Planned Cultural Center Gains Support
By Scott Johnson
LOCK HAVEN – Support is growing for a proposal from Downtown Lock Haven Inc. and the Clinton County Arts Council to turn the historic downtown Lock Haven Masonic Temple into a cultural-business-community-performing arts center.
City Council at its meeting Monday night gave its unanimous approval for the city to submit for a Municipal Assistance Program (MAP) grant from the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for 50 percent of the cost of the feasibility study for the possible conversion.
Further it will submit a letter of support for a $10,000 grant from DTLH from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) for the other 50 percent of the $20,000 study. ”We believe this project can have a significant economic and community development impact on not only the city as a whole, but all of Clinton County,” states the DLH letter to the city on Feb. 7.
DTLH Board President Bob Rolley told the Downtown Lock Haven Rotary Club members earlier this month the members of Lodge 199, Free & Accepted Masons, and its officials have voted to gift the building to the two organizations for $1 to turn the building into a cultural hub for the city.
”I think if everybody’s not excited about this, they have their eyes and ears closed,” said Councilman Rick Conklin before the unanimous vote.
In another ongoing development issue, council gave its unanimous approval to transfer four city properties to the city Redevelopment Authority.
Two are city-owned properties: 37-55 Bellefonte Ave. and 2 E. Walnut St. Those properties are the former Heilig-Myers and Town Tavern, and City Garage, respectively. The city excavated both properties last year.
The vote for the former is to “pursue agreement for sale of $65,000 or greater to Davis/Yoder for construction of (a) three-story commercial (building.) First floor commercial, floors two-three residential at market rate.” The latter is to allow the authority to “enter into agreement for sale for $200,000 to Vasis Inc.” City Manager Greg Wilson earlier this month said the intention is to build a restaurant at that site.
Two other areas were transferred to the authority: One is at 615 E. Park St., which Wilson said is land that can’t be built on; and the “Drake Site,” off of Myrtle Street near the railroad tracks. Again, Wilson said that land cannot be built upon nor disturbed, but Wilson said the authority “has a party interested in it.” At the end of the meeting, Mayor Joel Long asked his colleagues if they were receptive to sending a letter to the Keystone Central School District regarding the city’s stance on the Dickey Elementary School. The school in the city’s Hill District faces an immediate cost of $250,000 for switches for a transformer inside the building PPL says needs to be replaced.
It has been the subject of closure for the last few years. Earlier this month, an early facility master plan from Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, said the total potential project cost to fix numerous deficiencies over six to eight years are between $8.5 to $10.2 million, with most of the needed repairs happening in the next four years of $6.1 to $7.2 million. Further, that report showed, Dickey rated out at the upper end of “poor condition,” which means “worn from use or age, end of expected life cycle.” The ratings are based on nine different criteria.
Long noted the city’s involvement with the KCSD does have a precedent with the demolition and development of the former Painter Stadium behind McDonald’s. Board member Bill Mincer said he agrees with sending a letter disapproving the possible closure of Dickey. “I agree we really have no say of the district’s decisions, but it’s a neighborhood school and an asset to the community,” he said.
Long agreed, noting a closure could mean a reduction in property values and, subsequently, city taxes. Conklin disagreed, saying that the community he is from had a similar school closure and, while it had short-term effects, there were no long-term effects.
”It did not hurt the community long-term,” he said, comparing it to the closures of Flemington, Castanea and Woolrich elementary schools in the last decade or more. Other schools in that time period that have been closed were Lamar Township and Sugar Valley.
Meanwhile, Wilson spoke about the speculation of Lock Haven University possibly purchasing Dickey. “I got confirmation from the LHU President (Robert Pignatello) they are not interested.”
There was no motion to bring city council into the Dickey conversation.
