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Altoona -- its officials and residents -- would be remiss if they were nonchalant about the continuing vacant status of The Mill project, which is near the former Bon Secours Hospital site (before that, Mercy Hospital).
Any community with an unused or underused asset like this one would be foolish to be content with waiting for someone to "come knocking," rather than mustering resources to aggressively seek a tenant or tenants to inject life and vitality into what exists.
Over about the past six decades, stemming from the seeds planted during the early redevelopment years, the Altoona area has demonstrated an uncanny ability to turn setbacks into meaningful opportunities.
In some cases, the sought-after outcome might not have been accomplished as quickly as many people might have hoped.
Nonetheless, those opportunities fell into place eventually, thanks to hard work, commitment and a refusal to accept defeat.
Those same principles must guide The Mill project until it is able to cross the proverbial finish line, with a tenant or tenants in place achieving their respective goals.
There should be no room for failure, despite the challenging circumstances the project already has undergone.
An article about the current status of The Mill, which began on the front page of the Oct. 3 Mirror, referred to the project as a "victim of bad luck," which it no doubt is.
However, that bad luck should not be considered justification for relaxing from the mission of making the facility a functioning part of the local economy in whatever capacity evolves.
True, some initially anticipated types of use failed to materialize due to the pandemic and the lingering conditions in the community resulting from it -- including the shift toward "work from home" opportunities rather than performing job responsibilities within the walls of a traditional workplace.
But many of the impacts from the pandemic are destined to be temporary, if they have not already been scaled back or abandoned -- although, yes, some remain.
The pandemic's timing could not have been worse, said Steve
McKnight, CEO of the Altoona Blair County Development Corporation.
The health crisis shifted enthusiasm and demand toward smaller office spaces, from the 10,000- to 20,000-square-foot areas that generally were in demand pre-pandemic, McKnight said.
According to McKnight, owners of The Mill, like many other owners of commercial real estate, have shifted their attention to adjusting to new market dynamics, rather than remaining stubbornly tied to many of the things that worked in the past.
Even with today's uncertain national, state and local economic conditions, hope should not be abandoned for there being light at the end of the proverbial tunnel with this sizable asset as the centerpiece.
McKnight acknowledged that there has been interest expressed, but no firm commitments have been put forth.
The Mill property comprises three lots. Hopefully, the Mountain City eventually can set an example about how to score a major success even in tougher times.
That means no interruptions in efforts on The Mill's behalf should be allowed.