Mall Demolition Begins to Make Way for Warehouses

The demolition of the Schuylkill Mall began inside several weeks ago but last week, the demolition of the outside structure began.

Drone Photo Submitted by Uranko Productions (UP) Drone Photography
Last week, contractors began bulldozing and ripping down the outside structure of the mall from the former Sears end of the mall.

The demolition is expected to take several weeks before the area will be cleared to make way for 2 new warehouses.

The announcement for the warehouses came last year during a presentation given by on behalf of Northpoint Development, by Brian Hansbury, Vice President of SEDCO, the Schuylkill Economic Development Corporation.

Hansbury presented the plan to enact LERTA on three mall property parcels.

LERTA, Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance, allows taxing authorities to exempt new construction in deteriorated areas of economically depressed communities and improvements to certain deteriorated industrial, commercial and other business property.

The plan would give the property owners, Northpoint Development, a tax break of 50 percent over 10 years to increase the value of the property.

The estimated current value of the mall property is roughly over $2,000,000 but after 10 years of development, the estimated property value is expected to be over $20,000,000.

Schuylkill County, New Castle Township, and the St. Clair School District all receive tax revenue from the mall property and according to the plan proposed, each would see an increase of the follow compared to it's current revenue.

• New Castle Township
• Current:  $47,096.53
• After 10 years with LERTA:  $217,941
• St. Clair School District
• Current:  $146,081.13
• After 10 years with LERTA:  $675,995
• Schuylkill County
• Current:  $61,348.34
• After 10 year with LERTA:  $1,177,826.40

The Schuylkill County Commissioners voted and approved LERTA on August 23rd, 2017 during their regular meeting.

Saint Clair School District and New Castle Township also approved.

At the time, the plan had demolition beginning near the end of 2017 and would completely be demolished by the end of the winter with new construction of two new warehouses on the property that would be completed by the end of the summer of 2018.

The new warehouses are said to be 890,000 square feet and 360,000 square feet, and are said to be capable of creating a minimum of 830 jobs.

Tenants for the warehouses have not been announced.

More photos from Uranko Productions (UP) Drone Photography

Advertisement