Blair County Planning Commission members Thursday gave a positive review to a rezoning plan that would enable McLanahan Corporation to complete an expansion project in Hollidaysburg.

The EADS Group has submitted a petition to rezone land on South Beaver Street in Hollidaysburg from its current residential business to limited industrial zoning.

There are two lots owned by McLanahan Corp. that are zoning differently. This would make them both limited industrial, according to McLanahan’s attorney Joel Seelye.

Once the rezoning is approved, plans call for merging them into one parcel, which would enable McLanahan to move forward with an expansion project, Seelye said.

Hollidaysburg Borough Council would need to give approval to both the zoning change and lot merger.

McLanahan Corporation, whose global corporate headquarters are in Hollidaysburg, currently employs about 310 people.

Over the last several years, McLanahan has seen tremendous growth in local jobs and continues to invest in a strong local workforce, according to the project narrative submitted by Seelye.

At this time of year in 2022, McLanahan employed approximately 257 people locally. At this time last year, 285 people were employed.

The company currently has approximately 20 openings posted for immediate hire and expects at least another 30 employment opportunities through the end of this year, totaling 50 new jobs in Blair County in the span of seven months, the narrative states.

With this growth and investment in local jobs, McLanahan finds a need to continue to grow the corporate office and the opportunities for those employees.

With approval of the zoning change and the lot merger, McLanahan has plans to develop the new larger lot with a new multipurpose administrative office, including larger training and meeting rooms, an area used for research and development, and some additional accessory uses such as parking to support the growing local workforce.