FARRELL, PA. City buys three lots

Mercer County wants to replace an antiquated office now located in Hermitage.
FARRELL, Pa. -- The city is buying three residential lots in the 600 block of Spearman Avenue to help provide space for a district justice office to be built here.
Mercer County is looking to replace the office of District Justice Henry Russo on Mercer Avenue in Hermitage. The operation outgrew the available space years ago, and the county is drawing up plans to build a new facility.
The southwest corner of Roemer Boulevard and Spearman Avenue, located diagonally across the street from the city building, has been targeted as the site.
The city already owns the corner lot. City council voted Monday to buy three adjoining lots from John and Toula Hardesty at a price of $18,000.
City Manager LaVon Saternow said a house on one of the lots will be razed and the other two are vacant.
Enough space: The addition of three lots will provide a sizable building space for a new office with ample parking, she added.
Farrell probably will donate the land for the project, she said.
The building design hasn't been completed, but early estimates put the cost at about $300,000. Mercer County has indicated it might want some financial assistance from the city to build it, said Mayor William Morocco.
The city might tap some of its revolving loan funds to help, he said.
The revolving loan fund is used to provide low-interest financial assistance to new or expanding businesses in the city.
The county plans to build the new office this year, Morocco said.
In other action, council approved the first of two required readings of a plan to grant a $25 per month cost-of-living adjustment for retired Farrell firefighters.
The money will come from the firefighters' pension fund and will be retroactive to Jan. 1. About 14 retirees will be eligible.