American Water Grants Go to Area ‘High Impact’ Projects

In this edition of local business news, a charitable foundation of American Water has awarded grants to two non-profits operating in Montgomery and Chester counties, and a third statewide. Also, EQT Real Estate has acquired a massive Berks County distribution center.

Three Area Non-Profits Win Water Foundation Grants

MECHANICSBURG PA – Three non-profit organizations operating within the TriCounty Region have been awarded program-supporting grants from the American Water Charitable Foundation, it reports.

Receiving grant money were:

• Access Services of Montgomery County, in Fort Washington PA, $15,000 to “support housing and health goals, promote well-being, and increase individual’s chances of exiting homelessness;
• Community Youth and Women’s Alliance of Chester County, in Coatesville PA, $10,000 to “augment (its) food distribution program;” and
• Breakthrough T1D (formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), which works statewide and maintains a Greater Delaware Valley Chapter office in King of Prussia, $25,000 to “alleviate unmet needs of individuals living with Type 1 diabetes through community outreach.”

The three area recipients were among 10 grantees in Pennsylvania, who received a combined total of $100,000.

The foundation is a philanthropic arm of American Water and its affiliated company, Pennsylvania American Water. Its State Strategic Impact Grants “support high-impact projects and initiatives throughout American Water’s national footprint,” it says. American Water says it is “the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the U.S.”

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Real Estate Investor Buys Berks Distribution Center

BERNVILLE PA – The I-78 Commerce Center, a Berks County storage and trucking distribution center built in 2024 and located near Interstate 78 in Bernville PA, has been acquired by EQT Real Estate of Radnor PA, according to a media release.

The facility is described as a state-of-the-art, 809,000-square-foot cross-dock building that offers access “to nearly half of the U.S. population within a single day’s drive.” Bernville is located 31 miles northwest of Pottstown.

The facility features 40-foot clear heights, a 590-foot building depth, and a 185-foot truck court. It also offers 123 dock-high doors, four drive-in doors, and parking for 156 trailers. The new owner says it is “optimized for national distribution.” The Pennsylvania I-78 and I-81 corridor is one of the most competitive logistics markets in the country, it adds.

The Berks County Bureau of statewide news service Spotlight PA reports the sale price was $121 million.

Photo provided by EQT Real Estate

Our local news reporting includes news about businesses and commercial ventures within, or that affect residents of, Montgomery, Berks, and Chester PA counties. Find more business articles here.