DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette The Executive Plaza sits at 330 Pine St., Williamsport.

A little over a month after they voted to put it up for sale, the Lycoming County commissioners have approved the sale of the Executive Plaza office building for $3.6 million, well above the asking price of $2.25 million.

The buyer, Horizon Federal Credit Union, is seeking to establish a corporate office at the site, which is located at 330 Pine St.

“We’ve seen significant growth over the last seven years, and we acquired a corporate facility in 2017 over on Reach Road that was supposed to last us about 20 years. We’ve already outgrown that facility,” said Justin Howard, president and CEO of Horizon Federal Credit Union.

Because of the lack of space at that facility, Howard said they had been “tripling up on offices and shifting people to Lock Haven and other branches.”

“So we’re really looking forward to having our entire team in one spot here in downtown Williamsport so that we can build our culture and teamwork, as well as we’ve had to delay hiring positions because we haven’t had space,” he said.

Howard indicated that the workforce at Horizon, which is now at 57, could be over 100 by the end of the decade.

“We have some opportunities that are upcoming in the next few years where we may have some substantial growth,” Howard said.

“We actually just hired a chief financial and information officer last fall that was outside the area as well. So, with getting more space we will be able to hire some of the additional positions that we’ve been needing and move forward on our strategic plan,” he said.

Commissioner Rick Mirabito called the sale to Horizon a “huge game changer.”

“What it begins to do is to return Williamsport to sort of what it was many decades ago,” Mirabito said.

“For us to have you come

downtown…to be hiring people from outside the area and to be helping to repopulate the county, is huge,” Mirabito said.

Commissioner Tony Mussare thanked Horizon for investing in the community which in turn contributes to the revitalization of the downtown area.

“A win-win for everybody,” commissioner Scott Metzger said. “For you folks, for the taxpayers, for the county.”

“It helps us for our strategic plan to move more of our resources into one building,” Metzger said, referring to the planned move of county offices to the Third Street Plaza Office building.

No timeline was given when that move will take place.

In other business, the commissioners approved a PA Counties Risk Pool (PCoRP) grant application to the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania for $30,000 to be used for the access control system in the Sheriff’s and Adult Probation offices; a change order with Access Control Systems Inc. for $2,715 to purchase roller tables for the sheriff’s department;

Submitting the Intermediate Punishment Treatment grant application to the state’s Commission on Crime and Delinquency for $380,000; an amendment to an agreement with STEP Inc. for an extension to their Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP); a change order tor the Bridge Bundle Program with Bassett Engineering Inc. in the amount of $89,113; and the renewal of an agreement with Diversified Treatment Alternative Centers.

The commissioners approved accepting ownership of a 190-foot communications tower in Cascade Township from EQT ARO LLC at no cost to the county. The tower has the potential of being used in the future by the Emergency Services Department. The commissioners also approved an agreement for the right-of-way access to the tower.

Under personnel, the commissioners approved filling the following positions at the pay rates listed: Tina Jedrziewski, full-time replacement, administrative specialist at the Conservation District, $19.24 per hour; Grace Hubbard, full-time replacement, custodial worker in facilities management, $13.41 per hour; Kelly Burkholder, full-time replacement, resident supervisor I at the Pre-Release Center, $18.10 per hour; Judy Knarr, full-time replacement, payroll/AP specialist in budget and finance, $19.76 per hour; John Wagoner, full-time replacement, correctional officer II at the prison, $21.48 per hour; and Kane Angell, full-time replacement, recruitment specialist in human resources, $17.35 per hour.

The next meeting of the commissioners will be at 10 a.m. May 18 at the commissioners board room, first floor Executive Plaza, 330 Pine St.