FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BY THE BOROUGH OF CHAMBERSBURG:

June 22, 2026

After years of planning, the Borough is pleased to announce that the storm sewer system improvements associated with the Southgate Redevelopment Initiative are set to begin. Town Council awarded contracts to Scott's Hauling & Excavating, Inc. to complete the work, which will be paid with a grant from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and bond financing obtained by the Borough Storm Sewer Utility. The following improvements will be made as part of the project:

• Demolish the building formerly occupied by Chambersburg Beauty School on the corner of W. Washington St. and Cedar St. and construct in its place a stormwater bio-retention area.
• Remove the existing Rail Trail and Water St., between W. Washington St. and W. Catherine St., with vehicle access permanently prohibited.
• Remove the existing storm sewer system under the shopping center parking lot.
• Construct a new storm sewer system under Water St., between W. Washington St. and W. Catherine St., and under W. Washington St., between Water St. and the existing outfall at Conococheague Creek.
• Construct a cul-de-sac on W. Liberty St. at Water St.
• Construct Cedar St., between W. Washington St. and W. Catherine St., as a public street, to include storm sewer system, curbs, and sidewalks.

Realizing the project will be disruptive to the Southgate Shopping Center and the surrounding neighborhood, the Borough produced a guide and map to describe the detours for pedestrians, shoppers, truck deliveries, and cars to be used to avoid construction activity.

It is important to note that Water St., between W. Washington St. and W. Catherine St., will be closed permanently for vehicle access and replaced with an enhanced Rail Trail linear public park to be constructed after the storm sewer system improvements are finished. These improvements were envisioned through the concept plan below, which was developed for the Southgate Redevelopment Initiative, which involves a partnership between the Borough and Chambersburg Area Municipal Authority to redevelop the shopping center into a productive mixed-use neighborhood while maintaining the integrity and rich culture of this area of the Borough.

Please contact Phil Wolgemuth, Deputy Borough Manager, at 717-251-2436 or pwolgemuth@chambersburgpa.gov, with questions.