By Mary Spicer
“I have no comment on that. I don’t want to throw any stones.”
With those words, Scott Bryer, who purchased the former Meadville Industrial Complex and Business Incubator from Meadville Redevelopment Authority for $350,000 on Aug. 8, 2008, began and ended a Wednesday interview.
In early November 2009, the Redevelopment Authority took over management of the massive upper-Arch Street landmark, complete with 240,000 square feet of floor space and eight acres of land, popularly known as the former Talon Inc. Plant No. 5, according to Executive Director Jill Groves. Early last week, ownership of Talon Business Center officially transferred from Bryer to the authority, which was the primary deed holder in the project.
“We had been working toward finding some potential funding sources for (Bryer’s) entire project,” Groves said of events that transpired between 2008 and the return of the property. The wheels turned slowly — as is often the case with these kinds of projects, she added.
As for the future, “Legally, he’s out of it,” she explained. “The next step is for the Redevelopment Authority to make a determination of how we get this into other private hands.”
The authority’s first order of business in November was to get the building and its 20 tenants through the winter, Groves said. With a central steam heat boiler system installed long before zoning came into fashion, the entire facility must be heated, even though it’s only approximately 40 percent occupied. “Our goal was to protect the tenants’ interests over the winter,” she said.
Now, with spring on the way, it’s business as usual, Groves said, noting that the facility is still accepting new tenants on a month-to-month basis. As for the tenants who are already there, the only thing that’s really changed so far is where they send their rent checks.
However, the authority is not going to operate the facility long-term, Groves stressed repeatedly. “It’s our intention to turn it over and get it back into private hands. We don’t have an absolute plan yet, but we’re doing the best we can, considering the circumstances.”
As for when that might happen, “we haven’t set a final date for turning it over,” she continued, noting that the authority currently expects to operate the facility for another six to nine months.
The Redevelopment Author-ity’s next monthly meeting is scheduled for April 7 at 7:30 a.m. in Meadville City Building.
Mary Spicer can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at mspicer@meadvilletribune.com.
