SewerSFlbproject on hold

By Mary Grzebieniak

Supervisors are delaying action on the bids for 60 days.

HILLSVILLE, Pa. — A sanitary sewer project is on hold until Centaur decides whether to go ahead with its plans for a “racino,” a combination harness racing track and casino off U.S. Route 224 here.

Mahoning Township supervisors said at their recent meeting that they’ll delay action for 60 days on bids for the waste plant to see if any decision is coming forth from the racetrack developer on the proposed $425 million Valley View Downs project.

Supervisor Gary Pezzuolo said $7 million of the $11 million Penn-Vest loan funds earmarked for the sewer project is tied to the 2,500 jobs that would be created by the racetrack, and the state will not release the money until the track is a certainty.

Supervisors announced bidders last week. A.P. O’Horo of Youngstown submitted the lowest of four bids for general construction, at $6.1 million, while the top bid in that category was $10.9 million. Intertech of Lowellville was low bidder on electrical work, at $1.6 million. Four other bids ranged to $1.7 million.

Central Heating and Air Conditioning, New Castle, was low of four bidders for heating and ventilation at $212,327. Those bids ranged to $289,000.

Pezzuolo said the project could be scaled back and the sewer plant redesigned if the racetrack does not go in. The 360,000-gallon-per-day capacity of the proposed plant was designed to meet the racetrack’s needs. The capacity would have to be only 160,000 gallons daily to serve about 600 township residents in Hillsville and Edinburg who would be served by the sewer line.

Concern over the future of the proposed racetrack follows an announcement in September that Centaur had agreed to return an undisclosed amount that had been raised as part of a $1 billion financing agreement. Officials said at the time they were seeking new investors in the project.

Before September’s announcement, Centaur officials had pressed the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board for a quick decision, warning they could lose financing if a decision was not made quickly.

Pezzuolo said the township has been in touch with Centaur officials, who assured them they are actively pursuing the financing. He said he expects them to work aggressively to keep the project alive because they have invested so much in it, including a $300,000 donation to the township toward the sewer project.

The supervisors also handled these other matters:

UDelayed a decision on approval of zoning for a day-care center on the east side of Christine Drive, Edinburg. Tina Robinson is seeking zoning approval before buying land currently owned by Eugene Butch to build the “Sweet Pea Patch.” Supervisors said they did not have enough information to make a decision about the project.

USet the November meeting for Nov. 12, to avoid conflicting with Veterans Day.