The Giant Grocery Store, located on Progress Avenune, Pottsville, has only been officially closed for two week but Schuylkill County is already reportedly eyeing it as a potential location for a prison pre-release center in the city.Word spread via social media late Thursday and early Friday with many opposing the idea.
Schuylkill County Commissioner Hetherington has told the Republican Herald on Friday that the County is looking to acquire the property but did not give specifics.
An online petition was posted late Friday on Change.org to gather signatures from those opposing the purchase.
By 2:00pm, Monday, over 1,100 signatures had been gathered.
The petition can be found through the following link
Pottsville City officials are not opposed to the idea of the prison pre-release center, but feel the city, county, and Pottsville School District are losing out on important tax revenue if the county purchases the property.
"The County is one of the largest property owners in the City, all of which are not taxable. The Giant property is a large property in our business district and generates a lot of tax revenue for the City, County & School District. City Council agrees on the need for a pre-release facility but placing a correctional facility in your business district is never good for business. If the County were to move forward with building a pre-release facility at the Giant, over 20 years, it would result in millions of dollars in lost revenue for the City, County & School District. Pottsville is in the midst of a economic revitalization, placing a correctional facility in the business district would be a huge blow to our success. It has the ability to affect both the City government and business owners, we simply cannot afford to have a pre-release facility constructed in this location." said Pottsville City Council Member Mark Atkinson.
Atkinson also suggested other locations for the Prison Pre-Release Center, "The County is in the process of relocating STS to another site. The current STS location would be an ideal spot for a pre-release facility. " said Atkinson.
Many county residents and Pottsville City officials said they will be attending Wednesday's Schuylkill County Commissioner's Meeting by phone to make sure their voices are heard.
County residents are still not permitted to attend the Commissioner's Meeting in person due to COVID-19 restrictions but can still attend via phone by calling 570-624-3971 up to 10 minutes prior to the start of the meeting. The meeting starts at 10:00am.
