On Monday, the Senate Local Government Committee approved a bill today to address the question of Pottsville’s vacant Giant supermarket, according to Senator David G. Argall, who sponsored the bill, according to Argall's office.
In July, word spread that Schuylkill County officials were eyeing up the former Giant Supermarket property on Progress Avenue in Pottsville to turn it into a pre-release center for the Schuylkill County Prison.
Since then, Pottsville City, and school district officials have been vocal on their opposing thoughts on the project. The area of the city where the property stands would not only hurt revitalization, but if the property was owned by the county, the city would lose tax revenue.
Senator Argall had stepped in and asked County officials to oppose the project and in August, he introduced legislation, Senate Bill 1296 that would keep City Properties on the tax roll.
According to Argall's office, SB 1296 would require local government approval for the purchase of property by a county government.
“Officials from the City of Pottsville, Representatives Mike Tobash and Neal Goodman, and local businesses including the Yuengling Brewery have been working on a bipartisan basis to revitalize downtown Pottsville. That effort is now endangered by our county government, which is just wrong,” said Argall in a press release.
“I crafted this bill in the hopes that local people in Pottsville will have the opportunity to decide on the future of their downtown.”
The bill would specifically prohibit a fourth-class county from purchasing a property in a third-class city without approval from the affected city and school district, if the property is in an area of the city targeted for revitalization. The bill now advances to the floor of the Senate.
Video of Argall Speaking on the Senate Floor on the Bill