Penn College-owned house to be razed | News, Sports, Jobs
The Pennsylvania College of Technology was given permission to have an abandoned house at 917-919 Second St. demolished.
The property is closest to Maynard Street, a growing corridor with plans for at least $20 million in commercial and residential investment nearby at First Street and south.
The house is owned by the college and is in the institutional zone, said Gary Knarr, city zoning officer.
“It is unsafe and (not) structurally sound,” he said.
Councilwoman Liz Miele observed how the property next to it was demolished and asked Knarr if the college had any intention for the lot.
“(There is) no current plan for
development,” Knarr said.
Developers nearby are preparing a national chain restaurant and gasoline station as they have received permission to demolish a former foundry along Maynard Street.
The general area is valued by the college and developers as part of a new “gateway” entrance into the western area of the city, with easy connectivity to the central business district to the north. It is a part of the so-called Pathway to Health, a series of streets with advanced traffic signals, leading commuters and ambulances quickly to and from Interstate 180 to UPMC Williamsport via a series of intersections between Maynard Street, West Third Street, Campbell Street , Little League Boulevard and Walnut Street.
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