FINDLAY TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Seventy acres of wooded land in Findlay will soon be the home of a $23 million industrial site that promises 830 permanent workers and 170 construction jobs, WTAE's Kelly Frey reported.

Allegheny County Chief Executive Jim Roddey was among a group of officials who attended the ceremonial first dig at the future site of McClaren Woods on Thursday morning.

"We need some good news," Roddey said. "We have had some challenges lately with US Airways, so this is good news -- particularly for the (Pittsburgh International) airport area.

"We desperately need new industrial sites so that we can bring a developer prospect in and say, 'You can be right there,' rather than say, 'Well, there's some woods, and in a couple of years we can clean this out and build an interchange.'"

Lewis-Goetz and Co., Inc., a Pittsburgh-based industrial supplier, will be the first tenant. The company plans to move into a 63,000-square foot facility in January.

"Time is very much money in business," said Bernie McShea, of the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance. "They have products they need to put out. There is just not time to wait for a year or 18 months to get a site leveled out and the infrastructure put in."

Bill Hunt, president of The Elmhurst Group, which is developing McClaren Woods, says the park will maintain somewhat of a suburban feel. He said the majority of the trees that currently stand at the site will remain, and trails for biking and jogging will be installed.

Roddey says the county is courting about 40 other companies to move in.