Schuylkill County Future (Reading, Harrisburg, Pottsville: middle-class, transplants, home)

[tremontpa]

What does Schuylkill County's future hold in your opinion? Will the depressing economic state change or will things keep getting worse? Share your thoughts.

[Jerseyjenn]

I think southern parts of the county (the 61 corridor from Schuylkill Haven to Hamburg) will grow and prosper. There is some nice, newer construction to be had at a reasonable price. There is commercial growth, as well. Pottsville may also see some growth and improvement. It really is a charming place...

[tremontpa]

I think that the Mahanoy City, Shenandoah, and Girardville areas will continue to take a beating economically.
Along with the growth along the 61 corridor I believe Pine Grove will grow and possibly Tremont ( I hope). Tamaqua may see some improvments too.

[Jerseyjenn]

Pine Grove is a great town! Well-kept and walkable. It has potential, especially due to its proximity to Interstate 81. I am not as familiar with Tremont, though the area around it is very scenic.

I agree, the northern mining towns like Mahanoy City and Shenandoah will probably take an economic hit. I would put Minersville on that list, too.

[thecoalman]

Firstly you need some commissioners with some economic sense, in regards to the announcement of the possibility of switching to gas feast your eyes on this:

On average a ton of coal costs $160 delivered right now, you'd have to check what they have a contract for but its probably less. It contains 25 million BTU's. You need 25,000 cubic foot of gas to equal one ton of coal.The average commercial rate in Pennsylvania for gas in the month of May was $15.22 per thousand foot of gas and it's been rising significantly.

Coal = $160 for 25 million BTU's
Natural Gas = $380.50 for 25 million BTU's

Just to add the coal producers do not have a horse in this race. They will sell every piece of coal that the county doesn't use this year if they switch to gas because the demand is huge. They don't need the business.

[cowboyxjon]

I think it depends on municipality.

While all of the communities are generally TRYING to improve, I've seen a lot of improvement in Pottsville when I last visited in April. It might not be perfect, and it's not something that happens overnight, but I think the downtown area is improving overall.

I can't speak for some of the other communities, and oddly enough, I haven't been to Tremont since the elementary school closed a few years ago (which I thought was sad for the community). I did drive through Pine Grove, however, on my way home from Harrisburg one day, and it didn't look terrible.

[ScranBarre]

I concur with the popular sentiment here that communities from Pottsville on southwards to the Reading and Harrisburg/Hershey areas will continue to reverse their decades-long decline and become stable places to raise a family whereas the bedrock coal mining areas in the northern reaches of the county (Sheandoah, McAdoo, Mahanoy City, etc.) will continue to struggle. Tamaqua, being so close to the Poconos, might soon start to see some beneficial spill over growth from transplants who may wish to live near Jim Thorpe but are looking for more affordable housing. Pottsville is a city that has always intrigued me, but I've never ventured off of Route 61 to visit. My next urban photo tour will most likely be of Pottsville. I'd also to visit Tremont and Pine Grove. I think the Deer Lake/Orwigsburg areas will continue to see new housing construction and upper-middle-class spill over growth from Berks County.

[FightinPhils]

A must see in Pottsville:


Even if you don't drink Yuengling, or beer for that matter, the Yuengling Brewery tour is interesting. You also learn a lot about the history of the Pottsville area as well.

[tremontpa]

Despite Tower City/Orwin/Muir 's proximity to interstate 81 i do not think that there is any chance for those communities to make a comeback. As for what cowboyxjon said it was really sad when the PGASD closed Tremont Elementary back in 2002. The town faught it hard and the district ignored it all. At least the building has found use as Tremont's second community center. The Rauch Creek Outdoor Vehicle Parks should help with bringing people into Tremont, the town just has to do some advertizing to draw people down the mountain.

[FightinPhils]

I agree on Tower City....that place ranks on the list of most depressing places I've ever had the misfortune of driving through. That stretch of 209 through Tower City, Williamstown, Lykens, etc, seems like a depressing place to live....but once you get further down 209, Millersburg seems like a nice little town, but you're out of Schuylkill County and into Dauphin County at that point.