Argall TV Report: Renovating Weatherly’s Schwab School and Hazleton’s Y

HARRISBURG - The August edition of the local TV program hosted by Sen. Dave Argall (R-29) focuses on the renovation and reuse of the historic Schwab School in Weatherly and the YMCA building in Hazleton, two well-known buildings that have fallen into disrepair.

The Schwab School, the pride of the Weatherly community for decades, closed in 1991. The building has remained vacant and blighted for 33 years. A strong public-private partnership between Argall, Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-122), Weatherly Borough officials and the Alliance for Building Communities secured $11 million to renovate the school into 30 apartments while preserving the exterior.

"As the new state senator for this area, I placed the restoration and reuse of this historic old structure at the top of my priority list because I've seen how similar efforts in Tamaqua, Jim Thorpe, White Haven and beyond have breathed new life into older communities," said Argall. "To the people of the Weatherly area who never gave up on the dream of saving this beautiful old building, congrats!"

The YMCA building on Church Street in Hazleton is now undergoing renovations that will transform part of the building into a childcare, preschool and after-school center that will provide services up to 150 youth. Future plans for the building include reopening the gymnasium, wellness center and aquatic center facilities for all to enjoy.

As the chair of the Senate Education Committee, Argall has heard from parents and employers throughout Schuylkill, Carbon, and Luzerne counties about the serious need for more local childcare centers. He worked with Rep. Mike Cabell (R-117) and Rep. Dane Watro (R-116) to secure state funding for this project.

"My children both learned to swim at the Hazleton Y," Argall continued. "Like so many others in Hazleton, I'm very excited by the transformation of this blighted and vacant structure into something we can all be proud of."

This edition of the Argall Report will air on:

1. Blue Ridge Communications (Channel 13) every Monday at 10 a.m. and every Wednesday at 10:30 p.m.
2. Service Electric Cablevision: Hazleton, Mahanoy City; Shenandoah - on Hazleton's WYLN TV 35 Channel 507 and MetroCast Communications Channel 10. Please check local listings for airtimes.
3. Berks Community Television (Comcast - Channel 15 and Service Electric - Channel 19) on Thursday at 9 p.m. and Friday at 8 p.m.

The Argall Report is also available online at https://www.senatorargall.com/argallreport/

CONTACT: Jim Brugger