EMHS attracts $4 million

BY STACI WILSON

Endless Mountains Health Systems is closer to breaking ground on its new Bridgewater Township facility.

EMHS received a $4 million capital budget allocation- a $2 million bump up from the anticipated funding amount, reported Tony Ventello, executive director of the Progress Authority at the Jan. 27 county economic development board meeting.

The Progress Authority, based in Towanda, is contracted to run the county’s economic development arm.

Ventello said he spoke with EMHS consultants who reported that although the project still has an $8 million funding gap out of a total project cost of $46.5 million, site work can begin this spring.

The overall project can be scaled back for now, said Ventello, and then added to at a later date as additional funding becomes available.

SCED board chair John Kameen reported that a manufacturer of solar components had expressed interest in locating in the Forest City area.

The Progress Authority has set up a natural gas workforce expo, slated for Apr. 1-2 at the Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center.

Janice Lobdell, who is helping to coordinate the event, will be at the Feb. 25 economic development board meeting.

Ventello also said that Gov. Tom Corbett and U.S. Rep. Tom Marino, R-Lycoming, are very interested in the Susquehanna and Bradford County area.

“It’s an opportunity for us to put our needs for growth and infrastructure in front of them,’ Ventello said.

Marino is scheduled to appear at a luncheon Feb. 4 in Bradford County.

After seven years with the Progress Authority, countywide economic development manager Brian Driscoll is leaving the agency to take a position with the Canton Intermediate Unit.

Lauren Hotaling, of Bradford County, has been hired to fill Driscoll’s position.

Kameen thanked Driscoll for the work he has done with Susquehanna County over the years.

“You’ve been an invaluable source of technical information,” said Kameen. “The intermediate unit is getting a really good employee.”