Breaking News
Top News

South Williamsport shows new municipal building off

By Mark Maroney 6 min read

The new South Williamsport Local Government Center and Community Room is almost open for rentals.

During a recent tour the ultra-modern complex at 543 E. Central Ave., which doubles as a work location for certain borough employees, was described by the borough manager and public safety director Steven W. Cappelli as a "legacy project."

Nestled amidst the trees in South Williamsport Recreational Complex on the eastern edge of the borough, the building, with wings on either side – is a marvel to behold, and took years in the making, a construction project recently dedicated with a ribbon cutting that does not add any debt to the borough coffers and one expected to attract individuals and organizations who want to rent it for a half a day or full day for a weddings, anniversary and special occasions.

Besides that, the nearly 10,000 square foot, $3 million building is home to the borough office workers, who have left the cramped headquarters at the old borough hall on Southern Avenue, for the spacious and environmentally-friendly confines of this facility.

Within eyesight of the world famous Little League World Series complex, the building continues to receive finishing touches as the borough gets ready to rent it out as well as the outdoor pavilion.

"It was almost a year to the day from the ground breaking to the dedication," said Steven W. Cappelli, borough manager and borough public safety director, on a tour of the building

Most impressive in this era of communities looking for improvements that don't break the bank or lead to indebtedness and tax increases, the building was paid for using a series of federal, state, county and local funds – with no borrowing required by the borough, Cappelli said.

As a former state House of Representative member, Cappelli has experience in how and where to look for such grants. The largest grant amounted to $1 million and was received through the Commonwealth Local Share, which, basically, is a collection of gambling proceeds; $400,000, was received through Lycoming County; $300,000 through federal funding; $500,000 from Little League and the remaining balance came from the borough funds available and not causing any borrowing need or debt, he said.

The building has two large sectional wings and a central foyer with the borough office spaces on the left side of the building, and the Community Room on the right.

The office space has a desk for the borough controller, space for filing cabinets, work space and a break room with a refrigerator. There is a separate room for the office manager, restrooms and janitorial storage rooms, and a very comfortable conference room, so the borough administrators and Borough Council and others can hold private meetings, such as when executive sessions are called, and not far from there is a private suit for the mayor/public safety director.

The upstairs or second floor consists primarily of heating, ventilation, air conditioning – for mechanical needs to provide comfort to the users of the facility.

The pavilion is a masterpiece which provides scenic views of the surrounding recreational area. It has a high ceiling with timber tiers and masonry work – to be completed. The exterior of the building consists of smooth sidewalks and landscaping includes the graded areas which will be planted with hydroseed that will help the grass seed quickly turn a lush green.

The pavilion includes the public use of the gas grill to be made available for those who rent it out and tables and chairs.

Inside the building are rooms for storage, and a completely functional kitchen, equipped so that it can be used by catering companies or groups or organizations. There are no utensils, as they must be provided, Cappelli said.

Entering the foyer, one sees the high ceiling, and turns right into the spacious Community Room, designed with an airiness and openness in mind. It, too, has thick, dark wood cross beams and a beige wood ceiling. There are circular lights and plenty of windows that provide a complete view of manicured lawn and close by recreational facilities.

Efforts are underway to get some matting in the Community Room, as the hard floors create an echoing effect. This is where the Borough Council will meet with the public.

The Community Room is going to be available to rent out for-half days and full days, with alcoholic beverages permitted along with live entertainment should that be desired. "It's going to be for weddings, anniversaries, community events and special occasions," Cappelli said. It can be used as a gathering space should the borough need for any type of large-scale emergency purpose and a central location for getting information to the community at large.

As for revenue generation, Cappelli estimated that a half day rental will likely be about $450 while a full day rental will run $750.

While it's only a guess at this point, Cappelli said the borough council collect between $30,000 to $40,000 a year in rental fee income from events.

It is already being considered by the South Williamsport School District for a location of the school prom in 2026, he said. Vendors during Little League also could utilize the complex, he said.

There will be a paved parking lot and entrances that are fully accessible, he said.

"We consider this to be a legacy project, one that will last multiple years into the future," he said.

The facility was constructed on the grounds of the former large community pool and smaller children's pool, which were removed over 10 years ago.

The building was constructed on slab grade and is designed so that should any flood waters be encountered, the facility can be quickly hosed out with drywall that was installed that does not absorb water, Cappelli said.

The borough is in the process of looking at hiring a part-time individual who could coordinate the public-private use of the rentals and the recreational programs for the complex, he said.

The building is close to the walking trail, a 2-mile loop around the recreational complex, and numerous baseball and softball fields, soccer field, picnic pavilions and the tennis courts.

Starting at /week.