With Pennsylvania struggling in comparison to other states in terms of economic development and job creation, Gov. Edward G. Rendell followed up on his promise to invest state dollars in much-needed economic development projects to revitalize PA’s towns and cities by granting the City of Easton $2 million for the construction of a new intermodal parking and transit facility.

The announcement, made at the office of Mayor Thomas F. Goldsmith, featured several area leaders who lauded the project as exactly what Easton needs to continue the progress the City has made in recent years. The Governor, who joined the event by phone, also praised the Easton success story, as he proudly insisted that this $2 million in Capital Redevelopment Assistance funding would allow for the construction of the new facility at the eastern end of the City’s downtown, a crucial passageway between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and adjacent to the Hotel Easton.

"The progress that Easton has made in recent years must not come to a standstill," Rendell said. "The construction of this facility and the redevelopment of the Hotel Easton largely represent the future of the economy of this city, and I am proud to be able to be a part of Easton’s progress."

The governor said that the development of the nine-story Hotel Easton would depend on centralized parking and transportation near the site. The new transit facility will be able to accommodate not only local and county transit lines, but also national lines such as Greyhound Buses. It was determined that the construction of such an intermodal facility was pivotal to the future success of the proposed Hotel Easton Conference Center, a project which stands to continue Easton’s recent success by attracting further tourism and creating up to 400 new jobs.

"These are exactly the projects that we must take advantage of in towns and cities in every corner of this Commonwealth. We need to invest in our future to grow Pennsylvania out of economic doldrums and thrust ourselves forward into statewide prosperity," Rendell said. "That’s why I’ve put forth a plan that can help us accomplish this - a Plan for a New Pennsylvania, a plan I believe in, and the plan that I was elected to execute."

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