New Castle to upgrade basin system

City officials are still trying to sell land on Laurel Avenue to a private developer.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Recent rainstorms have city officials taking a hard look at the storm catch basin system.
City Business Administrator John DiMuccio identified 100 storm catch basins throughout the city that need to be upgraded.
"The rains that occurred this year pointed out significant problems. We need to start work on this project. I don't think it can wait," DiMuccio told council at Tuesday's caucus meeting.
The project is estimated to cost $500,000.
DiMuccio said money from a 1998 bond issue could pay for the work. He noted the bond money is earmarked to pay for a new sanitary-sewer line and the city will likely have to borrow more money to complete that project.
Working on land sale
In other business, council is still working on selling about 14 acres of land to a private developer.
Medure Development LLC approached the city three years ago with a plan to build apartments on 14 acres on Laurel Avenue. But the plans were stalled when the city learned state and federal recreation money was used to build a playground and tennis courts and that money required the land remain a recreation spot.
City officials, however, identified a new piece of land a few blocks away that could be turned into a playground and green space in exchange for the Laurel Avenue land.
DiMuccio said the city is still waiting for permission from state and federal officials to put that plan in place and sell the Laurel Avenue land.
Medure still wants the property, but plans to build a $2 million medical office complex, said city Solicitor James Manolis.
Medure will buy the land for $40,000. Manolis said the city expects to generate about $16,000 a year in property taxes once the land is developed.
Manolis said the new sales agreement is contingent on the playground conversion plan being approved and the New Castle Area School District's approval of the sale. The school district sold the property to the city in 1974 with the stipulation that if the city stops using it as a play spot the land will revert back to the school district.
Manolis said school district officials have indicated that they would support the land sale. He noted the district could realize $26,000 a year in real-estate taxes from the proposed development.