Oct 15, 2003 By Jennifer Harr 3 min read

Brownsville businessman Ernest Liggett is apparently close to selling some of his properties in the borough to a “Pennsylvania Corporation of Native Americans.’ According to court records, “all the assets, stock and property” of the Brownsville Group Ltd. had been sold to Ohwista Ko:Wah. The filing identified Ohwista Ko:Wah as a “Pennsylvania Corporation of Native Americans.”

Liggett is a minority stockholder in Brownsville Group Ltd. and has acted as the agent for the real estate company in dealings with the borough regarding the property.

After a court hearing regarding the demoliton of Liggett’s Plaza Theater in Brownsville, his attorney, David Taylor, said some of Ligget’s properties were “under agreement.” He said nothing had been officially transferred to the Ohwista Ko:Wah.

Neither Brownsville Mayor Norma Ryan nor the borough’s solicitor Cheryl Heid could be reached for comment on the possible sale.

Taylor filed that document last Friday apparently in an attempt to delay Tuesday’s proceedings. Judge Ralph C. Warman denied the request but the hearing was never held anyway as Liggett agreed to seek a demolition permit for the Plaza Theater within four weeks.

The agreement came after four hours of talks between attorneys for Liggett and Brownsville Borough. Under the agreement, the borough said it would act on the permit within a week. After the demolition, the agreement calls for the area to be cleared with the possible penalty of $1,000 a day until it is.

Liggett also agreed to demolish a house at 106 High St. By Dec. 15, a permit is supposed to be submitted for that work.

The hearing was supposed to be a continuation of proceedings that initially started in March when Liggett’s appeal of a summary conviction for building code violations at the Plaza Theater went before Judge Steve P. Leskinen.

Liggett appealed a $24,000 fine imposed by District Justice Ronald Haggerty in October 2002. The fine was imposed because Liggett allegedly did not take action to make the property safe.

The Plaza Theater has a falling fa?ade and no roof, according to prosecutors.

At a June hearing, Taylor countered with testimony from an engineer that the Plaza Theater was structurally sound. Tuesday’s hearing was meant for Taylor to continue presenting his defense, but was derailed when he and Heid began talks to settle the matter.

Leskinen said the matter would be continued indefinitely, until or unless either side requested a further hearing.

Several Indian tribes have expressed an interest in developing a casino in Brownsville and have said Liggett approached them about the possibility. Liggett and two companies in which he is an officer own more than 100 parcels in Brownsville Borough and Brownsville Township, including the majority of the downtown business district.

The Six Nations of the Grand River in Canada pursued the issue for several years. The most recent tribe to indicate an interest in a Brownsville casino has been the Seneca Nation Inc. from New York