Tyrone Borough took the next step toward clearing the way for a downtown hotel by approving a resolution for the filing of a proposal for funds with the Department of Community and Economic Development.
The funds in the amount of $650,000 would be used for the prevention and elimination of blight in the 900 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in the borough.
After Monday’s meeting, Mayor Patricia Stoner said council’s approval of the resolution was a “formality” in the process since application of the funds had already been made to DCED in order to get the application into the state within a required time frame for the funding. The resolution was needed to continuing the borough’s efforts to obtain the funds.
According to the resolution, “a blight influence exists because of…deteriorated buildings.” The proposed project is designed to “prevent further blight and/or eliminate the existing influence of blight by providing a means for the removal of the blight for future commercial development.”
That development is expected to be a long-proposed downtown hotel. The mayor has made bringing a hotel to the borough a top priority in her administration.
Scott Hiller, who owns business and property in the 900 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, has appeared at the last two council meetings to express his thoughts on the elimination of the current buildings in the 900 block.
“I just wanted to say that anything that is done here in town comes with a price,” said Hiller as he reiterated his comments to council. “The new hotel in town here would of course be a boon to the town. But…when something is torn down, we (lose) a lot of the flavor of our town and the more of this (that) goes on, the less the old Tyrone is going to be here.
“The money (DCED funds)…is spent getting it ready to give to somebody at the taxpayer’s expense to a certain degree,” said Hiller. “If that money were available to the building owners that were there currently as a grant or low-interest loan, you might not have, quote, unquote-blighted properties.”
Mayor Stoner said she had spoken to Mr. Hiller six to eight months ago and he was aware the borough was going to be looking into the funding.
“I understand where he is coming from and he knows that I do,” said Stoner. “But, the buildings there have not been taken care of on that block and that is the only reason this block is being considered.”
Stoner cited the old Jones building and the old City Hotel building as examples of historic buildings which fell into total dilapidation.
“A building may be historical in nature…(but) when historic properties are left go…they have no value at all.”
The site of the Jones building became the new Tyrone-Snyder Public Library and the hotel property was converted into City Hotel Park.
“We had people in from the National Historical Society trying to save that (Jones) building,” said Stoner. “But, when it’s been neglected for so long, the cost becomes prohibitive, you can’t save it.”
Stoner also pointed out the decision to focus on the 900 block of Pennsylvania Avenue was not the borough’s decision.
“That is not a block we chose, I’d like to make that clear,” said Stoner. “That’s a block the developer chose. He really preferred having the block where the Burger King is (located).
“We’ve got a long way to go,” said Stoner. “The developer’s good, that part is all good. Putting together an economic package is not easy and we’ve got a long way to go to put that together.
“We are not bound in any way by this (applying for the DCED funds),” said Stoner.
If approved, the borough can tell the state it doesn’t want the funding if for some reason the hotel project doesn’t move forward.
Councilman Bill Fink was the lone dissenter as he voted against the resolution.
He said, “The people (who own property and live on the 900 block) were unaware. I’m not going to vote for something that has a direct impact on property owners when they’ve not been given a complete overview. If they agree with it, I wouldn’t stand in the way.”
Fink also said he believed commercial development with tax breaks provided for those developing the property would eventually have a tax implication for borough residents somewhere down the line.
He also indicated that other communities in Pennsylvania which have faced similar problems have found a way to “fix up” buildings rather than tear down blighted properties.
In addition to applying for the DCED funding, the borough is working with the Altoona Blair County Development Corporation to further the plans for the proposed hotel. According to ABCD’s Pat Miller, they are expected to apply for a planning grant through the new Business in Our Sites program. Miller said application would be made by the end of the month. The program is part of Governor Ed Rendell’s economic stimulus package.
