Former Kyowa building in Greene sold
WAYNESBURG – The former Kyowa America Corp. building on Route 21 in Franklin Township, vacant for the last two years, has been sold to a commercial real estate investment and development company.
Kyowa, which closed its plant there in July 2012, sold the building last week to SunCap Waynesburg LLC, for $4.5 million, according to a deed recorded in the Greene County Register and Recorder’s Office. The property includes 13.3686 acres.
SunCap Waynesburg is apparently associated with SunCap Property Group of Charlotte, N.C. A spokesman could not be reached Wednesday afternoon for comment.
The building on Route 21 at the Waynesburg Interstate 79 interchange was constructed by Baker Mine Services in 1984.
Baker halted its operations there in 1989 and the building sat vacant until Kyowa moved into it in 1992.
Kyowa operated a plant there for 19 years, making plastic parts for the automotive and consumer electronic industries. The company closed the plant in 2012, saying it was moving its operations to Tennessee, closer to its customer base.
Local development officials said the sale of the property was good news.
“We didn’t want to lose Kyowa, but now we have a chance to get somebody else into that building,” said Don Chappel, executive director of Greene County Industrial Development Inc., which owns the nearby EverGreene Technology Park.
“The potential for another business to move in is a win for Greene County,” he said, speaking of the possibility of additional employment opportunities a new tenant could present for county residents.
Chappel said he talked to the broker, Jim Sheinberg of Jabe Companies, who marketed the property and had heard the building was going to be sold, but was not told who would be the buyer. Sheinberg did a good job in attracting interest in the property, and apparently it paid off, he said.
The building is in an excellent location especially for any company that wants to be highly visible, Chappel said. “Anyone who is traveling on Interstate 79 has a good view of that building,” he said.
Robbie Matesic, executive director of the Greene County Department of Development, also said it is good to see something happening with the building.
“We’ve been seeing a lot more opportunities for development on Route 21 on the eastern side of the interstate,” she said. “That’s important, because we believe it will complement other development planned for the area.”
The county is currently developing a commercial site at the Greene County Airport. This week, it received a $500,000 grant to realign the airport entrance on Route 21 with Murtha Drive to make a new four-way intersection at Murtha Drive and Route 21.
Another property along that stretch of road also sold recently.
According to a deed filed Aug. 29, Consol Mining Co. LLC sold its former parts and equipment warehouse on the south side of Route 21 to Kari Resources LP. The 17.141 acres sold for $1,950,000.
Kari Resources LP is headed by Gary R. Bowers of Producers Supply in Waynesburg. Producers has its headquarters just up the road and also owns the undeveloped properties at the nearby Waynesburg Crossing retail development.
Bowers, contacted Wednesday, declined to comment on the proposed use of the Consol property. He did say, however, the company has cleaned up the site and will maintain it in excellent condition, as it does other properties it owns.
Matesic also said it was good to see the Kyowa building and Consol property fall into the hands of companies that will maintain them properly. “I believe we will be seeing some nice development in the area,” she said.