The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission's decision to permanently close the Zelienople service plaza and its accompanying welcome center could hurt Butler County tourism, some fear.
The turnpike commission recently announced that the plaza and welcome center at mile marker 21.7 will be shuttered Saturday for financial reasons.
Joe Agnello, turnpike spokesman, said HMS Host Corp. told the turnpike commission it was concerned about investing in an extensive reconstruction of the plaza because is not one of its better performers in sales and revenue. HMS is a private company contracted to operate the plazas.
Mr. Agnello said the commission agreed.
He said the commission has offered to relocate the welcome center to the turnpike's Oakmont-Plum service plaza at milepost 49.3, which is the next plaza for eastbound motorists.
Mr. Agnello said the commission has yet to hear back from the state Department of Community and Economic Development or the Department of Transportation, its two partners in the operation of welcome centers.
John Ruch, president of Historic Harmony, said that alternative would be bad for any tourism-related businesses west of Monroeville.
"Tourists just wouldn't go on to the Monroeville exit, turn around and come back, even more so when everyone's watching gasoline expenses," he said. "Make visitors most welcome by greeting them at the front door. Don't make them find another way in."
Mr. Ruch said it's difficult to measure the value of individual marketing tools such as welcome centers, but his impression is that the center at the Zelienople plaza has contributed to increasing tourist traffic to Harmony and the Harmony Museum.
Harmony and Old Economy Village have both enjoyed an added benefit of the exposure offered at the welcome center by a prominent visual exhibit promoting both sites, he said. The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission installed the display soon after the center opened in 2005.
Jack Cohen, executive director of the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau, said the decision to close the plaza does not make sense because the turnpike commission recently spent more than $40 million on the interchange at Cranberry to make it easier to get from the turnpike to Interstate 79 and Route 19.
"With Cranberry Township's continued growth, we will have no access to reach potential visitors to let them know about the wonderful things we have to offer in our region," he said. "We have been told that the decision is purely financial, but for every dollar we spend on promoting and advertising our region, we get a $12 return on investment."
The Zelienople plaza was remodeled in December 2005 to create an area for the new Pennsylvania Welcome Center. That work was done before the commission's partnership with HMS, which was awarded a 30-year, $100 million contract in 2006 to construct, operate and maintain turnpike plazas, Mr. Agnello said.
In addition to the welcome center, the plaza contains Hershey's Ice Cream, Nathan's, Pizzeria Uno, Roy Rogers and a gift shop. Sunoco, the turnpike's private partner for fuel sales and convenience stores, also operates a station there.
Mr. Agnello said the work that is needed at the Zelienople plaza has nothing to do with the structural integrity of the building. The turnpike wants to reconstruct, enlarge and modernize its service plazas wherever feasible, he said.
"All of our plazas will be getting this treatment over the next five to seven years," he said. "We have already done Oakmont, Sideling Hill, North Somerset and Allentown. New Stanton is being rebuilt now."
The Zelienople plaza is between the Oakmont plaza and one across the border in Ohio.
First Published: November 9, 2008, 5:00 a.m.
