According to consultants, the City of Williamsport does not have the financial resources to restore vacant and condemned City Hall to a state where it could host municipal functions and it’s not suited for housing modern police operations.

These were among the assessments by Public Financial Management (PFM) given recently to the City Council by its managing director, Gordon Mann. Mann presented an executive summary for the council along with the multi-page final report.

The city hall building has been condemned since Aug. 4, 2021, after damage caused by water leakage and again further water damage in December of that year.

The city also should not use its limited resources to maintain a facility that has great potential but no practical benefit for city residents, and it was suggested the city sell or lease the building at 245 W. Fourth St. to an owner/operator who could bring it into a more productive use while preserving the historic attributes that complement the arts and culture in this section of downtown.

The city also has been recommended to maximize any short-term proceeds of a sale of the building that is on the National Register of Historic Places. Concepts such as digitizing the documents inside the building were recommended.

The city has put the sale of the building at approximately $560,000 into this year’s budget under the revenue expectation.

The city continues with its strategic financial management planning (STMP) process with the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), and this year’s budget is considered a “bridge” to stronger financial positioning.