Crime and other challenges have often stole the spotlight in Chester County from its many historic buildings and landmarks. But thanks in part to the
Buccini/Pollin Group, a development company that spent $60 million in 2005 on a renovation of the town's historic Wharf building--now known as the
Wharf at Rivertown--Chester's economic revitalization seems to be continuing its steady forward march.
Formerly home to the Delaware County Power Plant, today the Wharf is a mixed-use office and retail project. The building's newest tenant is the
Power Home Remodeling Group, which on Jan. 3 relocated its entire headquarters to the Wharf after outgrowing its old space in Brookhaven.
According to Jeff Kaliner, PHRG's co-founder and CEO, the move was made possible after the company became a recipient of the 2010 Governor's Discretionary Grant. The fund provides assistance to organizations that are actively growing the economy. "And in return," says Kaliner, "we've promised to hire 250 (new employees) over the next couple years."
Perhaps equally as impressive are the promises that Kaliner and his company have made to the city of Chester. PHRG signed a 10-year lease on its new space, for example, even though it will only see tax breaks for the next three years. (Chester sits inside a
Keystone Opportunity Zone.) The occupancy rate of the Wharf, in fact, is now an impressive 95 percent.
"For us," says Kaliner, "the move was less about the KOZ than it was about helping revitalize Chester. And it's not that we're taking a gamble," he adds. "We see this as an opportunity for growth, for both the city and for our employees."
Source: Jeff Kaliner, Power Home Remodeling Group
Writer: Dan Eldridge