
is a tremendous amount, especially since we didn't have a tenant
for either building and both construction projects were speculative."
CAN DO Director of Marketing Joseph Lettiere has already begun
marketing the building.
"We are looking for a tenant or tenants who need a first-class
office building. The facility will be perfect for headquarters,
back-office operations or high-tech companies," Lettiere said. "The
combination of design, location, and Keystone Opportunity Zone
program will make this building attractive to potential tenants."
CAN DO thanked federal, state, county, and local officials who
helped make the project possible.
"The federal, state, and Luzerne County governments provided funding.
Butler Township and the Hazleton Area School District agreed to
waive their taxes as part of the KOZ program. Local lenders worked
with us to create an attractive financing package. We at CAN DO
thank all of them," Moisey said. "We always say economic development
is a total team effort. We are grateful to our community partners."
The first CAN DO Corporate Center Office Building is now occupied
by Network Solutions, a worldwide Internet technology leader that
employs several hundred people inside the corporate park.
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