Butler County officials have approved plans for development of a new FedEx regional distribution center.
The Jackson Township supervisors have approved the construction of a 305,000-square-foot building in the Sippel Development Commerce Park, located on Tomlinson Drive, near Interstate 79.
Doug Sippel, president of Sippel Development Co., said site preparation work on the distribution center will begin immediately. Construction of the building’s foundation is planned for March 2015 and the facility is expected to be open by June 2016.
Jackson Township manager Chris Rearick noted the distribution center is projected to employ between 500 and 550 workers. It is not known how many of the jobs will be relocated from the FedEx Ground headquarters in Moon or would be new positions.
“These are full-time jobs where people can make a living and people can get benefits,” said Jackson Township supervisor Ron Lutz, who added the development will be good for the township because it will create additional tax revenue and create jobs.
Rearick said the distribution center, and its potential to create jobs, was a factor in Jackson Township receiving a grant of $1.5 million from the state. The grant, and a 30 percent local match, will be used to improve the intersection of PA Route 528 with Tomlinson Drive and Jo Deener Road. The roads will form a four-way intersection with Route 528 and include a stoplight to ease the flow of traffic from the commercial development.