David Stoehr, owner and developer of the Fort Pitt Business Park, asked Canonsburg council Monday night to contribute a fixed amount of money upfront for in-kind services to help with his project.

Mr. Stoehr suggested, for example, that the borough could waive building permit and application fees with the understanding that he would cover any costs the borough has to pay, such as inspection fees by the engineering firm.

"Any amount is very much appreciated," he said.

The park, at the 25-acre site of the former Fort Pitt Bridge Works near Interstate 79, is estimated to cost $20 million.

Mr. Stoehr is seeking a loan from the state for $3.2 million to construct the roadway and install infrastructure in his park, which will have three small, flex-type office buildings. The first building is expected to cost $4.7 million.

Last July, Mr. Stoehr received a $1.9 million grant and $3.3 million loan from the state. He's paying for most of the development with his own money. The borough secured money for him last year for a walkway.

The park will complement the larger Southpointe mixed-use park in neighboring Cecil and it will generate about 500 jobs, Mr. Stoehr said.

Councilman Steve Lucas said he'd be willing for council to submit a letter of support on Mr. Stoehr's behalf without committing any specific amount of money.

"We don't even know what any of these fees are going to be, let alone how they will affect the borough or the budget," he said.

Engineer Harvey Treschow, of HMT & Associates Inc., offered to provide figures at a later date based on the buildings' square footage.

President Daniel Caruso said he supports spending $50,000 now to get 500 jobs and a bigger tax base in the future.

After Mr. Stoehr left the meeting, Councilwoman Jean Popp said the borough's revenues are suffering and the budget is already $70,000 short.

She said that was something to think about before agreeing to waive any fees and asked council to think about what's best for the borough, not what's best for Mr. Stoehr.