Harrisburg – January 26, 2016 – State Senator Jay Costa today issued the following statement in reaction to Governor Wolf’s decision to close SCI Pittsburgh.
“Now that the decision has been made and SCI Pittsburgh is scheduled for closure by the end of June, it is imperative on us all to come together to ensure the shutdown is completed in a thoughtful and strategic manner.
“We need to focus on the future and work hard to bring development opportunities to this site. The goal is to quickly turn this property into a taxable parcel where hundreds of private sector jobs can be created. This would lessen the tax burden on city and county taxpayers and grow Pittsburgh’s employment base.
“My hope moving forward is that we take on the challenges created by this decision and turn it into an economic opportunity for the region. We need to utilize state and local resources and work together with the governor and his economic development team on the future use of the facility and the surrounding property.
“I look forward to working alongside corrections staff and the administration as we move through this process together, committed to offering job opportunities for facility staff while providing for a safe and seamless transfer of inmates and operations in the community.”
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