Location Set for Kittanning Brainstorming Session

by Jonathan Weaver

Details regarding a public meeting arranged earlier this month to discuss uses for two vacated Kittanning schools have been finalized.

Kittanning Borough Council ad-hoc committee members have reserved St. Mary’s Parish Hall, along North Jefferson Street, at 7PM next Wednesday – August 24 – to discuss the future regarding the now-closed Kittanning Junior High, along North McKean Street, and Kittanning Senior High, along Orr Avenue.

Both schools have sat idle since Armstrong School District closed the schools following the 2014-15 school year.

Borough Council President Kim Fox said through a news release that Armstrong County Commissioners, Armstrong School District officials, Kittanning Borough and Ford City Borough and even State Senator Don White have discussed potential uses for the properties.

Students from those schools have merged with those from Ford City Junior/Senior High to attend Armstrong Junior/Senior High in nearby-Manor Township.

Councilman – and Ad-Hoc committee member - Gerald Shuster motioned earlier this month for the public hearing.

“Decisions are imminent – not so much of the project and what’s going to happen to them but what can be done and in terms of how we can generate money because that’s what is imminent,” Shuster said. “We’re on a calendar in terms of the State availability for funding.”

In April, Shuster motioned for a feasibility study on the former senior high school after residents at a community revitalization meeting opined that they wanted to turn the school info a community asset rather than let it sit. At that meeting, Shuster said the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources would be able to look into repurposing the property at nearly-no cost and potentially put it back on the tax rolls.

“There is a feasibility study, and lots of good things are occurring there. But, we don’t want to limit ideas,” Shuster said. “I think it would be ill-advised that the Borough pursues any specific, definite direction. I think the community needs to look at and provide ideas much like they did for Kittanning Cottages because there were major changes made as a result of community input and I think that could happen again.”

The Kittanning Cottages property is under a LERTA (Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance Act) – meaning taxes increases 10 percent each year until the full rate is paid – while the former senior high and junior high properties were designated as Keystone Opportunity Zones.

Last year, school board directors also heard from Fourth Economy Consulting of Pittsburgh Vice President of Community and Market Assessments Stephen McKnight – who said the former senior high has potential for both commercial and residential use due to its size, targeting “empty-nesters’ or assisted-living residents.

After results of a number of studies were conducted by school board officials concerning the future use of the vacant school buildings, the possibility of some of those buildings being demolished and “pad ready” for other potential uses seemed likely, Fox said.

While Senator White and County officials said TREK Development – the firm that constructed the 24-unit Kittanning Cottages on the site of the former Armstrong Campus of Indiana University of Pennsylvania – would propose a possible project August 24, officials said TREK Development’s discussion will not prohibit the discussion of other ideas.

Fox emphasized that no decision will be made at the meeting and other ideas and projects will receive full consideration by Borough Council prior to any final decision.

Still, Shuster felt officials should have a sense of urgency.

“We need to get in right away to make sure that Kittanning’s input is felt with regard to both of these projects,” Shuster concluded. “We need to be sure that whatever happens to them, (Kittanning) is in some sort of control over the direction it takes for the future.”

At the public meeting, Shuster recognized TREK Development President William Gatti, Jr. as one of only two developers interested in not only the property, but also with an idea.

No Comments

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post.

Leave a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.