New state prison may be built in German Twp.
Jeffrey Beard, secretary of the Department of Corrections; James Creedon, secretary of the Department of General Services; and state Rep. Bill DeWeese (D-Waynesburg) are jointly scheduled to make the announcement. DeWeese has strongly advocated for construction of a new 700-job prison in German Township near Masontown, which would be the third such facility in his 50th District. It would join SCI-Greene near Waynesburg and SCI-Fayette in Luzerne Township as state prisons built during his tenure in House leadership.
While deferring to the Rendell administration on discussion of any specifics, DeWeese on Wednesday left little to the imagination in terms of the anticipated news being good.
“I’m excited that Secretaries Beard and Creedon will be in my legislative district Thursday to make an announcement that is good news for the folks in my neck of the woods,” said DeWeese. “I’m looking forward to putting forth 500 union construction workers on the job, and creating 600 or 700 recession-proof state jobs.”
While noting, “It’s only fair that the Rendell administration give all the specifics,” DeWeese said, “I have high confidence that the people of … the Fayette/Greene county area will be highly pleased with the Rendell administration’s announcement.”
DeWeese said he had been “hammering away” for construction of an additional facility in German Township during budget negotiations.
While it remains possible that the state could expand the existing but relatively new SCI-Luzerne facility, a 2,000-bed prison built in 2003 on 53 acres near LaBelle, sources say it’s most likely one of the German Township sites will be selected after further testing of the land for construction suitability.
“Hardly a (budget) negotiating session went by without the German Township project being discussed,” said DeWeese. “One of the most happy elements of this conversation during the past many months was with my realization that infrastructure enhancement in German Township would be profound. I can’t help but think that the water and sewer dynamics in those precincts that (state Rep.) Tim Mahoney and I represent in that township will be improved (if one of those sites is picked).”
Mahoney, D-South Union, who represents the parts of German Township that DeWeese doesn’t, said bringing the prison project this far along represented a team effort, involving all members of the local delegation.
“This is what the democratic process is all about: working together and bringing things like this back to our district,” said Mahoney. “It wasn’t a single person; everyone had a hand in it. This shows what the current delegation is going to help bring Fayette County get new jobs and set a new economic standard.”
Mahoney’s comments also hinted at his hope and belief that the project will involve construction in German Township, not an expansion of the existing SCI-Luzerne. “Hopefully, this will help bring Route 21 (which runs through German Township) up to standard,” said Mahoney. “Improving that highway corridor is another major issue that we need to address.”
DeWeese said he has been “privileged to help engineer” location of three “major correctional facilities” into his district: SCI-Greene while serving as House Speaker during the administration of Gov. Bob Casey Sr., SCI-Fayette while serving as House minority leader during the administration of Gov. Tom Ridge, and now a third facility as House majority leader during Rendell’s administration.
DeWeese, who is seeking re-election in November against Republican challenger Greg Hopkins, and who has touted the benefits of his high-ranking position on the campaign trail, said of today’s prison announcement, “I do think a senior position in the legislature allows for a battalion of friendships and professional relationships that mean so much when all (other) things are equal.”