[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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