Time Warner: What's Next?

As Coudersport pauses for Christmas, it won't be long before the harsh reality of next year's economic challenges returns, front and center.

Time Warner Cable's February withdrawal from the town, as well as the continuing demise of Adelphia Cable, will throw roughly 600 people out of work.

Coudersport's distress flag is already being seen everywhere from the halls of Congress to the governor's office. Once the new year dawns, the mission to attract new employers or give some of the current players incentives to expand will begin in earnest.

There's a move afoot to acquire the Time Warner-owned buildings in Coudersport, principally the former elementary school on North Main Street and the former "Tennis Center" on the west end of town, to attract employers.

The school building, although aging, was completely renovated for use by Adelphia and has great potential as an office complex. It now has an elevator, climate control, highquality woodwork and many other improvements.

The other building, which houses Time Warner's Advanced Products Customer Center (APCC), is wired with modern fiber-optic technology and would be attractive to many types of employers.

Adjacent to the APCC is the Data Center, a multi-milliondollar structure that's the jewel of Time Warner's Coudersport possessions. The company's immediate plans are to continue use of that building and keep about 75 engineering and information technology employees on the payroll.

As a symbol of their unity of purpose, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, Congressman John Peterson and Gov. Ed Rendell last week sent a letter to Time Warner asking for specifics on the company's plans, which at this point call for the shutdown of the APCC and the modular offices near Vine and Southeast streets housing the Sales and Marketing Advanced Retention Team (SMART).

The Potter County Redevelopment Authority is becoming the lead agency in coordinating the local response to the Time Warner announcement and the search for new employers. On Tuesday, Authority President Doug Morley was designated as the Coudersport Area Chamber of Commerce point person. He'll be working with Redevelopment Authority Executive Director John Wright and the Governor's Action Team to help develop a strategy.

"While all of this work is getting underway, it's really too early to know the specifics, but there will be plenty of information coming soon," Morley said. "I think the holiday period is a good time for all of us to show those people who are affected by this that we care and we want to help."

State Senator Joe Scarnati, State Assemblyman Martin Causer, Northcentral Pa. Regional Planning and Development Commission, the Potter County Board of Commisssioners and the Community Renaissance Committee have also signed on to support a broad-based plan to avoid an economic calamity in Coudersport.

Time Warner is offering employment to those workers who are willing to relocate to Buffalo or other areas where the company operates customer service centers.