After years of planning and negotiations, Indiana County turned a significant economic corner today with the announcement that Philadelphia-based Urban Outfitters will build and operate a $30 million, 880,000 square foot “fulfillment center” at the Windy Ridge Business and Technology Park. The company estimates that the center will employ a minimum of 225 people, and in the future, possibly as many as 500.
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Parent company URBN operates a variety of retailers, including Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, BHLDN, Terrain and the Vetri Family restaurants.
In a ceremony this morning at Windy Ridge, URBN’s Chief Development Officer, David Ziel, said the company is looking forward to becoming a fixture in Indiana County and will need a lot of help to make it work, explaining that part of the attraction of Indiana County was the workforce.
URBN officially purchased the property for $5.85 million yesterday and hopes to begin construction in the middle of next month, with a targeted opening of next August.
State House Majority Leader Dave Reed says the company has already been making arrangements with local contractors to get the construction underway. And, he says, URBN’s presence in Indiana County could lure more businesses to the area. “I think you’re going to see not just this company come to our community, they’re going to use local folks to help build that facility within the region, and then they have already had conversations with other folks who may have an interest in following in their footsteps to Indiana County.” Reed says the new facility, which one day could expand to a million square feet, is a major turning point for Indiana County.
URBN’s David Ziel and Indiana County Planning Director Byron Stauffer will visit Indiana In the Morning on WCCS tomorrow at 8:45 AM, and Senator Don White will talk about URBN coming to Indiana in another interview at 9:45.
