City Hall real estate services could be awarded to Fish Realty
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Could condemned and vacant Williamsport City Hall soon be on the real estate market?
It may be after a discussion Tuesday by the Williamsport City Council Public Works Committee.
The committee reviewed a proposed resolution to award real estate services to Fish Commercial Real Estate to market City Hall to prospective buyers. The item is up for further discussion and a possible vote on Thursday before council.
The proposed one-year agreement would be 6% commission or a flat fee of $20,000, whichever is higher.
Fish employees Tony Nardi and Brent Fish described the task as challenging and unique.
Fish explained how the company will take a team approach and has been coordinating with Nardi and Fish employee, Tiffany Cioffi, who was unable to be in the Zoom meeting.
Councilman Randy Allison said he appreciated the "widespread net" approach to possibly selling the historic building.
Moving ahead, it will depend on whether there is interest in the building, which remains vacant and condemned due to flood and water damage that took place in 2021, officials ageed.
Councilman Vince Pulizzi tried to elicit a possible range in the price for the building.
Nardi noted how he believed that would depend on the buyer and whether they are educated on the history of the West Fourth Street property.
There are several issues at play affecting purchase price such as the building needs work to be renovated or rehabilitated.
Moreover, the city wants to make sure people making offers have the means to redevelop it.
Other elements of price effectuation include square footage, location, historical relevance and architectural significance.
City Hall buyers would not be the typical individuals seeing a building of 100,000 square foot of useable space that could be ready to move into in a month.
Instead, this deal may include recommendations such as a deed restriction that states whoever buys it must not allow it to sit idle and further depreciate.
It is registered on the National Register of Historic Places and cannot be torn down.
The buyer would ideally be legally obligated to see the building is rehabilitated or developed to suitable use.
"That is what we want to see," Mayor Derek Slaughter said.
The administration would likely recommend that any offers go through Fish. A team may be put together that might include members of council to review these offers and make recommendations.
Slaughter said in that way all city officials are on the same page and there are no surprises.
City Hall has been condemned since 2021 due to extensive damage caused by water through rain that entered the roof and mold growth.
In December of that year, a heating coil on a pipe burst in the empty building, causing hot water to spill out and damage several floors.
Overall, the estimated cost to repair the damage and continue to make the building accessible under federal law was listed at about $6 million, initially, by the city engineer.
Council Bonnie Katz, committee chair, said it may be possible there are state historical assets available to potential private sector developers.
Old City Hall, on Pine Street, which was reconditioned into a luxury and Lycoming County themed-hotel and restaurant, is proof positive of what can be done, she said.
The building the city officials would like to see sold to the right developer was formerly a U.S. post office. It was built between 1888 and 1891.
The address is 245 W. Fourth St. and put on the historic National Register of Historic Places status in 1972. City administration offices, clerk, police and codes offices relocated when it was condemned. The building has an accessible ramp on the West Fourth Street side and an older ramp entrance to its rear.