Pike to get PennDOT building

By TOM KANE

MILFORD, PA - Pike County is swapping land for a building. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will give the county a building it owns a few blocks away from the government center in Milford in exchange for a 13-acre plot of land in Blooming Grove where PennDOT will build its regional headquarters some time in the near future. The county owns the site in Blooming Grove where the county prison and the aging office garage are located.

The cost to the county is zero.

An agreement of exchange was approved by the commissioners on August 13 that will clear the way for the county to get some “very much needed” office space for its growing staff.

“As the county grows, the county offices must grow,” said commissioner Karl Wagner.

“We’re land locked and cannot afford to buy any land in Milford; it’s just too expensive,” said commissioner Harry Forbes. “This is ideal for us since the building is a few blocks away from the main offices.”

Any expense will be paid for by the state, such as the title search and subdivision fees, said county treasurer John Gilpin.

“This has been in the works for 11 years,” Forbes said. “It’s taken too long, but that’s what happens between governments. It all began when the local superintendent wanted the regional headquarters to be more centrally located in the middle of the county.”

The county will not take possession of the PennDOT building in Milford until the transportation agency finishes the construction of the building in Blooming Grove, said Thomas Farley, county attorney. Meanwhile, a lease will be prepared for PennDOT to remain in the Milford facility until PennDOT moves into the new building, he said.