POTTSVILLE — A new partnership between the Pottsville Redevelopment Authority and Schuylkill Technology Center aims to return a blighted building to productive use while giving local students paid, hands-on experience in the building trades.
The initiative was announced during the city’s Veterans Day press conference on which Skook News previously covered in a report on Pottsville’s redevelopment efforts, grants and city improvements.
How the Redevelopment Partnership Will Work
The initiative was spearheaded by Councilman Andy Wollyung and is being administered through the Redevelopment Authority under Chairman Bud Quandel. It is part of a broader redevelopment effort supported by a $1.5 million grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
According to the city, the Redevelopment Authority and STC are working together to identify and acquire a vacant, blighted property for the project. A private developer would rehabilitate the building while employing STC students.
During the press conference, Quandel explained that the authority would acquire the building, pay closing costs and provide up to $20,000 toward engineering, design and permit costs. The selected developer would finance the remainder of the rehabilitation.
Quandel said a public Request for Proposals would be issued after legal review is completed. According to the city’s announcement, the authority will invite developers to submit rehabilitation plans once the property is acquired. The proposal period will remain open for 45 days and include two public walk-throughs of the building, along with an opportunity to submit questions.
Requirements for Developer Proposals
Developers must provide a business plan outlining how they would take the property from its current condition to a verified Certificate of Occupancy from the City of Pottsville.
Each proposal must also include:
- At least 1,000 hours of cooperative work for STC students.
- Proof of insurance.
- The ability to hire students.
- A total rehabilitation cost estimate.
After the Certificate of Occupancy is issued and the required student work hours are verified, the developer will receive the property from the authority at no cost.
“Blighted buildings hold back our neighborhoods, and this partnership gives us a new way to deal with them,” Mayor Tom Smith said. “We’re bringing together the Redevelopment Authority, STC, and a private developer to put a building back to use, and we’re training the next generation of Pottsville’s workforce while we do it.”
Paid Work Experience for STC Students
Students will be employees of the selected developer and work under the developer’s on-site supervision and required insurance coverage.
STC Cooperative Education & Diversified Occupations Coordinator TJ Fitzpatrick will provide general supervision and meet weekly with the developer to review progress and ensure students’ work meets expectations.
“Our students train in the classroom and the shop, and a project like this lets them take those skills onto a real job site, working alongside experienced professionals and earning a paycheck,” said Shannon Brennan, STC’s assistant executive director and director of career and technical education.
“Experiences like this help students see where their training can take them, and they strengthen the local workforce,” Brennan added.
Redevelopment Authority Chairman Bud Quandel said the initiative would benefit both the community and students preparing to enter the workforce.
“This program is about turning a liability into an asset for the community,” Quandel said. “A developer who takes on this project will have a clear path to completion, and students will gain real experience on a building in their own backyard. We look forward to seeing the proposals we receive.”
Property Announcement and Developer Inquiries
The property address and proposal timeline will be announced after the acquisition is completed.
Developers and community members who want to be notified when the Request for Proposals is released can contact City Administrator Rob Straebel at (570) 622-1234 or [email protected].
Source: www.skooknews.com
