Berks fund gets $4M loan to buy, develop 90-acre industrial park

The Greater Berks Development Fund announced it was approved for $3.75 million in loans from the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority to buy and develop the land in Bern Township.

The land is within a mile of routes 222 and 183 and is in the Greater Reading Enterprise Zone.

“This is a ready-to-go industrial property and it’s an attractive opportunity for many companies. The parcels can accommodate multiple 50,000-250,000 square-foot buildings,” said Deb Millman, director of business development for the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance.

Millman said the chamber alliance has been in discussions with companies interested in building 250,000 square feet of space on 30 acres.

Finding and developing shovel-reading sites has been a priority for the chamber alliance.

“We are looking throughout Berks County to identify how we can provide the land and infrastructure for homegrown manufacturing and industrial businesses to expand,” said Randy Peers, president and CEO of the GRCA.

The Berks development fund has secured more than $10 million in PIDA loans over the past year and committed to invest more than $7.5 million in projects.