POTTSVILLE -- The city of Pottsville announced Friday Yuengling will be donating up to $2.8 million dollars to a downton parking garage project.
Ever since the Mahantongo Street parking garage in Pottsville closed, parking has been tight downtown. Amanda Riegel has trouble finding a spot when she comes to visit her mother.
"Every time we want to go and visit her, there is like, what? Five parking spaces?" Riegel said. "It's just been terrible."
The city of Pottsville had to shut down the parking lot last year because it was structurally deficient and unsafe for drivers.
"It is a parking deck that was more than 50 years old and had failed and the city and the parking authority is currently evaluating the best way to replace the deck," Pottsville City Administrator Tom Palamar said.
Those parking frustrations may come to an end soon. Pottsville's mayor just announced the Yuengling brewery's owner, Dick Yuengling, will donate up to $2.8 million to fix up the garage.
"Unlike most other coal region breweries, we've survived and we're doing very well, so we're trying to give back and that's what it's all about," Yuengling said.
Yuengling said he wanted to donate money to the project because people who visit his brewery park here, too.
"They need help, like every small town and we're bringing over 70,000 to 100,000 people into town and we have no place to park, so, it's a little selfish, too," Yuengling said.
Specific plans for the garage have not been set yet. The city will be tearing down the old one, but may still use portions of it to build the new one. City leaders are grateful for Yuengling's help.
"For a family like the Yuengling family to step forward for that shows their deep commitment to the community," Palamar said.
So are the people of Pottsville.
"He's a very nice gentleman," Riegel said. "He does a lot for the town. He brings a lot of business here and he's all about Pottsville pride and I think it's a good idea."