Standard-Speaker (Hazleton, PA)
Standard-Speaker (Hazleton, PA)
January 1, 1999 | | |
|Section: News |
Article Text:
Hazleton City Council wants to get rid of one school building and offering to help redevelopment of another.
The council voted unanimously to transfer the A.D. Thomas school back to the Hazleton Area School District. Council believes the city received the deed to the building improperly.
In another school related action, the council gave initial approval to $300,000 in loans to the Regis Group, developers converting the former Hazleton High School into a senior housing. The loan will be made to Castle Senior Associates Limited Partnership.
Council voted unanimously to transfer A.D. Thomas back to the school district. A proposal by former school board member Don Tombasco to convert the building into a charter school was not considered by council.
Councilwoman Evelyn Graham asked if the council wanted to discuss the charter school proposal. Her colleagues, citing other real estate deals that burned the city, said it was not their project to consider.
Educational matters, said Councilman John Tarone, belong with the school district, not the city.
“If Mr. Tombasco wants a charter school then he should contact the school district,” Tarone said. “He is a former board member and a professor. He knows educational matters.”
City Solicitor Conrad Falvello said he doesn’t think the city could legally rent the building to an outside party.
Former Mayor Michael Marsicano purchased the building on the city’s behalf for one dollar several years ago without council’s knowledge or consent.
Council President William Lockwood noted that the transfer of real estate is a contract, and as such must be approved by city council.
Tarone complained about the school district selling old schools to lax owners.
“People pick these buildings up for a song and do nothing with them,” he said. “They should have some liability.”
The future looks brighter for another former Hazleton school, the so-called Castle on the Hill.
City council unanimously agreed to commit $300,000 in community development loans to the Regis Group. The resolutions approved letters of intent, indicating that the city would consider the loans after Regis lines up an entire funding package.
Regis is converting the school into 40 senior housing units.
City Administrator/Community Development Director Sam Monticello explained that approval of the letters of intent were necessary for Regis to obtain the remainder of its financing from state and federal sources.
“(The granting agencies) would not consider their applications complete without this commitment,” Monticello said, adding that the city would not approve the $300,000 unless Regis had a complete funding package.
Tarone said he would like to see an “accelerator clause” in the final loan agreement that would require payment of the loan balance if Regis sells the building.
“Rather than assigning the loan to a new owner, I want us to get our money back,” he said.
Copyright 1999, 2005 Standard-Speaker, All Rights Reserved.
Record Number: 10DE98E12BDE6AC2
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