South Fayette looks to sell Star City property again
Observer-Reporter
Commissioners passed two resolutions last week about the Star City property in an attempt to sell the parcel a month after a developer pulled out of an agreement.
South Fayette looks to sell Star City property again
{child_byline}By Jacob Calvin Meyer Staff writer jmeyer@thealmanac.net{/child_byline}
South Fayette commissioners passed two resolutions about the Star City property Oct. 18 in an attempt to sell the parcel a month after a developer pulled out of an agreement to build a strip mall.
“I think that, at this point, it would be a good idea to bid that property and know what interest there is,” board President Joseph Horowitz said. “Hopefully there will be a bid that is acceptable for the township. If not, we can gauge where to go from there. I’d like to get that up for bid as quickly as possible.”
Commissioners Gwen Rodi and Raymond Pitetti both agreed that getting the bid out as soon as possible was the best way to move forward with the property. They unanimously voted to authorize the solicitor and the township to prepare request for proposal document to restart the bidding process. Solicitor Robert Garvin said it will likely be released for a December opening.
Horizon Properties Group, which agreed in October 2015 to buy the former Star City movie theater property for $5 million from the township, pulled out of its agreement Sept. 29.
Before the meeting, the board held a public hearing regarding TopGolf acquiring a liquor license for its facility in Newbury Market, which is set to open in August 2018.
Paul Namey, TopGolf USA Pittsburgh’s council, spoke during the public hearing and said without the liquor license, TopGolf would pull out of the project.
“Every TopGolf in the U.S. and abroad does sell alcohol, and those sales are important for the overall profitability,” Namey said. “Without the approval of this liquor license transfer, TopGolf wouldn’t be able to move forward with this project, as it wouldn’t be economically feasible.”
Per state law, the liquor license is allowed to be transferred over from Frazer Restaurants LLC in Frazer Township, also in Allegheny County. The board unanimously passed the liquor license later in the meeting.
Meanwhile, Jessica Cardillo’s tenure as a South Fayette commissioner is officially over.
Cardillo, who was elected to the post in 2013, informed the board of her resignation due to her relocation via a letter on Oct. 2. The township announced her resignation at its Oct. 11 meeting, but voted unanimously to accept it at the voting meeting Oct. 18.
The board decided last week not to fill her seat, since the November election is set to decide Cardillo’s replacement, as she wasn’t planning to run again anyway. Democrat Rebecca Sray and Republican Kelly Fritz are on the ballot in November.
Also during the meeting:
• The board unanimously approved a LERTA tax abatement for Burns Scalo Real Estate’s new 80,000-square-foot office building in Abele Business Park, Beacon 1.
• The township also recognized Nicholas R. Carter for earning his Eagle Scout. Carter built two handicap-accessible picnic tables, as well as paint the tables and their pavilions, at the Montour Trail.