Members of the Schuylkill County Industrial Development Authority (SCIDA) Board of Directors met on January 21 to conduct official business, release the Authority’s annual report, and mark a leadership transition as departing Chair and current Treasurer David Snyder formally passed the gavel to incoming Chair Jack Reilly.
The close of 2025 marked the 56th year of operations for SCIDA. According to the annual report, the Authority now maintains a loan portfolio totaling more than $200 million in financing for local business projects. Overall, SCIDA’s efforts have helped create or retain more than 3,500 jobs across Schuylkill County.
SCIDA continues to work closely with the Schuylkill Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO) and other local partners to develop business parks and industrial sites aimed at attracting new investment. These collaborations are designed to strengthen the county’s economic base and support long-term growth through business expansion and job creation.
Among the highlights of the report was the Authority’s successful acquisition of a $500,000 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Community-Wide Brownfield Assessment Grant. The funding will be used to develop remedial action plans for several sites, including mine-scarred land near the county-owned airport, the former Pennsylvania Power & Light site in Tamaqua, and the former “Old Frackville Dump” within the Frackville Industrial Park. The goal is to restore these properties for future economic and environmental use.
SCIDA, in partnership with SEDCO and the Schuylkill County Commissioners, has also supported flood prevention and control efforts in the Upper Swatara Watershed. Through combined federal, state, and local funding, more than $10 million has been secured to address flood mitigation projects in that region of the county.
The Authority also hired Mullin & Lonergan Associates to provide consulting services in the development of a Neighborhood Improvement District (NID) Plan for three areas along the Interstate 81 corridor near Highridge Business Park. These areas include Highridge Business Park North, Schuylkill Airport Business Park, and Highridge Business Park.
To oversee the NID, local taxing authorities — Cass and Foster Townships, the Minersville Area School District, and Schuylkill County — partnered with SCIDA to form the Highridge Improvement District Authority (HIDA), a five-member joint municipal authority. HIDA appointed SEDCO to manage day-to-day operations of the NID.
Combined property taxes within the NID totaled more than $5.1 million in 2025 and are expected to rise as several expansion projects move forward. Ongoing developments include expansions at the Wegmans Distribution Center and Dollar General Distribution Center, as well as the Trillium/Love Compressed Natural Gas station. In addition, a new Marriott TownePlace Suites hotel opened in October 2025 adjacent to the ONVO Travel Plaza, which opened in the fall of 2024.
In October, at the request of the Schuylkill County Commissioners, the SCIDA Board approved submission of a $1.5 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant application to help fund a new Emergency Management Complex at the Schuylkill County Fire School facility in West Mahanoy Township. That application remains pending.
SCIDA officials noted that the Authority’s ongoing activities continue to play a key role in diversifying Schuylkill County’s economy, particularly as the region transitions from its historical reliance on coal extraction to a broader mix of industries, including manufacturing, services, and distribution.