Best of this week’s reader comments…
Reimagining Rockview: A Turning Point for Centre County
“Nice work highlighting the possibilities for this property!
Given its vast size, a mixed-use approach makes sense to maximize its economic impact.
As a community, we must carefully consider the investment required to make it usable and the potential revenue and quality of life benefits it could provide. Affordable housing remains a top priority to meet the current and future workforce needs.
Another successful example of prison transformation is the Workhouse Arts Center https://www.workhousearts.org/ in Northern Virginia, where adaptive reuse has created a thriving arts and cultural hub that also serves as an economic driver.“
Another comment on Reimagining Rockview….
“Imagine if the next breakthrough innovation hub – the modern day Stanford or MIT – came not from a fancy Ivy League or Big 10 R&D institution but rather from a trade school? What would happen if blue collars took the lead on innovation instead of white collars?
Fascinating idea for Penn Tech or a similar school. Or perhaps the modern blue collars take on the old GE innovation center and school that Jack Welch built in the 80’s and 90’s? What could a US Steel or Case New Holland or Marcellus Shale Energy Company do with that place?“
Further thoughts on Reimagining Rockview….
“Greg:
Hello from Stan at the office of the Moshannon Valley Econ. Dev. Partnership over here in the greater Philipsburg region. Great story about the potential future of the Rockview property. When the GEO Moshannon Valley facility was shut down in March 2021, we immediately began thinking about the other potential uses of that property. We started to research how other shuttered prisons were reused, exactly what you did regarding the future of Rockview. I remember that one idea was a large horse farm! Really good that you are raising the ideas now. Fritz Smith at the HVAB might have some thoughts. Over 5,000 acres, that is a lot of land! Multiple uses, school, business park etc. Have a good day. Stan.”
“I love the idea of a Penn Tech campus. As Stan pointed out with that much acreage there is the potential for multiple, diverse things at the site.”
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