Harrisburg board gathers information on three redevelopment plans for William Penn, makes no decision

The Harrisburg City School District board on Nov. 13 convened a special meeting to gather information on the future of the vacant William Penn campus, hearing presentations and extended questioning from three community proposers and district staff before adjourning to an executive session without making a selection.

The meeting centered on whether to retain and repurpose the 20th-century campus, demolish it for athletic fields, subdivide and sell the land, or enter a public-private partnership. Superintendent Dr. Henry framed the discussion by calling William Penn "meaningful to our community" while warning that restoration would require "well into the tens of millions" and noting an administrative estimate that the full preservation scenario could approach $150,000,000.

District counsel reviewed eight options,…