Dispute may derail sale of closed prison in Cresson
ALTOONA (AP) – Officials say a dispute over a juvenile treatment center may have derailed the sale of a closed state prison in central Pennsylvania.
Cambria County officials tell The (Altoona) Mirror that a company had proposed turning the State Correctional Institute at Cresson near Altoona into an electrical generation plant using natural gas.
President Commissioner Douglas Lengenfelder said the unnamed firm was still interested, but requirements imposed by the state Department of General Services might be too strict.
Department spokesman James Henning said officials in another department that oversees the Cresson Secure Treatment Unit are thinking about keeping the property, and any sale plans are on hold pending their decision. And he says an initial appraisal indicates that the property’s best use would be as another prison.