Chick-fil-A to come to South Union
Chick-fil-A is expected to land in South Union Township.
Township supervisors on Wednesday announced that the township’s planning commission approved the land development plan for the new Chick-fil-A.
The fast food restaurant chain specializes in chicken sandwiches and, according to their website, has restaurants in 47 states.
Supervisor Jason Scott said the restaurant will go where the former Golden Corral was located off of Matthew Drive.
Scott said a company representative indicated they would begin construction as soon as permits are approved.
Also during Wednesday’s meeting, the supervisors unanimously voted to approve the Keystone Enterprise Zone within the township.
The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) administers an Enterprise Zone Program to help financially distressed municipalities promote growth and take advantage of business expansion opportunities within their borders.
Mark Rafail, the economic development coordinator for Fayette County said the program gives businesses properly zoned as commercial, industrial and manufacturing an opportunity to apply for state tax credits.
The supervisors were first made aware of the enterprise zone last month and had their township engineer and solicitor research the proposed resolution before bringing it to a vote.
They found the enterprise zone doesn’t cause a loss of tax revenue for the township.
“I just didn’t want to see our hands get tied,” Scott said.
Both he and Supervisor Robert Schiffbauer voted in favor of the resolution. Supervisor Rick Vernon was absent from the meeting.
Rafail said the zone extends five miles on both sides of every major corridor in Fayette County like Routes 119, 51, 43, 21 and 40, and the entirety of any participating municipality that touches that five-mile zone.
Rafail said about 20 municipalities signed on to be a part of what they’re going to call the Fayette Enterprise Zone, which he said includes the cities of Uniontown and Connellsville.
He added that the county already had a similar enterprise zone that was designated for only smaller areas as this is an expansion to help strengthen Fayette County’s economic development.
Along with businesses in the enterprise zone able to pursue state tax credits, Rafail said they’ll also be able to apply for loans that have already been established with the original enterprise zone through Fay-Penn Economic Development Council, so no new county money was put into the loan program.
Rafail said they’re currently gathering documents to be sent to the state for approval.