After nearly two decades of trying to revitalize the former North Scranton Junior High School, Goodwill Industries of Northeast Pennsylvania faces another delay in its plans to build apartments there.
This time, it's the discovery of a small patch of soft silt beneath the school that is pushing back the start of work another few weeks. It's also adding $300,000 to $400,000 to the cost of its $22.6 million price tag.
"Our geo-science guy said that it is a very, very small thing that needs to be filled," said Gerald Langan, executive director of Goodwill Industries of Northeast Pennsylvania.
Despite the additional expense, Mr. Langan said he is not anticipating it to be a budget breaker. Plans to revitalize the school have been held up for more than 18 years by delays, changing plans and criticism.
Once the project is completed, the school will transform from abandoned building to 58 apartments for residents 55 and older. The building's auditorium will also be refurbished.
The project relied heavily on tax credits received from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency last April that Goodwill Industries then sold to investors for $17 million.
The closing date was also delayed from late September until sometime this month. Work is expected to begin in May.
"It seems like for the last year and a half I've had this thing at the goal line, but I need a linebacker to push it through," Mr. Langan said.
Ronda Beemer, spokeswoman with the contractor, Quandel Construction Group Inc., said in an email that the project is anticipated to take anywhere between a year to 14 months.
Built in 1924, the school closed in 1988 because of the threat of a potential mine subsidence.
The district permanently closed the structure it in 1991.
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