The Shippensburg School District’s Board of Directors approved a LERTA for Georgia-Pacific at last nights board meeting. The original LERTA proposed by Georgia-Pacific a few weeks ago initially requested 100% abatement in the first year with a seven year total LERTA. That proposal was rejected by the School Board. The new LERTA approved last evening provides tax dollars to the District throughout the LERTA, including the first year, and is for six years in length. I voted to reject the initial proposal because I felt it was imperative to seek a shorter LERTA term and get monetary concessions up front. That was achieved last evening. For a School District facing mounting fiscal pressures because of the failure of the Commonwealth to adequately fund public education, these businesses are crucial in providing significant new tax dollars to the property tax base.

Georgia-Pacific is expected to sign a lease for the Pro Logis site off Exit 29 of Interstate 81 sometime after July 1st with construction to commence almost immediately. The warehouse will be approximately 1.5 million square feet and will employ between 50 and 60 employees. Georgia-Pacific is the second large warehouse to come to Shippensburg in the last two years. Procter & Gamble is building off Exit 24 in Shippensburg off the Olde Scotland Road. That building is near completion and expected to be open and running by end of summer. Procter & Gamble has begun the hiring process in Shippensburg and is expecting to employ over 1,000 employees. DB Schenker is the contractor used by Procter & Gamble to hire. You can visit their website here.

The growth in the Shippensburg area coincides with what we have seen over the last fifteen years in Greencastle, Chambersburg, and Carlisle areas along the Interstate 81 Corridor. We fully expect additional manufacturing and warehousing facilities to come to the Pro Logis site in Cumberland County and the sites along Olde Scotland Road near Procter & Gamble in Franklin County.

Mooney & Associates is a general practice and personal injury, including workers compensation, law firm with offices throughout South Central Pennsylvania. We opened our Shippensburg office last year and it is located at 34 West King Street with Bell Insurance. For workers compensation issues, we offer FREE CONSULTATIONS. You can contact our firm at 717-530-0126. Additionally, we hold evening hours every week in Shippensburg on Tuesday evenings from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM for those that work. Evening hours are on a first come, first serve basis.