Tech 21's history

I took the time to read your article on Tech 21 ("Tech 21 breaks ground, medical company to be complex's first tenant," Dec. 18), the 223 acres of land (destined to be a research and technology park) owned by a group of Pittsburgh entrepreneurs, located on Warrendale Road at I-79, around the former Fore Systems facility in Marshall. I thought it was important to the community to comment on the significance of this park and its pad-ready sites and the people who made this development possible.

As background, I was asked to participate as an investor after the founding principals of Tech 21 (Hal Wrigley, Francois Bitz, Pat Minnock and their consultant, CB Richard Ellis) spent several frustrating years trying to develop the site. It is now three years after that event and it has taken a lot of effort and support by local, state, and federal officials to make this park a success. The project could have failed many times during these past five years, but it took tremendous understanding first by Jim Roddey and now by Dan Onorato to support this project. Pad-ready sites are essential to regional growth to attract firms with immediate expansion needs.

In recent times, Mr. Onorato and Dennis Davin went to the state and stood tall in very difficult times for the project, and received support from Gov. Ed Rendell's administration. S&T Bank jumped in, at the request of CB Richard Ellis, and provided financial resources. Marshall supervisors and the township's solicitor, Blaine Lucas, went the extra yard to facilitate the development.

But the partners were some $4.8 million short for off-site road work around Tech 21. Medrad was prepared to make a commitment, based on multiple contingencies, one of which was to have 100 percent of the money in place for the off-site road work. This is when things got dicey.

Tech 21 went to Sen. Rick Santorum for federal support for the highway system. The senator reviewed the project and knew how important its jobs were to the region. Tech 21 needed his support to have enough funding available for Medrad to commit. Some of us flew to Washington, D.C., to meet with the senator. Within two days of the meeting the $4.8 million for public roads was in place, which led to Medrad announcing that it was placing its Corporate Center on the Tech 21 site.

In addition, current long-term traffic congestion in the area will be mitigated. In total, 16 pad-ready sites also would be created for future tenants, creating a projected 4,000 jobs, something Allegheny County needed desperately.

A man once said, "Nothing difficult is easy," and hopefully all this time and effort will make these types of projects faster and easier. All people involved in Tech 21 are people who genuinely care about the region and the commonwealth. We are deeply indebted to Mr. Santorum's quick action to move Tech 21 and Medrad's expansion forward.

DR. ROBERT CAPRETTO
Oakmont

Window on absurdity

In the business section of the PG today ("EPA seeks higher standards," Dec. 29), EPA spokesman John Millett is quoted as saying, "... air conditioning and power windows ... have a detrimental effect on fuel economy." If Mr. Millett really believes power windows have any measurable effect on fuel economy, he has no business whatsoever in representing the EPA on such matters.

KEITH H. SUEKER
Penn Hills