PORT CARBON -- A portion of a clock tower in Port Carbon appears to be falling off. Residents are concerned about the damage.
"Right now, it looks like it's coming apart," Bob Piacine of Palo Alto said. "That's an old building, you know."
Caution tape surrounds part of an apartment building on North Street in Port Carbon. Portions of the clock tower on top of the building look like they're about to fall off. Piacine walks in the area often. He's avoiding the sidewalks near the building.
"I go near it, but not where it is coming apart, no," Piacine said.
Even from several blocks away, you can still see the clock tower. People in Port Carbon say it is a landmark and needs to be fixed.
John Pontician was a borough councilman in the 1980s. He said the building used to be a school.
"It's kind of upsetting to see it get to disrepair," Pontician said. "Years ago, when the school district owned it, they kept the clock in repair. It used to work."
Newswatch 16 contacted the owner of the building, Hyman Properties in Allentown. A representative tells us there is a plan to repair the clock tower. It will just take some time to do it.
Local contractors, like Tyler Wambold, said the tower needs to be fixed soon before anyone gets hurt.
"Well, that's pretty high up, that clock tower," Wambold said. "So, I mean, if something is falling from that high, it's not going to be a good day for you if it falls on you."
In the end, the people of Port Carbon just want their clock tower to return back to its former glory.
"It's an important part of our community," Pontician said. "It is an important part of the history of this town. People look forward to seeing it. They want to see it back."
The Hyman Properties representatives tell Newswatch 16 that fixing the clock tower will be difficult because there are a lot of power lines nearby. They also said the weather could delay the project. There is no set date for when it will be fixed.