NORTHUMBERLAND — The North Shore Railroad Company awarded a $407,162 contract to Rhinehart Railroad Construction for a development project along Route 11 just east of Northumberland for a customer who will bring 15 new full-time jobs to the area.
North Shore’s Business and Development Manager Joe Kantz informed the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce's Transporation Committee on Friday via Zoom that the site is located at the former PennDOT rest area, which was purchased in 2019 by North Shore. They have been working with LIVIC Civil Engineering to develop the site of a propane distribution station.
"The bid was awarded (on Thursday) to the company to move forward on earth moving and track build," said Kantz. "That project is going to get ramped up pretty quickly here in the springtime so we can move it forward and have it come to completion before the end of the year."
North Shore was awarded a Rail Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP) through PennDOT for the project. Nine companies, including Bullock Construction at $510,084, bid on the contract.
"This is the first time we are acting as a developer and we are looking forward to the project's completion," said North Shore President/CEO Jeb Stotter. "We anticipate the creation of 15 local jobs, which will have a positive impact on the regional economy."
North Shore is still under a non-disclosure agreement with the customer, but Kantz said the company is currently in the local market. He expects further announcements in the spring.
The company recently purchased another existing business in the area as well and once North Shore's project is complete, the two will "mesh nicely together," said Kantz.
PennDOT, Point Township and state Rep. Lynda Schlegel Culver, R-108, "have been very supportive of the project" and have worked well together to make sure the project is in order to move forward, said Kantz.
"It will be a nice development for retail and wholesale of the propane industry in our market here," said Kantz. "Anything we can do to keep prices down is a good thing."
Culver said the Route 11 corridor is slowly transforming into an energy corridor.
"We always need job creation," she said. "This is taking an eyesore and changing it to something else. Any time you can create jobs that's a win."