JACKSON TWP — The township supervisors Thursday approved Pittsburgh-based union Steamfitters Local 449 proposal for a new training facility.

The supervisors said the facility will benefit adjacent communities.

“You're going to have people visiting shops and restaurants in Harmony and Zelienople,” Supervisor Allan Osterwise said.

The facility, being developed by Don Rodgers, will be built in the area surrounded by Wise Road, Mercer Road, Little Creek Road and Route 19 near Zelienople.

The idea for the site came from consolidation of local unions in Pittsburgh and Erie with Jackson Township being near the halfway point between those cities.

“The proximity to I-79 makes it very favorable,” architectural designer Tony Pitassi said of the location. “We are anticipating a majority of students will come from I-79, down Mercer Road and onto Wise Road.”

Construction is expected to be done by 2017.

Part of the construction will be to build a sidewalk for Wise and Mercer roads and install either a traffic signal or a roundabout at the intersection of Mercer and Little Creek roads, pending the state Department of Transportation's decision.

If PennDOT decides the intersections qualify for roundabouts, no sidewalks can be built.

The steamfitters deal with appliance-based and industrial-based work such as process piping, refrigeration, air conditioning, medical gas and boilers.

“We build large projects,” Steamfitters director of training Dale Glavin said. “To do that, we need the square footage and classrooms to make that happen so that we're putting out the best skilled workers in the pipe fitting industry.”

Construction will be divided into two phases. The first involves building the classrooms and labs in a 75,000-square-foot building. Classrooms would hold 25 to 30 students.

“There's going to be a need for them (steamfitters),” Supervisors Chairman Ron Lutz said. “People like these are putting in gas pipelines.”

The second phase involves constructing a building for the meeting rooms, office space and a private medical center.

No timeline for construction of the second phase has been determined.

No cost estimates were given.

“We're happy to be getting a trade school into the area,” Supervisor Trent Geis said.