County takes ownership
Potter County offices headed to old elementary school

The Potter County Commissioners are moving forward with plans to move county offices into the former Coudersport Elementary School on North Main Street.

A resolution adopted at this week's meeting formally brings the property under county ownership, and commissioners Ken Wingo, John Torok and Cathy Bowers are firm in their resolve to make the building a county annex.

Among those who have questioned the plan is State Assemblyman Martin Causer. He and others believe the commissioners should hold off on occupying the building and instead use it in an effort to attract employers to Coudersport.

No one questions the county's need for additional space. The courthouse is overcrowded and the county has been renting office space. Potter County Human Services is headquartered at the former L.L. Smith Elementary School in Roulette.

The commissioners originally planned to borrow millions of dollars and build a massive courthouse annex on the former Potter County Texaco lot, across from the jail and the courthouse square.

However, after Time Warner Cable acquired the Adelphia Communications Corp. assets in 2006, TWC decided to shut down most of the Coudersport operations and donate the former school building and a nearby parking lot to the county.

County Solicitor D. Bruce Cahilly has been the commissioners' point person.

Adelphia bought the 57,000- square-foot building, which was once a high school and later an elementary school, from the Coudersport Area School District, removed asbestos and spent millions of dollars refurbishing it.

It has an elevator, state-ofthe art wiring, marble and granite stairwells and other modern and ornate furnishings.