WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — The former Williamsport City Hall building is up for sale. City council recently approved the property to be listed through Fish Commercial Group, a real estate agency in central Pennsylvania.
"A good re-use of the building. See it get into the hands of someone that is going to rehab it, get good use out of it, get it back on the tax rolls, and get it functioning again," said Williamsport Mayor Derek Slaughter.
The 132-year-old building has sat empty and condemned since the fall of 2021. Stormwater left parts of the building completely damaged.
"There was a roof leak that caused significant damage, and then right before the holidays at the end of 2021, there was a pipe burst, and we had just water everywhere," Mayor Slaughter said.
According to the mayor, the city will not make any upgrades or repairs before selling.
"We do not need to put any additional money into City Hall other than the day-to-day. Obviously, we still own it, so heating, cooling, and things of that nature, to make sure we don't have any additional pipes burst."
The city is in the second year of a five-year lease at the Trade and Transit buildings on 3rd Street. Mayor Slaughter shared the future housing plans for city government.
"We are functioning very well out of those structures right now," said Slaughter. "But we are going to look to see what the future holds, whether that is purchasing another building and outfitting it to our needs or looking at a blank parcel to build to spec."
The city will review all bids before agreeing to sell. Since the building has been deemed historic by the city and the Lycoming County Historical Society, Williamsport officials will not allow it to be demolished.
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