By JIM MEYER
Staff writer
The Venango County Economic Development Authority is making progress on several county projects, executive director Emily Lewis said after Tuesday’s meeting of the panel.
Lewis said the authority board will meet today with Design Lab architects via conference call to prepare bids for the Cornplanter Square project at the old Mellon Bank building in Oil City. The board is planning to accept bids for work on the building’s roof replacement, window replacement and environmental abatement.
The board is also discussing the potential for starting an entrepreneurial academy as part of the business incubator plan for Cornplanter Square. This academy would be modeled after a similar project that was created at the LindenPointe Innovative Business Campus in Hermitage, which offers a half-day program for high school seniors, Lewis said.
“It shows them how you can have a business of your own and have it in the community where you live,” Lewis said.
The board also noted that a potential developer is interested in the Fuchs building in Emlenton but that some environmental concerns exist at the site that need to be addressed before any development can begin.
The next meeting of the economic development authority is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 16, in Room 101 of the Courthouse Annex. The day and place have been adjusted because of the primary election the previous day.
