Resident proposes Altoona brownfield as site for new county prison; commissioner says engineers favor expansion over building up

Mike Senesi, a Hollidaysburg resident and professional engineer, told the Blair County Commissioners on April 17 that a parcel off Seventeenth Street in Altoona could be reused for a proposed new or expanded county prison. He said the site is roughly five acres and already has utilities in place.

“This is about 5 acres, and the infrastructure is there,” Senesi said, describing the parcel as light industrial with existing water, sewer, gas and communications lines. He suggested the site would cost less to develop than building on greenfield land and said the parcel would involve acquiring four adjoining lots tied to Altoona Pipe and Steel and the Pector family.

A commissioner responding during the meeting said the county maintains a strong working relationship with the city of Altoona but cautioned that the site likely has environmental mitigation and hazardous-material issues that could limit expansion. “It also limits the ability to expand,” the commissioner said, noting the county’s preference — based on engineer advice — for building out rather than building up to meet long-term corrections capacity.

Senesi told commissioners he had presented the idea to Altoona City Council and that, as an engineer, he saw potential for a multi-story facility and a parking structure at the site. He said the existing prison is effectively landlocked and that planning should focus on capacity needs 10, 20 and 30 years ahead.

The commissioner said the county receives frequent suggestions for potential sites, and staff and engineers evaluate those leads; they invited residents to continue submitting information on parcels that could meet long-term needs. No formal action was taken on Senesi’s suggestion during the meeting.

The remarks occurred during the public-comment portion of the April 17 meeting; commissioners resumed the agenda afterward.