RIDC (Regional Industrial Development Corporation)
Founded1955
Location
Area served
Pittsburgh metropolitan area
Key people
Donald F. Smith, Jr. PhD
WebsiteRIDC.org

The Regional Industrial Development Corporation of Southwestern Pennsylvania--known colloquially as the RIDC--is a privately funded non-profit[1] serving the Pittsburgh metropolitan area to focus on a regional approach to economic development primarily through managing and rehabilitating area research and business parks for modern tenants. The RIDC was formed in 1955 to foster new employment opportunities and to diversify the regional economy.

Research Parks

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RIDC provides development, finance and leasing of new and redeveloped research and business parks using a wide range of real estate development activities. RIDC Research and Business parks are both new development and lab or industrial transfers from such corporations as Volkswagon, Westinghouse and US Steel and include:[2]

  • Lawrenceville Technology Park
  • Industrial Center of McKeesport
  • City Center of Duquesne
  • Keystone Commons
  • RIDC Park O'Hara (Giant Eagle headquarters)
  • RIDC Park West
  • RIDC Thorn Hill (900 acres started December 11, 1968)[3]
  • Innovation Ridge
  • RIDC Neshannock
  • Glassport (historical involvement circa 1978)[4]
  • Almono[5]
  • RIDC Westmoreland
  • Pittsburgh Technology Center
  • Southpointe (historical involvement)[6]
  • Collaborative Innovation Center
  • Beaver Manor

Non-RIDC Research and Business parks in the Pittsburgh area also include:

Mission

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RIDC's mission is to catalyze and support economic growth with quality job creation through real estate development to advance the public interest. With public, private, and institutional partnerships, RIDC captures emerging and existing growth opportunities across diverse industry sectors. A dynamic, regional economic development directed towards manufacturing, assembly, distribution, and research and development activities focuses RIDC with entrepreneurs and businesses located both within and outside the region.[7][8][9][10][11]

Community support

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With a long history of both state and regional economic research[12][13] RIDC staffs professionals in financial and property management specialties, planning, engineering, construction, site selection, facility design, construction management with regular study groups that include community leaders, corporate CEOs and Chairman.[14][15] A comprehensive approach is utilized to coordinate development or redevelopment projects from conceptual design through completion and occupancy. Varied industry needs, including machinery and equipment financing assistance are serviced by the RIDC for new, small and growing business enterprises, applied research and development activities and partnership with Western Pennsylvania's academic institutions.[16] Historically the RIDC has hosted Pittsburgh Hilton conferences with area business leaders, the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce and speeches from the State Secretary of Commerce.[17] It has partnered with the Appalachian Regional Commission and Carnegie Mellon University among others[18][19][20] and has provided board members for the Allegheny County Planning commission for such projects as Oxford Centre.[21][22]

History

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In early 1955 Pittsburgh business, corporate, government and labor leaders supported a central agency responsible for developing and coordinating efforts to create new employment and economic diversity. The RIDC was established August 8, 1955 as a nonprofit corporation and has gone on to handle some of Pittsburgh's most challenging economic development, rehabilitation and real estate projects. The RIDC charter was amended February 16, 1962 to allow it to engage directly in such things as construction, purchasing, selling and financing of developments. In October, 1967 the RIDC took the first steps on being inter-county when it became the lead organization in a 9 county partnership.[23]

Operational goals of the RIDC are to maintain a dynamic economic development portfolio through preserving, strengthening and expanding the area’s employment base through retention and expansion of job opportunities, and by developing and promoting programs that assist in the creation of a more diversified economy.[24]

CEOs

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Foreign Trade Zones

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The RIDC manages the Foreign Trade Zones in the area such as:[30]

  • RIDC Park West
  • Pittsburgh International Airport
  • Leetsdale Industrial Park
  • Westmoreland Business Park
  • Millennium Business Park
  • City Center of Duquesne
  • Industrial Center of McKeesport
  • Thorn Hill Industrial Park
  • Lawrenceville Technology Center
  • RIDC Industrial Park
  • Keystone Commons
  • South Hills Industrial Park
  • Findlay Industrial Park
  • Hopewell Business Park
  • Westgate Business Park
  • Aliquippa Industrial Park
  • Ambridge Regional Center

Foreign Trade Zone #33 Subzones:

  • 33 D Mitsubishi Power Electrics
  • 33 E DNP IMS America Corporation

References

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  1. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6MAbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KE8EAAAAIBAJ&dq=john-robin%20regional&pg=5253%2C3268754
  2. ^ http://ridc.org/pages/availableprop.aspx
  3. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qNhaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=amwDAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20hiram%20milton&pg=6763%2C2149204
  4. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PTQcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rFkEAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20hiram%20milton&pg=4029%2C3189064
  5. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/23/realestate/commercial/pittsburgh-seeks-to-expand-riverfront-access-to-the-public.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1383307627-qP2w+0l8G5otkFj+g0izzQ
  6. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KdY0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=l24DAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20development%20corporation&pg=6337%2C1380331
  7. ^ http://www.ridc.org/pages/about_who.aspx
  8. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GJtRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AWwDAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20robin&pg=2812%2C6517783
  9. ^ http://www.ridc.org/pages/about_what.aspx
  10. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Q3FeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rmENAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20hiram%20milton&pg=1059%2C4107952
  11. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=koNIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AG4DAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20hiram%20milton&pg=6776%2C3592613
  12. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GtJaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GmwDAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional-industrial-development-corporation&pg=6408%2C4961137
  13. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Pf0qAAAAIBAJ&sjid=btoFAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20hiram%20milton&pg=5972%2C2066214
  14. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=koNIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AG4DAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20hiram%20milton&pg=6776%2C3592613
  15. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2hsvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=StsFAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20hiram&pg=790%2C5956469
  16. ^ http://www.ridc.org/pages/about_what.aspx
  17. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-ZxRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CG0DAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20hiram%20milton&pg=6359%2C3748472
  18. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Q3FeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rmENAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20hiram%20milton&pg=1059%2C4107952
  19. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eSZXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h0MNAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20hiram%20milton&pg=1935%2C1805979
  20. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2RsvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=StsFAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20hiram&pg=6711%2C5666973
  21. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oUUuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MlkEAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20hiram%20milton&pg=3977%2C6224515
  22. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oUUuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MlkEAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20hiram%20milton&pg=7042%2C6233378
  23. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Q3FeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rmENAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20hiram%20milton&pg=1059%2C4107952
  24. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qJ5RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jm0DAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20hiram%20milton&pg=5290%2C2412397
  25. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=H-wdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0k0EAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20robin&pg=1399%2C3591383
  26. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2000/05/13/us/john-p-robin-87-led-the-redevelopment-of-downtown-pittsburgh.html
  27. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DiomAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NP4FAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20robin&pg=1383%2C1308956
  28. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2dtRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yW4DAAAAIBAJ&dq=ridc%20east%20pittsburgh&pg=6676%2C7814098
  29. ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=koNIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AG4DAAAAIBAJ&dq=regional%20industrial%20hiram%20milton&pg=6776%2C3592613
  30. ^ http://www.ridc.org/pages/ancillaryPage.aspx?apID=2
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