Trending
After a year of planning, Warren County officials have a plan for the former Youngsville High School building.
The first phase of the project will move the county’s Department of Human Services, Children and Youth Services and Penn State Extension office into the building. County officials are also reaching out to other potential nonprofit organizations to gauge interest in using space in the former school.
It's a good start to keeping people coming in and out of the building – which was always the preferred outcome rather than the former school building sitting dark and simply deteriorating away. A stream of people in and out of the building was a concern when it was announced that the school district planned to close the building. School employees were a benefit for Youngsville businesses, and we hope the same can remain true of county employees who will soon call the building home.
There is a lot of work to be done between now and then. Heating, ventilation and cooling upgrades are needed for the building, with construction targeted for spring and early 2027. The building could be occupied by the second half of 2027.
Youngsville Mayor Catrina Leamon is right, in our opinion, when she said recently the potential benefits extend beyond the building itself, with opportunities created when people travel to the borough for work or appointments. She said visitors might stop at a grocery store, visit the post office, buy coffee, have lunch downtown or meet family members for dinner. Those visits, she said, could create additional business for local merchants and help keep activity in the community.
The county's decision to pick up the next 24 years of its lease with the school district ends any uncertainty regarding the school building's future. A new use for the school is absolutely an opportunity that Youngsville businesses should seize. The borough still has kindergarten through eighth grade students and teachers coming in and out of the borough every day.
"Personally, I welcome those opportunities, and I hope our businesses do too," Leamon said.
We couldn't agree more with the mayor.