Partly sunny, hot, and humid with a spotty morning shower and a scattered afternoon thunderstorm, but much of the day is dry. .
Partly cloudy with the slight chance of an evening thunderstorm.
POTTSTOWN, Pa. -- Pennsylvania is investing big bucks in a former factory in Pottstown, Montgomery County.
Nearly a half-million-dollars will be used to clean up contamination, with the goal of giving the region a brighter future. The Pottstown Plating Works plant was once a source of pride for the Borough, but today it's just an eyesore.
"This property has been blighted for over a dozen years," said Peggy Lee-Clark, the Executive Director of Pottstown Area Economic Development.
Lee-Clark is one of the people who has dreams of the plant being used once again, and on Thursday, they got one step closer to that goal. The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) said it's investing $467,636 into cleaning up environmental contamination on-site.
"We all let out a collective cheer because it's always nice to get that type of surprise," said Lee-Clark.
The DCED said the soil and groundwater at the site contain metals like nickel and cadmium, as well as chlorinated volatile organic compounds. The Montgomery County Redevelopment Authority will now be in charge of cleanup and monitoring contamination moving forward, as long as it approves the grant at its next meeting on Sept. 8.
"It's not official until they decide that they want to engage with taking on this property," said Lee-Clark. "We're taking something that was not a great environmental legacy for us, and really turning it back into productive use."
In addition to the environmental remediation, the owner of the property, John Jones, has been investing his own money in renovating the plant, including brand new ceilings that he's installed in the past year. The hope is that new businesses can use the facility in the future.
"We're looking for advanced manufacturers, we're looking for life-sciences, a brewing operation. Anybody that could use large industrial space," said Lee-Clark.
A second chance for the building to once again become a productive part of Pottstown.
Scroll down for comments if available
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV.
Get local Breaking News alerts sent directly to your inbox.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.