By Joe Napsha

Published: Tuesday, November 13, 2012, 9:00 p.m.
Updated: Wednesday, November 14, 2012

A group of nine commercial and residential buildings on Latrobe's Depot and Jefferson streets will soon be demolished to pave the way for Westmoreland County Community College's new campus.

The Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority has advertised for bids to be opened on Tuesday for the demolition of buildings in the 100 block of Depot Street and one structure at 703 Jefferson St. The county's request for proposals includes removing asbestos and clearing the site.

The redevelopment authority had a pre-bid meeting with four demolition companies and anticipates awarding a contract at the redevelopment authority meeting at the end of the month, Kopas said. Demolition could begin in January, and the county expects to have the site cleared within 100 days of the start of the project, Kopas said.

Ann Powell, Latrobe's code enforcement officer, said she does not expect the county to apply for a demolition permit until the contract is awarded.

The demolition could result in some traffic restrictions, including closing Bank Street, an alley abutting the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks, Kopas said.

The demolition process can move forward because the community college recently finalized the purchase of all the properties it needs for the new 26,000-square-foot Laurel Education Center, said Ronald E. Eberhardt, vice president of administrative services at the college. The current Latrobe campus is housed in a former Kennametal Corp. building near the south bank of Loyalhanna Creek.

L.R. Kimball of Ebensburg will do the engineering and design work on the new facility.

The college hopes to begin construction next spring and complete it by the spring of 2014. The cost of property acquisition, construction and equipment for the modern education center will be close to $10 million, Eberhardt said.

To provide parking for faculty, staffers and students in downtown Latrobe, the college last year acquired three parcels, including two parking lots at Depot and Jefferson streets, from the city for $75,000.

Joe Napsha is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-836-5252 or jnapsha@tribweb.com.

1. Kovacevic: The smartest man in hockey
2. Penguins far from satisfied after Game 2
3. Pirates minor league notebook: Former 5th-round pick Glasnow shining in rotation
4. Woman charged in fatal Lawrence County accident that killed cyclist
5. Penguins notebook: Malkin makes points run
6. Behind Crosby’s hat trick, Penguins sneak past Senators
7. Uniontown man killed in shooting
8. Ex-Steelers QB Batch learns new form of 2-minute drill
9. College baseball roundup: Seton Hill stays unbeaten
10. Indiana County man charged in assault on toddler
11. Organization helps cancer-stricken mother see her kids attend prom

There are currently no comments for this story.
Subscribe today! Click here for our subscription offers.