A lot on a Sellersville Borough brownfield site will soon undergo remediation work, paving the way for new residential development.
The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) recently announced the approval of $125,625 in Industrial Sites Reuse Program (ISRP) funding to the Bucks County Redevelopment Authority to perform site remediation on a 4.9-acre lot at 900 East Clymer Ave, said a press release from Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office.
The lot is part of the borough’s 45-acre Sellersville Business Campus. The campus is home to the former Ametek/U.S. Gauge plant that manufactured pressure indicating gauges and other instrumentation for the automotive, aircraft, process and public utility industries, ceasing operations in 2008.
The Bucks County Industrial Development Authority purchased the property from Ametek in 2013 to begin transformation into a modern business park. The Business Campus was later established in 2015, offering five-year LERTA tax breaks. The Environmental Protection Agency oversaw remediation work, performing long-term hazardous waste cleanup to manage soil and groundwater contamination.
ISPR funds will be used for soil remediation, removal of an abandoned 20,000-gallon underground storage tank and quarterly groundwater sampling. Following the remediation work, the site will meet environmental conditions for residential redevelopment under the Land Recycling Program, creating a shovel-ready site for developers, said the release.
“Transforming former industrial sites into new opportunities is how we build stronger, healthier communities across Pennsylvania,” said DCED Secretary Rick Siger. “This investment will help turn a long-idle property in Sellersville into a safe, productive space for residential development — supporting local revitalization while protecting public health. Through programs like the Industrial Sites Reuse Program, we’re continuing to make strategic investments that prepare sites for their next chapter and position our communities for long-term growth.”
“The Industrial Sites Reuse Program is an important tool to return former brownfields to productive use, and in this case, adding much needed housing stock for Pennsylvania,” added DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “Supported by an annual $3 million transfer from the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund, the Land Recycling Program collaborates with DCED to provide grants and loans that help finance environmental assessments and site cleanups throughout Pennsylvania. Governor Josh Shapiro has called for $20 million for the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund so that we can continue putting projects like this one on the ground.”
The residential development will join Solar Manufacturing Inc. on the campus. The company, a maker of vacuum heat-treating furnaces, is the site’s first tenant, opening its facility in October 2019.
