Sep 29, 2017 4 min read

ROGERSVILLE – From quiet streets and well-maintained homes to a store, bank, park, health clinic and public water and sewage, the village of Rogersville seems to have all the desired amenities to attract residential development.

But in the way of new construction, little has happened in this small Center Township community the last few years.

This made plans by the Greene County Redevelopment Authority for construction of townhouses on the site of the former Center Township High School a welcome idea to local officials.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the first of four townhouses was held Friday by the authority at the property at School and Third streets. The land had been donated to the authority by John and Kathy McNay of Prosperity.

“This is great for our community,” Center Township Supervisor Paul Cook said.

Cook said he couldn’t remember the last time a new house was built in Rogersville.

“It was before my term and I’ve been here 10 years,” he said, adding new housing is something needed throughout the township. “Between the drilling industry and the coal mines, we’re losing residents.”

The township lost a number of houses in nearby Holbrook several years ago when Alpha Natural Resources purchased them with plans for a new coal mine. The natural gas industry also has purchased its share of properties as it expanded operations in the township, so the new development is welcome.

“We’re all 100 percent behind this,” Supervisor Seann McCollum said.

Supervisor Butch Deter echoed the sentiment.

The townhouses are being developed by the authority as part of a housing program aimed at revitalizing communities by rehabilitating blighted homes and building new affordable housing on vacant or under-utilized land. The property in Rogersville was chosen as a site because it was available and because it was believed there was a need for housing in the community, said Dave Calvario, authority executive director.

“In conversations with my board, the supervisors and residents, everyone said there was a need for smaller homes, or townhouses, for people who no longer want to live in their (older and larger) homes, but who don’t want to leave the town of Rogersville,” Calvario said.

The old high school was demolished by McNay about two years ago. The authority only had to remove debris and make the property “pad ready,” Calvario said.

The property had another advantage, Calvario said.

“It has both public water and sewage, which really makes it a prime spot,” he said.

The authority’s plan is to first build one townhouse and, if there is a demand, continue with the construction of others, up to four, at the site.

“If the first one sells, we’ll go on to build another one,” Calvario said.

The townhouses will each be duplexes. Each housing unit will contain about 1,400 square foot of space and three bedrooms.

The units will be sold by the authority and though the price has not yet been determined, they are expected to sell in the $155,000, or higher, range.

Funding for the townhouse project had come from a $150,000 grant from Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Act program. The grant was expected to cover the cost of purchasing the land and getting it ready for construction. However, because the land was donated by the McNays, the authority will be able to use some of the grant money for construction, Calvario said. The township also is contributing in-kind services.

The authority hopes to recoup its costs when it sells the units. Any profit it might make would be rolled back into the housing program to build or rehabilitate other homes.

Since it began the housing program, the authority has purchased and rehabilitated a dozen homes and built three new homes. It also has demolished four blighted houses.

The authority obtains properties through donations or by purchasing them at judicial or tax sales. It rehabilitates houses that can be rehabilitated and demolishes those beyond repair to make room for new housing. Houses that are repaired are sold and the proceeds used to cover the costs of the repairs and possibly to make money to purchase and repair additional homes.

“I’m very impressed with the project; creating new homes in the West Greene area where we haven’t had much new home construction for a while,” said county Commissioner Archie Trader, who attended the groundbreaking.

The authority has worked on a number of houses throughout the county, not only providing new housing for county residents but also helping to bring properties back on the tax rolls, he said.