Last summer when the new EZPass slip ramp opened for access to and from Route 903 in Penn Forest Township the hope was that it would bring more tourism and business to the corridor. It appears that this may be the case.

"We always ask people where they are coming from and how they heard of us," said Mari Gruber of Bear Mountain Butterfly Sanctuary which is located along Route 903 south of the turnpike. "We have been pleasantly surprised by the number of visitors who say that they came to us by way of the new exit."In an effort to more efficiently service the businesses and the visitors to the area, the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corporation has opened a satellite office in the Pine Point Plaza in Albrightsville.The office will be open inside the Albrightsville branch of Mauch Chunk Trust Company and will have the same operating hours as the bank."We are very excited to serve the northern tier of Carbon County utilizing the office space for committee gatherings and one-on-one membership meetings," said Marilyn Kissner, executive vice president of CCEDC. "We understand the importance of connecting with all of the businesses throughout the county and we thank Mauch Chunk Trust and PenTeleData for their partnership and support in making this happen."Kissner thanked everyone present and said that she hoped that the local businesses would drive people to the new office and help make it a success.The northern tier of the county is well-situated for new development. The CCDEC office is located in Kidder Township, which is home to a Keystone Opportunity Zone. The zone consists of several hundred acres situated between Route 940 and Route 80.According to Kidder Township Supervisor Thomas Bradley, the zone will be the home of the only compressor station along the PennEast pipeline, which is currently before the Federal Energy Commission for approval."If the compressor station is constructed, they will have to construct a road and a number of improvements to the area," Bradley said. "This will make it easier for other, light industrial companies to come into the area and take advantage of the zone. And if they utilize natural gas, they would even be able to tie into the pipeline."According to Bradley, businesses that locate within the zone will be exempt from local, county and school district taxes for the first 10 years after the date of certification. The site was certified in 2012.Carbon County Commissioner Thomas Gerhard is also hoping for an increase in business development in the county in the years to come."I see good things happening in Carbon County in the next few years," Gerhard said. "With an increase in building and new businesses coming in, it's all good."Kissner said the slip ramp at Route 903 has had a definite impact on driving business into the area and even down into Jim Thorpe."We have felt the pulse," she said. "It is definitely helping, not only with new businesses, but it is helping us to retain current businesses as well."One of those new businesses is the Jim Thorpe Massage and Wellness Studio. The studio is located in the old YMCA building and is one of five new businesses set to open in Jim Thorpe in April."This is a great area to conduct business," Shelly Roberts said. "We are really looking forward to opening day on April 23."