Mullery secures $60,000 for blight in Newport Township

Rep. Gerald Mullery    June 9, 2020 | 9:20 AM

Newport Township, June 9 – In December 2019, State Rep. Gerald Mullery (D)-Luzerne secured $60,000 in grant funding for blight removal in Newport Township’s Glen Lyon section.

“Newport Township officials had attempted to acquire the 125 – 131 East Main Street properties for quite some time,” said Township Manager Joe Hillan. “When we got this grant, it was like a Christmas present because it came right before the end of the year. We knew all we had to do was get through the final hurdle of acquiring the property,” he said.

The East Main Street property contains four dwellings. The largest dwelling partially collapsed a few weeks ago causing the township to seek emergency bids to fell the unsafe building. Newport Township Code Enforcement Commissioner Deb Forgach-Zaleski said, “The township is extremely grateful Representative Mullery had already secured the needed funds.”

“Progress is a process when working and dealing with blighted properties,” Mullery said. “There is a great deal of work that goes on behind the scenes to acquire and remove blighted properties in our communities. This could not have been accomplished without the help of our local partners,” Mullery added.

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