Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services has leased approximately 64,000 square feet of office space in CenterPoint Commerce & Trade Park East to MAXIMUS, a leading operator of government health and human services programs.
The firm will create 500 to 700 jobs with average salaries ranging from $30,000 to $36,000.
MAXIMUS becomes the anchor tenant in the 120,000 square foot flex building constructed by Mericle at 575 Keystone Avenue in CenterPoint’s Phase IIC section in Jenkins Township. Mericle developed the building on speculation as part its ReadyToGo Program™.
Mericle Vice President Bob Besecker coordinated the lease transaction with John Susanin of Colliers International’s Conshohocken, Pennsylvania office and Sheena Gohill of Collier’s New York City office.
Besecker said Mericle’s ability to provide customized office space with abundant parking in a very short amount of time was a critical factor in the company’s decision to locate the project in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
“MAXIMUS had an extremely aggressive time frame,” said Besecker. “We had to commit to converting 64,000 square feet of empty shell space into customized office space and creating parking for 700 cars in just 60 days,” he said. Our design, construction, and excavation divisions did a fantastic job fast-tracking the project and getting it completed on time and on budget.”
Besecker commended the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development for the key role it played in the project. “DECD provided a strong package of incentives to MAXIMUS,” Besecker said.
Joseph Burke, President of the Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce, said the decision by MAXIMUS to locate in CenterPoint gives further credibility to Greater Pittston as a great location for business. “More than 470,000 people live within 20 miles of CenterPoint,” said Burke. “Employers are finding that CenterPoint, with its immediate access to I-81 and I-476, is a great spot for recruiting a quality workforce. We hope MAXIMUS enjoys sustained growth in Jenkins Township.”
Bob Durkin, President of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, said the project ties nicely into the eight-county Northeastern Pennsylvania Regional Biosciences Initiative, which was created to increase local employment within the bioscience, life sciences and healthcare sectors.
“The creation and expansion of new jobs by MAXIMUS is a testament to the impact that the healthcare industry is having in our region,” Durkin said. “We wish Maximus all the best for continued success and commitment to growing in Northeastern Pennsylvania.”
Since 2006, Mericle has developed 21 buildings and 30 ReadyToGo Sites™ in CenterPoint Commerce & Trade Park East and West. MAXIMUS becomes the park’s 33rd tenant and when fully staffed, will push the park’s total employment to more than 4,000. For more information, visit Mericle.com.
Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services, founded by Robert Mericle, has provided commercial real estate solutions to companies in Northeastern and North Central Pennsylvania for more than 30 years. Mericle is a developer of investment grade industrial, office, flex, and medical space and ReadyToGo!™ Sites. More than 13,400 people work in the buildings Mericle has developed.