By Roman Hladio

Pittsburgh City Paper

 Aug 9, 2023 – Ambridge Borough Manager Mario Leone says that, just four years ago, very few — himself among them — would have thought there was a market for $6 or $7 pints in his sleepy river town.

Although Leone has only held his post for about three years, he has lived in Beaver County his entire life, and has been hoping to see the day when Ambridge returns to its former vitality.

“As I sit in this seat today, I’m amazed at the amount of people that the breweries have attracted to Ambridge,” Leone tells Pittsburgh City Paper. “And I think with those people coming in, it’s just created a new vibe.”

Ambridge — a 1.7 square mile land tract about 30 minutes north of Downtown Pittsburgh — was purchased in 1905 by the American Bridge Company, from which the town took its name. The American Bridge Company factories ceased supporting the majority of Ambridge residents when the steel industry collapsed in the 1980s.

As the steel industry powered on through the 1960s, Ambridge had a population of 13,865, according to Pa. census data. But by 2020, the town’s population had essentially halved.

Altered Genius was the first brewery to open its doors along Ambridge’s main corridor, Merchant Street, in 2020. Co-owner Donny Cardone says that in Ambridge, and Pittsburgh generally, beer culture harkens back to the days of industry.

“The steel mills and places used to have local bars where everybody would hang out,” Cardone tells City Paper. “It’s kind of like that, but, hopefully, with a lot better beer.”

CP Photo: Mars Johnson

Ben Benson takes a sip of beer while performing at Altered Genius Brewing Co. in Ambridge, PA, on August 5, 2023.

Cardone and his business partner Mike Haas met at their day job as alternate education teachers — “alt ed” becoming “altered” as their business name. They began brewing with kits in their garages for themselves and some small events. There, experimenting with different malts, hops, and grains, Cardone and Haas crafted recipes for many of their flagship beers on tap today.

Altered Genius’ Lenore — a chocolate fudge coffee stout — began, for instance, as a custom brew for a friend’s wedding.

“He had a coffee club at school,” Cardone said. “He would always go to [Prestogeorge Coffee & Tea] in the Strip District, they have a bunch of different flavored coffees and stuff like that. He came in one day with this chocolate fudge coffee, and I went ‘wow, this is really good.’ He was asking us about the beers for his wedding, and he was like, ‘Can you do a beer with that coffee in it?’”

By Fair Shake

July 24, 2023

On May 16, 2023, 72 Steel held a groundbreaking ceremony to announce its plans to build a new steel manufacturing plant in Aliquippa, PA. 72 Steel will build the proposed plant at the former Jones & Laughlin/LTV steel mill site. 72 Steel is a Brooklyn, NY based company that distributes steel products primarily from their Brooklyn service center. Private investors associated with 72 Steel from New York and New Jersey will fund the projected $218 million plant. 72 Steel is also looking to receive federal tax credits made possible by the Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, allocating funds to workforce hubs such as Pittsburgh.

This Aliquippa facility will make steel parts for 72 Steel’s products using an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF). The plant is projected to produce 500,000 tons of steel rebar a year with the potential to expand to steel beam and anchor production. The Aliquippa plant will be 72 Steel’s first venture into steel manufacturing.  72 Steel expects a production capacity and output value of $400 million. Despite the ambitious planning, 72 Steel has yet to close on the property according to the current landowner, Chuck Betters. Also, 72 Steel has yet to complete the appropriate local and state land development permits prior to construction. Much of the permitting process includes opportunities for public participation and comment. The permits listed below are the anticipated stamps of approval 72 Steel needs to satisfy prior to construction.

Local Permits

At the local level, 72 Steel (through its developer) must satisfy multiple different permits and zoning requirements before it can begin constructing the manufacturing plant. Below is a list of local permits and opportunities for public participation.  See Fair Shake’s Commenting Tips for ideas and strategies for public commenting.

Preliminary Land Development Plan

72 Steel must submit a preliminary land development plan application that complies with the Aliquippa Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO). The plan will include a comprehensive description of the steel plant development including land surveys, erosion plans, stormwater management plans, construction details, phasing schedules, traffic impact studies and other SALDO required documentation. 72 Steel will submit the application to the zoning officer who sends it to the city engineer and planning commission. The city engineer and planning commission will submit recommendations of approval, approval with conditions, or disapproval. Both the city engineer and the planning commission consider the SALDO, zoning ordinances, and other city ordinances that are relevant. If recommended for approval, the city council may hold a public hearing or meeting discussing the application and will make a final approval decision no later than ninety days after filing.

By Lauren Linder
CBS News

ALIQUIPPA, Pa. (KDKA) – A major economic boost appears to be heading to Aliquippa, as a Brooklyn company is planning to build a new steel mill in Beaver County.

The official groundbreaking is Tuesday, May 16, which will mark a special moment for the city that was originally built around steel.

Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker never thought he would live to see a day when the steel industry returned to the city, but it’s happening in the same spot off Woodlawn Road, where his dad spent 18 years working for J & L in the 1970s and 1980s.

“To have a comeback to where it gave birth to, it’s a beautiful thing,” Walker said. “To hear my dad almost cry about it, that says more to me than any words that I could say.”

The land remained vacant for decades since the J & L and LTV mills closed. Now a Brooklyn, New York company is coming in, 72 Steel, started by Chinese-American entrepreneurs.

New steel mill coming to Aliquippa 01:35
72 Steel Senior Business Advisor Xiaoyan Zhang said they chose Aliquippa for the $218 million facility over sites in Ohio and West Virginia. They will produce rebar at the 44-acre mill and hire 300 to 800 workers for construction, distribution, and the plant.

“We know that history, and so to build a steel mill here is exciting,” Zhang said. “Because this is an old industrial base, there will be a lot of talent, you know, that’s for hiring people and everything else.”

Property owner Chuck Betters was waiting for the right business to move in. In recent years the space was used as a staging area for the Shell cracker plant in Monaca. Then, a couple of years ago, he showed the land to 72 Steel, and eventually, they agreed.

“It’s what I’ve been hoping for,” Betters said. “I think it could be a heck of a good job creation here, a tax base for the city. I think it would be good things.”

This is the hope for Mayor Walker.

“We planted a seed that’s going to last the test of time, and then this is this going to be a caveat,” Walker said.

It’s a full-circle moment as the city heads into the future.

“This is going to be the blessing, you know, to make sure we stay out of distressed and to make sure we’re bringing economics and financial stability back to Aliquippa on a solid ground, on solid footing,” Walker said.

No word on when construction will start but 72 Steel hopes to finish by mid-to-late 2025.

Betters said he sold the rest of the 80-something-acre old mill land to Versatex, which makes products like plastic decking, and U.S. Minerals, which makes abrasives.

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