Officials eye 2025 to complete demolition of former state prison in Hempfield

The proposed demolition of the former state prison in Hempfield may not be completed until 2025, officials said this week.

Westmoreland county will seek up to $4 million in state funding to pay for the initial engineering and the demolition of the former State Correctional Institution-Greensburg prison and 14 outbuildings on the 96-acre property purchased last summer by the township.

“We want to have the engineering in place by the end of the year. Our objective is to get it done as soon as we can. We could be in a position to get (the demolition) started by the end of 2024,” said Jason Rigone, executive director of the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Authority.

The authority is seeking a $4 million grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to pay for the demolition. Early estimates from contractors pegged the price for the work between $3.5 million to $5 million, Rigone said.

“This grant will pay to remove the structure. Site improvements for marketing purposes is a step beyond that,” Rigone said.

The 350,000 square-foot prison was shuttered in 2013 and the site has been unused for the last decade. Hempfield paid $3.5 million to purchase the property this year with an eye towards demolishing the buildings and clearing the site for future development.

Westmoreland County joined the project this summer and has taken the lead on demolition plans and the search for funding to pay for the work.

Hempfield Manager Aaron Siko said township officials are anxious to see the property, that sits just off of Route 119, cleared and returned to the tax rolls.

“We realize this is a really big property that has blighted buildings on it. This was a no-brainer for us to buy it and we’re looking for state help for this project,” Siko said. “We are excited about the project and we’re excited for Hempfield’s future.”