High Pointe Commons

The application was submitted to the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) by the Dauphin County Industrial Development Authority on April 28th for public road improvements to Lindle Road and I-283, the intersection of High Pointe Boulevard and Lindle Road, Chambers Hill Road and High Pointe Boulevard. The project received an IFIP award of $3,719,540 over ten years ($371,954 annually).

• High Pointe Commons Retail Development - 334,046 square feet - includes two national department stores (JC Penney, Target), complementary retail shops, and additional retail/restaurant out-parcel development. The center opened in Fall 2006.

• Location - Swatara Township: 43 acres surrounded by Chambers Hill Road,  I-283, Lindle Road, and Cordial Lane.

• Economic Benefits - Total investment in High Pointe Commons is approximately $50 million. The project created $5.8 million in new annual state and local taxes and another $3.2 million during construction. The project resulted in nearly 1,000 new jobs created. Of the annual tax yield, the annual estimated increases in state sales and employee with holding taxes are $2.9 million (basis for the IFIP request).

• Funding Challenge - Steep infrastructure costs and lack of access had deterred previous development efforts. Access issues have been resolved through cooperative efforts with the Wyndham Hotel and adjacent property owners.

• High Pointe Commons is a premier commercial destination that serves residents of Swatara Township and the surrounding region. This project complements recent revitalization efforts in the area and provides significant social, economic, and public infrastructure improvements for the region.

• Corporate Investment - High Real Estate Group, LLC of Lancaster and CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. of Chattanooga, Tennessee, share a successful history of implementing similar projects and currently maintain significant investments in the Commonwealth.

High Pointe Commons provides an attractive community-oriented retail facility that offers substantial economic benefits. The transportation improvements are consistent with township objectives to reduce congestion and provide a safer local road network while stimulating economic development that is consistent with land use planning.

The Infrastructure and Facilities Improvement Program (IFIP) is a state program administered by DCED that is best described as a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program that uses certain state taxes generated by a project user to fund eligible project costs. For eligible projects, the state will provide the local issuer of debt an annual grant to cover all or a portion of the debt service. The annual grant is based on the new taxes collected from the state sales tax, personal income tax, and the state hotel occupancy tax. The annual grant cannot exceed the new state taxes generated by the project user. High Pointe Commons yields $2.9 million in annual sales and withholding taxes, which was the basis for the grant request.