HARRISBURG — Sen. Michele Brooks (R-50) today announced the final approval of legislation authorizing the conveyance of the former Hermitage National Guard Readiness Center and approximately seven acres of adjacent property to the City of Hermitage for fair market value.
Brooks’ Senate Bill 1347 was amended into House Bill 2559 authorizing the transfer of the property located at 740 N. Hermitage Road in Hermitage. The acquisition will allow the city to repurpose the decommissioned facility into a community center serving residents throughout the Shenango Valley.
Brooks has worked for several years since the project’s inception with the City of Hermitage, the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) and the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) to advance the conveyance and ensure the property remains a community asset after the National Guard relocates to its new readiness center.
“For years, I have worked alongside the City of Hermitage, DMVA and DGS to ensure this property could continue serving our community long after the National Guard relocates,” said Brooks. “This conveyance preserves critical access routes, creates opportunities for recreation and community programming and transforms an existing public asset into a resource that will benefit Shenango Valley residents of all ages for generations to come.”
The property is strategically located adjacent to the Hermitage municipal complex and Hickory High School. In addition to creating new opportunities for community programming, the acquisition will ensure continued public access to roads that serve the school, municipal complex and Rodney White Olympic Park. These routes are heavily utilized by school buses, parents, municipal employees and visitors attending community events.
Approximately two years ago, the closure and subsequent demolition of the Shenango Valley Mall left the region without a major indoor walking facility, particularly impacting senior residents. Local youth sports organizations have also experienced a shortage of indoor recreation space during winter months and periods of inclement weather.
The planned community center is expected to help address both needs while also providing opportunities for education, enrichment, childcare and other community-based programming through the reuse of existing classroom and meeting spaces within the facility.
“Projects like this are vital to rural communities that continue to reinvent and repurpose existing spaces,” Brooks said. “This investment will provide important resources for residents and help make the Shenango Valley an even more attractive place for new families, businesses and professionals to call home.”
“We are pleased we have been able to work with the City of Hermitage to come to an agreement that supports both the Department and the City,” says Marc Ferraro, Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs executive deputy secretary. “This project is a great example of how we can work together on ways to serve both our commonwealth and communities.”