SUNBURY — Dimos Panagoulias, the out-of-towner who bought the former Northumberland County Human Services Building at 347 Market St. two years ago, has moved to Sunbury.
He hopes the 25,000-square-foot building and an adjacent 11,000-square-foot office building on Fourth Street that he bought with it will be tapped to house a community college.
"That's what he's waiting for," said his attorney, William Hronis, of Allentown.
Owner values education
Panagoulias did not respond to a request for an interview, but Hronis said his client likes the idea of using the building for a college because he values education. His son, Dino Panagoulias, is dean of the Williamsburg Preparatory High School in Brooklyn, N.Y., and the elder Panagoulias took to the idea of a school when it was presented to him, Hronis said.
Panagoulias bought the building and adjacent office at auction for $225,000.
He was approached about the school after he bought the building, Hronis said. He discussed it with former Sunbury Mayor Jesse Woodring, he said.
Panagoulias, a Greek immigrant, formerly of Luzerne County, came here because he "fell in love with the community," Hronis said. "He's buying a house and living in Sunbury."
"He believes a community college would help the economy and help bring Sunbury back," Hronis said. "He's waiting on them."
Meanwhile, Sunbury architect Stan Seiple and his son, Penn, have their 120,000-square-foot Stitches factory building at 300 Race St. poised and ready to become a community college building.
"Both are ideal," says Lenaire Ahlum, who is spearheading the community-college-for-Sunbury effort as president of the Susquehanna Valley Community Education Project.
Room for social hub, classes
The Market Street building could house classrooms of all sizes, and the street level would be ideal for a cafe, bookshop and social hub, she said. It would enliven downtown Sunbury at a level not seen in many decades, she said.
"Then the Stitches building is excellent for large classes," she said.
The buildings are here, with owners willing to bend over backwards to make them available for continuing education, Ahlum said.
"The students are here," she said, ready and eager to sign up for classes.
And at least a good portion of the community feels a community college should be a focal point in all planning for the future of Sunbury, according to SEDA—Council of Governments' Tom Grbenick, who's helping Sunbury with its comprehensive plan.
"A contingent of Sunburians would also like to see the establishment of a community college within the city to bring new residents and visitors to the city and to create new opportunities for related business development," Grbenick said.
Government backing a must
The sticking point remains lack of political will, Ahlum said.
The community college needs governmental backing to be eligible for state and federal funding and grants.
"Therein lies the funding stream," she said.
For this reason, the idea of a satellite school from an established university or community college, although much discussed in the past, has been given up as not the ticket for Sunbury. In such a case, she said, all funding grants would go to the parent school, not come here. "Sunbury needs its own unique school," she said. "It need to create the 15th community college in Pennsylvania."
The upfront funding would be more than paid back by the added value that would accrue to every business in the city, she said. It would increase and broaden the tax base.
Cambria County made it work
One need only look to Cambria County for an example.
There, in the economically depressed, employment-devastated steel manufacturing area, one courageous county commissioner, Kathy Holtzman, led the way to the development of the Pennsylvania Highlands Community College in the early 1990s.
The county kicked in $660,000 and committed 1 mill in property tax per year to the effort. A mill is $1 for every $1,000 is assessed property value.
After public hearings, the community was predominantly on board. The college has since become a resounding success, awarding associate degrees that increase the income of those who choose to stop there and feeding the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown campus with students who wish to continue their educations. The school also catalyzed the workforce and spurred new business, Ahlum said.
The same could happen in Sunbury.
"We definitely need to have (or elect) leadership that can see a community college would be the economic driver of our region," she said.
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