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The St. Marys Area Chamber of Commerce relocated to new facility |
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Written by Publisher
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Friday, 27 June 2008 |
 The St. Marys Chamber of Commerce opened its new office in mid-June. The office is located in the old Choice building on the corner of Mill and S. St. Marys St. The EDC and the Marienstadt Corporation is also housed in the facility.
By Grace Kriegisch
Daily Press Staff
After 12 years in the Franklin Center, the St. Marys Area Chamber of Commerce is now open for business in its new location.
Located in the former Choice building on the corner of Mill and S. St. Marys St., the Chamber office enjoys greater visibility and accessibility. Assets which are vital to the success of the Chamber. In addition to the Chamber office, the building also houses the Economic Development Corporation and the Marienstadt Corporation. There is also office space in the facility which is available for lease. The income from this office rental would help offset the cost of operating the new building.
“I think this will be positive move for the Chamber because it is a much more visible location,” said Sally Wilson, Executive Director of the Chamber. “Most local residents knew where the Chamber office was located, but this will be beneficial to out of town guests,” she added.
The process of moving to the new building has been a long one, Wilson noted. Originally, the building had been purchased by Jules Bender, a businessman from California, who sub leased it to UniMart.
When that lease expired in March of 2007, Bender put the property on the market. Due to the lack of offers on the property, he began to explore other options. One of which was to donate the building to the Chamber.
Chamber board member, Kevin Berry brought the proposal before the board. While the board approved of the idea, it was discovered that the Chamber did not have the correct tax status to accept such a donation.
It was decided that the donation of the structure would be accepted by the Marienstadt Corporation on behalf of the Chamber. Because Marienstadt lacked the resources to renovate the property, the Chamber assumed the responsibility of obtaining the funds necessary to complete the project.
According to Wilson, the move to the new facility has been a huge cooperative effort between the boards of both the Chamber and the Marienstadt Corporation.
Wilson was in fact, named Executive Director of the Marienstadt Corporation. A move which enabled her to function more efficiently on behalf of the board. Wilson also noted that this undertaking has been a learning experience for her in a variety of areas.
One area of concern that the Chamber did not need to address was the removal of the undergrouond gas tanks from the site. UniMart assumed the responsibility of the excavation, and removal of the tanks as well as the resurfacing of the parking lot. The company also continues to check periodically for seepage in the area where the tanks were located.
The planning and execution of the project went into high gear beginning in October of 2007 when Marienstadt officially took ownership of the property.
Dwight Hoare, President of the Marienstadt Corporation. prepared the original specs for the project.
The project was then put out for bid with the actual renovations beginning in March of this year. The renovations include construction on offices and a conference room in the building and installation of a new heating and air conditioning system. The facility also boasts new brochure racks, which were purchased with funds obtained through a grant funded by state hotel tax dollars.
These racks provide valuable information both to local residents and out of town visitors. The Chamber office is also listed as an official site to gain such information.
The funding for the majority of the project came from a $50,000 grant from the PA Growing Greener Program. Additional funds were also provided by area businesses and organizations. Northwest Savings donated $5,000, CG Electrodes donated $5,000 and an additional $5,000 was received from the Elk County Community Foundation. This provided the initial capital needed to start on the project.
Additional funds are being sought through grants filed with the Department of Community and Economic Development. The first of these grants, in the amount of $10,000, was filed with State Representative Dan Surra’s office and has been approved. The second, in the amount of $25,000 was filed through Senator Joseph Scarnati’s office and is still pending approval.
By mid -June the inside work was completed and the offices were moved to the new location which, according to Wilson, was right on schedule.
While the inside work has been completed the Chamber still has plans to remodel the exterior of the facility. These plans include a face lift to the outside of the building, new landscaping and signage. The new sign will provide ample space for the Chamber to advertise upcoming events for the community.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 30 June 2008 )
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