Supervisors set Keystone Opportunity Zone at Cambria County Airport to stimulate economy

Jun. 22—To incentivize economic development in the county, the Richland Township supervisors took a step toward designating the area around Cambria County's airport as a zone where new businesses would not be taxed for 10 years.

On Monday, the supervisors unanimously became the second of three taxing entities that must agree in order for the airport parcel to qualify for the state's Keystone Opportunity Zone program.

The Richland School District has already given approval, and the Cambria County Commissioners are expected to follow.

Once all agencies are in agreement, the 100 acres around the airport would qualify for the Keystone Opportunity Zone program, which waives state and local taxes on economic activity.

As of 2017, the program's applicants have created 7,278 jobs and invested $2.6 billion in private capital into those zones, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development's website shows.

Richland Board of Supervisors Chairman Robert Heffelfinger Jr. said no matter what type of business may decide to move in near the airport, the supervisors' main concern is jobs.

"We'd like people to come to Richland and have good-paying jobs," he said.

Larry Nulton, who runs the fixed base operator at the airport, has advocated for the supervisors to apply for the Keystone Opportunity Expansion Zone program.

"This is to entice businesses to come for economic development in Cambria County," Nulton said. "Once we have this opportunity we can market it that way."

Heffelfinger said once the supervisors, school district and county commissioners submit an application, the state would make a decision to accept or reject it by the end of the year.