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So far the pieces of "Impact Warren" have fallen into
place perfectly -parking garage goes here, Allegheny
Point goes there, Northwest Savings headquarters right
here.
But there is a missing piece of the puzzle.
The maps for the layout of "Impact Warren," including
the one which may be viewed on the breezepointlanding.com
website, show a three-story building on the southeast
corner of Pennsylvania Ave. at Liberty St.
The parcel, site of the former Hanna Building, was in
recent years used by Northwest Savings employees for
parking and is now being used to pile dirt as excavation
of the Clark St. parking garage continues.
The property is owned by the City of Warren.
What is going to be built there and who is going to
build it?
Warren's mayor is open to suggestions.
"The original plans do include an office type structure,
three stories high, on the southeast corner," said Phillips.
"At the current time, there has not been a tenant identified
that would cause the developer to go into engineering
and design."
The developer, Susquehanna Valley Development Group,
"is actively pursuing contacts and answering inquiries
regarding cost and financing," said Phillips.
In the short-term, said Phillips, the parcel will be
used as a construction staging area for the parking
garage and Liberty-West, a housing complex to be constructed
on the opposite corner. "More than likely," said Phillips,
"it would be the last piece developed in the 'Impact
Warren' footprint."
If a suitable development opportunity does not present
itself, said Phillips, it is conceivable the parcel
will be maintained as a "green area" for at least a
while.
"Certainly, if there is not a need and potential funding
to build a building, it might in the near term be some
sort of green area until a need is identified," said
Phillips.
Phillips said that the developer is willing to watch
how the other elements of "Impact Warren," such as housing
for seniors, riverfront townhouses, street-level retail
shops, and housing at Liberty-West, blend before making
a decision on the best use of the empty corner lot.
Phillips said he and the developer are open to suggestions
from both citizens and potential investors about future
use of the property.
"We're open to anything that anyone within the community
sees as a potential for development," said Phillips.
Residents and potential investors alike "are welcome
to submit suggestions."
The breezepointlanding.com website includes a "Let's
Talk" feature which enables the public to offer
constructive comments and suggestions regarding "Impact
Warren."
In a related matter, Phillips said that Warren's downtown
and riverfront revitalization project has attracted
attention from as far away as Texas. Dallas is in the
midst of planning a riverfront project, said Phillips,
and earlier this week the mayor was contacted by "D"
magazine, which was including Warren in its research
for an article.
Phillips said the Dallas magazine "caught wind" of Warren's
$50 million project through the breezepointlanding.com
website, which has been sponsored and maintained by
WestPA.net
of Warren.
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