[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 192 (Tuesday, December 5, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H13948-H13951]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP INVESTMENT ACT OF 1995
Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 308) to provide for the conveyance of certain lands and
improvements in Hopewell Township, PA, to a
[[Page H 13949]]
nonprofit organization known as the Beaver County Corporation for
Economic Development to provide a site for economic development.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 308
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Hopewell Township Investment
Act of 1995''.
SEC. 2. CONVEYANCE OF LAND.
(a) Administrator of General Services.--Subject to sections
3 and 4, the Administrator of General Services (hereinafter
in this Act referred to as the ``Administrator'') shall
convey, without compensation, to a nonprofit organization
known as the ``Beaver County Corporation for Economic
Development'' all right, title, and interest of the United
States in and to those pieces or parcels of land in Hopewell
Township, Pennsylvania, described in subsection (b), together
with all improvements thereon and appurtenances thereto. The
purpose of the conveyance is to provide a site for economic
development in Hopewell Township.
(b) Property Description.--The land referred to in
subsection (a) is the parcel of land in the township of
Hopewell, county of Beaver, Pennsylvania, bounded and
described as follows:
(1) Beginning at the southwest corner at a point common to
Lot No. 1, same plan, lands now or formerly of Frank and
Catherine Wutter, and the easterly right-of-way line of
Pennsylvania Legislative Route No. 60 (Beaver Valley
Expressway); thence proceeding by the easterly right-of-way
of Pennsylvania Legislative Route No. 60 by the following
three courses and distances:
(A) North 17 degrees, 14 minutes, 20 seconds West, 213.10
feet to a point.
(B) North 72 degrees, 45 minutes, 40 seconds East, 30.00
feet to a point.
(C) North 17 degrees, 14 minutes, 20 seconds West, 252.91
feet to a point; on a line dividing Lot No. 1 from the other
part of Lot No. 1, said part now called Lot No. 5, same plan;
thence by last mentioned dividing line, North 78 degrees, 00
minutes, 00 seconds East; 135.58 to a point, a cul-de-sac on
Industrial Drive; thence by said cul-de-sac and the southerly
side of Industrial Drive by the following courses and
distances;
(i) By a curve to the right having a radius of 100.00 feet
for an arc distance of 243.401 feet to a point.
(ii) Thence by a curve to the right having a radius of
100.00 feet for an arc distance of 86.321 feet to a point.
(iii) Thence by 78 degrees, 00 minutes, 00 seconds East,
777.78 feet to a point.
(iv) Thence, North 12 degrees, 00 minutes, 00 seconds West,
74.71 feet to a point.
(v) Thence by a curve to the right, having a radius of
50.00 feet for an arc distance of 78.54 feet to a point.
(vi) Thence North 78 degrees, 00 minutes, 00 seconds East,
81.24 feet to a point.
(vii) Thence by a curve to the right, having a radius of
415.00 feet for an arc distance of 140.64 feet to a point.
(viii) Thence, South 82 degrees, 35 minutes, 01 second
East, 125.00 feet to a point.
(ix) Thence, South 7 degrees, 24 minutes, 59 seconds West,
5.00 feet to a point.
(x) Thence by a curve to the right, having a radius of
320.00 feet for an arc distance of 256.85 feet to a point.
(xi) Thence by a curve to the right having a radius of
50.00 feet for an arc distance of 44.18 feet to a point on
the northerly side of Airport Road.
(2) Thence by the northerly side thereof by the following:
(A) South 14 degrees, 01 minute, 54 seconds West, 56.94
feet to a point.
(B) Thence by a curve to the right having a radius of
225.00 feet for an arc distance of 207.989 feet to a point.
(C) Thence South 66 degrees, 59 minutes, 45 seconds West,
192.08 feet to a point on the southern boundary of Lot No. 1,
which line is also the line dividing Lot No. 1 from lands now
or formerly, of Frank and Catherine Wutter.
(3) Thence by the same, South 75 degrees, 01 minutes, 00
seconds West, 1,351.23 feet to a point at the place of
beginning.
(c) Date of Conveyance.--The date of the conveyance of
property required under subsection (a) shall be not later
than the 90th day following the date of the enactment of this
Act.
(d) Conveyance Terms.--
(1) Terms and conditions.--The conveyance of property
required under subsection (a) shall be subject to such terms
and conditions as may be determined by the Administrator to
be necessary to safeguard the interests of the United States.
Such terms and conditions shall be consistent with the terms
and conditions set forth in this Act.
(2) Quitclaim deed.--The conveyance of property required
under subsection (a) shall be by quitclaim deed.
SEC. 3. LIMITATION ON CONVEYANCE.
No part of any land conveyed under section 2 may be used,
during the 30-year period beginning on the date of
conveyance, for any purpose other than economic development.
SEC. 4. REVERSIONARY INTEREST.
(a) In General.--The property conveyed under section 2
shall revert to the United States on any date in the 30-year
period beginning on the date of such conveyance on which the
property is used for a purpose other than economic
development.
(b) Enforcing Reversion.--The Administrator shall perform
all acts necessary to enforce any reversion of property to
the United States under this section.
(c) Inventory of Public Buildings Service.--Property that
reverts to the United States under this section shall be
under the control of the General Services Administration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest] and the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Traficant]
will each be recognized for 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland, [Mr. Gilchrest].
Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 308, a bill to provide
for the conveyance of certain lands and improvements in Hopewell
Township, PA, to a nonprofit organization known as the Beaver County
Corporation for Economic Development.
The Hopewell Township Investment Act of 1995 was introduced in
Congress for the purpose of making certain property productive for the
benefit of the Hopewell community. This legislation will accomplish
this by directing GSA to transfer this property, at no cost, to the
Beaver County Corporation for economic development, a nonprofit
corporation certified by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The property is 15.94 acres of narrow shaped land which runs in east-
west direction, approximately 7 miles northwest of Pittsburgh
International Airport, and is improved primarily by a concrete block
building of 43,000 square feet containing warehouse space. As of
September 23, 1993, the property was designated as surplus and placed
on GSA's surplus property inventory.
The Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development, in
cooperation with Hopewell Township, plans to utilize this property as
the centerpiece of a Hopewell Aliquippa Airport industrial park and
thereby promote economic development and create needed jobs for the
people of Hopewell Township. This property was originally used in light
manufacturing. It was acquired in 1981 by the Federal Government as a
staging center for emergency--mine--operations under the Mine Safety
and Health Administration of the Department of Labor. Hopewell
Township, in anticipation of this Federal facility, invested $225,000
in infrastructure improvements. The facility, however, never opened,
and has sat vacant for over 14 years. This community has lost over
$250,000 in tax revenue from the Federal jobs that were committed to
this facility, and the economy has lost over $21 million in lost wages
because of the Government's decision not to live up to a commitment.
Returning this property to productive use is fitting and appropriate.
I strongly urge all Members to support this measure.
{time} 1500
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Oberstar], the distinguished ranking
member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
(Mr. OBERSTAR asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio [Mr.
Traficant], the distinguished ranking member of the subcommittee, and
compliment him, and the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest], for
the splendid work they have done on this whole series of legislation we
bring to the House floor this afternoon. They are important bills and
in a cooperative fashion, they bring to the House very sound
legislation, including this particular bill to transfer surplus
property in Hopewell Township, to an organization known as the Beaver
County Corporation for Economic Development.
Mr. Speaker, the significance of this action is that this will
provide an opportunity to create jobs, jobs in Beaver County, an area
that I have traveled to in the past and know quite well, having seen
the unemployment, the severe dislocation in this area of the steel
valley, the whole steel county to which my district in northeastern
Minnesota is tied.
We produce the taconite, or steel ore, to produce this basic building
block of
[[Page H 13950]]
American industry, steel. But as steel has suffered dislocation over
the last decade and a half, so have the people and the communities and
the townships. The only way to create job opportunities to succeed
those that have passed from the scene because of the downsizing of
steel is to make property available for new businesses to locate there.
This legislation will achieve that objective by requiring the General
Services Administration to transfer this land at no cost to the Beaver
County Corporation for Economic Development. The corporation, in
cooperation with Hopewell Township, will use this property as the
centerpiece for the Hopewell Aliquippa Airport and Industrial Park to
promote economic development and create jobs.
Mr. Speaker, wherever we can, we should be alert to opportunities to
link property transfer to airports, to industrial park opportunities to
create jobs. We have seen the enormous engine of growth that airports
represent for job creation in this country.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr.
Klink] for the time that he has put in with Hopewell Township and with
the Beaver County Economic Development Corporation. I know, from 15
years ago, what a splendid organization this is. It is a high-minded,
hard-working, public-private cooperation initiative that has worked
together to create jobs in this distressed area.
Mr. Speaker, I am very happy we are able to bring this legislation to
fruition today, and I thank the gentleman for his work and thank the
ranking member for his leadership.
Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Klink], a fine, outstanding
representative from this area, a friend of mine who is basically the
individual who has brought this bill forward.
Mr. Speaker, we passed this bill last year. The other body did not
act on some of these measures, and the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr.
Klink] has done a tremendous job. I want to thank him, as an old, fit
quarterback, for the efforts he has made.
Mr. KLINK. Mr. Speaker, as an old, good quarterback, we have taken
some hints from the play book of the gentleman from Ohio [Mr.
Traficant] and have scrambled around on this and avoided being sacked.
The Senate did not take action on this, but the House unanimously
adopted a very similar proposal a year ago.
Mr. Speaker, I really want to take time to thank the gentleman from
Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest] for his amazing work on this. The gentleman
has consulted with me on this bill as he has seen me throughout the
halls of Congress, making sure we are doing the right thing.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Oberstar] for
his concern, and the gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Duncan] helped us
last year. Staff has done a remarkable job on this. We are really doing
God's work here.
Mr. Speaker, I will not repeat all the things, because I think the
gentleman from Minnesota and the gentleman from Maryland have touched
the highlights on the economics of this. But the gentleman from
Minnesota [Mr. Oberstar] was in Beaver County. Hopewell Township sits
on a hill outside of a town called Aliquippa, PA. Back in the early
1980's, in 1 day, a 7\1/2\-mile long steel mill shut down and 13,000
people were out of work. In 1 day.
The main street of this community, once known as Franklin Avenue, is
now called Plywood Alley, because the stores are boarded shut. Slowly,
hope is coming back to the community. What we are doing today is saying
the Federal Government has no need for this property. The local
government has put money into this. We put a quarter of a million
dollars into improving the roads and sewers and a lot more work needs
to be done, and rather than allowing the property to sit vacant and not
letting anything happen to it, let us do the right thing. Let us get it
back on the tax rolls, get workers supporting their families back on
this property again.
Mr. Speaker, let us fix this building which has holes in the roof. In
fact, September 8, 1994, we had a very tragic plane accident. Flight
427 crashed very near this site. The FAA, and others who were
investigating, were looking at using this building to try to recreate
what happened as they attempt to investigate this accident. This is a
building which the Federal Government owns, and still they could not
even use the building.
Mr. Speaker, so much needs to be done. We cannot ask the municipality
and the county to continue to put money into fixing this site if the
Federal Government is just going to sit on it and let this property go
to waste. I will tell my colleagues, when was first elected to office,
the businesspeople from Beaver County, who were both Republicans and
Democrats, came to me and asked me about this.
Mr. Speaker, I think it is great that in a bipartisan move we come
together as members of the Republican Party and Democratic Party today
and say, Let us do the right thing and pass H.R. 308.
Mr. Speaker, I thank all of the Members for their support. I thank
the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest] and the gentleman from Ohio
[Mr. Traficant], and staff, Rick Barnett and Susan Brita, and John
George from my staff has done yeoman's work on this.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, today I wish to express my thanks to chairman and fellow
Pennsylvanian Bud Shuster, Ranking member Jim Oberstar, and the other
members of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for their
assistance with my bill, the Hopewell Township Investment Act of 1995
(H.R. 308).
The purpose of this bill is to promote economic development and to
create jobs in Hopewell Township at a site near Aliquippa, PA. H.R. 308
replaces the Federal Government's caretaker role at the property with
local initiative that will produce jobs and revenues.
Specifically, H.R. 308 accomplishes this goal by transferring an
abandoned Federal facility from the General Services Administration to
the Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development [CED].
The CED is a nonprofit corporation that has the responsibility for
spurring economic development and bringing new businesses in a portion
of my congressional district in western Pennsylvania.
Using 100 percent Commonwealth of Pennsylvania funding, the CED has a
proven track record of transforming rough-cut properties into economic
development diamonds that create jobs and generate tax revenues.
The CED supports this legislation and it will mold the Hopewell site
from a no job-no tax liability into a job and revenue producing asset.
This legislation relinquishes Federal control of the site that has
lasted for 14 years. The Mine Safety and Health Administration operated
the site initially. Since the late 1980's the General Services
Administration [GSA] has been its caretaker.
In 1987, the Mine Safety and Health Administration announced plans to
consolidate its activities by locating additional operations at this
site and creating 200 new jobs. At that time, this site served as the
staging area for the Federal Government's response to mine disasters in
the eastern United States.
In anticipation of attracting a larger Federal presence, Hopewell
Township and the Criswell Heights Water District spent $225,000 to
upgrade the site with sewer and road improvements.
Bowing to pressure from a member of the other body, the Mine Safety
and Health Administration moved its consolidation to Beckley, WV, and
in the process transferred its Hopewell operation there. Rather than
gaining a new Federal workforce, our area lost 20 Federal employees in
the consolidation.
So as you can see this was a situation where the glass started out
half-full, the locality poured its resources into topping off the
glass. Unfortunately, the glass is now empty and riddled with holes.
In addition to losing $225,000 in site improvements, the local
government--Beaver County, schools and Hopewell Township--have not
received one cent in local taxes from this property. That adds up to a
revenue lost of $18,300 annually or $256,200 over 14 years.
The consolidation of the Mine Health and Safety Administration has
resulted in an annual payroll at its Beckley, WV, facility of $2.66
million since 1987 or $21.28 million that would have been injected into
the economy of Pennsylvania.
Add up all of these expenses and the Federal Government has been
responsible for a net loss of $21,761,200 to my area.
Currently, the property includes an abandoned one-story block
building that has gaping holes in its roof. Having toured the site, I
can
[[Page H 13951]]
attest to the fact that the building is dilapidated and it has become a
target for vandals.
The CED has committed as much as $1 million to renovate the building
by fixing its roof, adding brand new plumbing and wiring as well as
installing a parking lot and improving road access.
Once the CED takes over the property it will use State funding only
and on Federal money for the building renovation and other improvements
to ready the property for an industrial client.
My bill clears the deck so the CED can use this site to recruit
industry, create jobs, and put it back on the tax rolls. This
legislation will enable the Hopewell Township, rather the Federal
Government, to determine its own destiny.
I want to express my sincere thanks to my friends: Public Building
and Economic Development Subcommittee Chairman Wayne Gilchrest, ranking
member Jim Traficant as well as their staff members, Rick Barnett and
Susan Brita, and John George of my staff for their guidance and
stalwart support during the bill's hearing and throughout the
legislative process.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this legislation.
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Maryland [Mr.
Gilchrest] for the fine job he has done in directing this subcommittee
and for his fairness and for his address to detail, and for his staff,
Rick Barnett, and others, working with Susan Brita on our staff.
Mr. Speaker, this is a worthwhile bill. This region of the country
has been decimated. This is a modest step taken to try and help
individuals to help themselves. The ideology of the gentleman from
Pennsylvania [Mr. Klink] in attempting to forge business and private
and public relationships in that particular valley make an awful lot of
sense. They are beginning to make progress and the gentleman is
starting to impact upon the legislative aspect here.
Mr. Speaker, I will close by thanking the gentleman from Minnesota
[Mr. Oberstar]. During his tenure here on public works, and the work
that he has been involved with over the years, for taking time to come
to this troubled region to learn and understand it. Every one of us in
that region want to thank the gentleman from Minnesota for the efforts
he has taken over the years to understand our problems.
Hopefully, Mr. Speaker, before much more time passes, we will have
the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest], the gentleman from
Pennsylvania [Mr. Shuster], and others participate as well.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Klink] for
the tremendous job that he has done as an old pit quarterback.
Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I echo the words of my colleagues in thanking the staff
on both sides of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and
the subcommittee. I do think that we have made large gains and maybe a
touchdown pass with our efforts to deal with the legislative business
of the Nation in a very cooperative, nonpartisan manner. I appreciate
the Members on that side of the aisle.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote on this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Everett). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest] that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 308.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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