Allegheny County will cover costs the borough incurs in moving Mile Lock Lane and First Avenue in Brackenridge to accommodate construction of Allegheny Ludlum's $1.2 billion hot strip mill.
The Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County approved an agreement with the borough Wednesday.
Under the agreement, the county is obligated to cover costs including those related to construction, engineering, surveying, traffic studies and the relocation of utility lines along Mile Lock Lane and First Avenue, which border Ludlum's Brackenridge Works.
Despite its name, the massive steel mill is in Harrison Township. Mile Lock Lane is the border between the two municipalities for nearly all of its length.
Borough officials were not aware of the agreement when contacted Wednesday afternoon.
"We know its been on their radar," Mayor Jeff Cowan said. "We told them we wanted something in writing, just to cover us."
Both Cowan and council President Larry Chifulini said they are not sure of the estimated costs since borough engineer James Garvin has been involved with designing the work with county and Ludlum officials.
"I'm assuming it's big money because they are doing River Road for Harrison Township, First Avenue and Mile Lock Lane and all the utilities associated with them," Chifulini said.
He said the projected time to do the construction is three to six months.
Cowan said Garvin had begun working on the borough's end of the project with borough officials having the understanding that the county would cover the costs.
However, a dispute arose.
"I know our engineer was working on it and the county was basically saying, 'We never said we would pay for all this,' and we said, 'Yeah, you did,'" Cowan said. "They kind of balked at paying his bill."
Cowan was not sure but thought the bill is for more than $10,000. He said that's why the borough pushed to have a written agreement.
"You've got to kind of work your way through this," Cowan said.
Cowan and Chifulini said work on building the new mill within the old plant's footprint apparently is progressing. However, Chifulini said he doesn't know what the exact status is because Ludlum officials have not been returning his phone calls.
Ludlum spokesman Dan Greenfield did not return a phone call from a reporter seeking comment Wednesday.
"They wanted to start all this (road work) at the beginning of August, from what we were told," Chifulini said. But Chifulini said he doesn't think that will be possible because the design work has to be completed and bids sought.
He and Cowan said that Garvin is handling the design for relocating a 60-inch sewerage main under Mile Lock Line and a key waterline into the Ludlum plant.
"We're going to be more comfortable with our engineer handling our utilities," Chifulini said.
Ludlum Field: Kiss it goodbye?
In another matter, Cowan and Chifulini said there is a report circulating that claims Allegheny Ludlum will now claim Ludlum Field, the baseball field near Morgan Street and Sixth Avenue, to be included in the project.
Chifulini said he heard the company will put a locomotive repair shop there. "I guess they have a locomotive repair shop in the plant that needs to be moved, and the word is that is where they want to relocate it."
Cowan said to make up for the loss of the field, which local sports leagues use, he understands Ludlum officials have proposed creating and improving fields at Alsco Park in Harrison.
