web1_toysfortots2.jpg

Mohegan Sun Arena to host 12th annual Open Skate to benefit Toys for Tots

Actors Circle in Scranton sets auditions for ‘The Children’s Hour’

<p>Luzerne County officials may buy a Hanover Township building for $750,000 to store records and serve as a county morgue.</p><p>Record storage has been a concern for years. A state archive expert warned county officials in 2010 their leased record storage facility in the Thomas C. Thomas building on Union Street in Wilkes-Barre was insufficient because of its temperature extremes, lack of security, leaks and fire hazards. State law requires the county to keep hard copies of some records.</p><p>The county has no morgue and relies on Wilkes-Barre General Hospital to store bodies that can&#8217;t be transported to a funeral home due to pending investigations or delays identifying the deceased or notifying survivors. This arrangement sometimes creates issues with space availability, officials said.</p><p>The county administration has proposed purchasing a 28,600-square-foot structure at 85 Young St. near the county 911 center that previously housed a U.S. mail carrier facility.</p><p>New Jersey-based Wilkes-Barre Carrier Annex LLC bought the property from the U.S. Postal Service for $510,000 in December 2013, according to a deed recorded in March.</p><p>The administration&#8217;s initial proposal to purchase this building for $850,000 was pulled from the December 2014 county council meeting agenda to complete more research and negotiation. The new proposal with a $100,000 price reduction is slated for discussion at Tuesday&#8217;s council work session.</p><p>The council&#8217;s 2016 long-range capital plan earmarked $1.45 million in past-borrowed funds for the record storage project.</p><p>Renovations are estimated at $570,000 for record storage and a total $879,000 if the morgue and county coroner&#8217;s office space are included.</p><p>Moving costs are projected to be $67,740, the agenda submission said.</p><p>The county pays $103,104 annually to rent space at the Thomas C. Thomas building. A fee on recorded deeds generates around $7,000 per month that has been eaten up by this rent. This revenue should be sufficient to cover utility costs for the new facility, the administration said.</p><p>The Young Street property is assessed at $985,000, which results in $4,244.56 in real estate taxes annually. The building would become tax-exempt under county ownership.</p><p>Wilkes-Barre Carrier&#8217;s proposal said the property is surrounded by a fence and includes two loading docks with lifts and a large parking lot.</p><p>A &amp; E Group, Wilkes-Barre, reviewed the property on the county&#8217;s behalf and came up with the renovation estimates.</p><p>According to its report:</p><p>The building served as a U.S. Postal Service carrier annex and has been unoccupied for several years.</p><p>The structure appears to be in good condition. The operation and overall condition of the restrooms and plumbing system could not be evaluated because the building did not have water service at the time of the review, though there were no visual signs of past pipe freezing or other serious problems.</p><p>Estimated work includes $115,000 in fire protection upgrades, a $25,000 security system and $60,000 for servicing of the heating/ventilation/air conditioning system.</p><p>Another $65,000 in electrical work is needed because the main distribution panel and some sub-panels and transformers have been removed or vandalized.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL111015recordstorage1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Luzerne County officials may buy this former U.S. Postal Service property on Young Street in Hanover Township to house records and possibly a morgue. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_TTL111015recordstorage1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Luzerne County officials may buy this former U.S. Postal Service property on Young Street in Hanover Township to house records and possibly a morgue. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Learn-Andes</p><p>jandes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Luzerne County may buy building in Hanover Township for $750,000