Feb. 3--TOWER CITY -- It could be years before the borough gets funding to demolish the Knights of Pythias building in the 500 block of East Grand Avenue.

At a Jan. 12 meeting, Gary Bender, Schuylkill County grant administrator, said the county only has $80,000 to spend this year and has already received at least $120,000 of requests from other municipalities.

He said estimates received from Tower City for the demolition project ranged from a low of $40,000 to a high of $140,000, with the actual cost being more toward the higher end. Because of that, "The Knights of Pythias building wouldn't be on the project list for several years," he said.

Bender also said the new Housing Recovery Act has provided $8 million to Pennsylvania. After Pittsburgh and Philadelphia get their shares, the remainder will be dispersed statewide.

Schuylkill Community Action will be accepting applications for 40 demolition projects, favoring those that are good to go -- sites already owned by a municipality, Bender said. After demolition, he said SCA takes ownership of the property and builds a house that is sold to someone with a low to moderate income.

Although some of the 40 properties will be put in a land bank, a house should be built on the Knights of Pytias property since the wall of an adjacent property will be exposed when the building is torn down.

After an executive session, the council voted to submit an application for a grant that requires 25 percent from the borough.

"It's the best way to go," said Bender.

Ben Scott, Regional Revitalization Project coordinator, told the council in November that someone was interested in buying Carroll's Furniture Store, as well as the Knights property after it is razed. Scott said the lot would be used for parking while the furniture store site would be renovated for a grocery store and other businesses.

Since Scott was unable to attend the council's December meeting, the council instructed solicitor Richard Thornburg to contact Scott for more information about the project -- in particular, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Business Grant that Scott had said was due by the end of 2008. Thornburg, however, provided no additional information.

Code Enforcement Officer Sandy Kleinfelter questioned information listed in the minutes of the Jan. 5 reorganization meeting. All three code enforcement officers who had been "left go," but reinstated in August with suspended duties, were reappointed.

Heather Martin, another officer, was also confused. She said she had not been informed that she was part of the hearing that Kleinfelter would be having about the positions, but she said she would like to have a hearing. According to Thornburg, Kleinfelter was the only one who had requested one.

After the executive session, however, he announced that Martin and Joe Zurat would be notified when a hearing would take place.

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