Zukas tells GlobeSt.com the facility is expected to become operational "within 14 months of groundbreaking." The estimated construction cost is between $75 million and $80 million. At completion, the facility will employ 700, making it "among the top 10 employers in the area," Zukas says.
Wal-Mart acquired the land from SEDCO and Schuylkill Country, the co-developers of the park, for $3.4 million, or about $22,222 an acre. Highridge is a 2,000-acre industrial park off I-81. The Wal-Mart facility will be located on the north side of the park.
Highridge is a designated Keystone Opportunity Zone, which exempts companies there from state and local taxes through 2013. Wal-Mart will also receive a job-training grant from the state for an as-yet-unspecified amount.
This will be the retail giant's fourth distribution center in Pennsylvania. Others are in Bedford, Clearfield, and Monroe counties. In all, Wal-Mart has 103 distribution centers and more than 3,500 retail Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores.
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