HUD officials tour highlights of revitalized Pottsville
Joseph J. DeFelice, HUD's assistant deputy secretary in the Office of Field Policy & Management, Regional Administrator Senior Advisor Elvis Solivan and Regional Administrator Special Assistant Adam Kelly joined local business leaders on a tour of downtown Pottsville, transported by an old-fashioned city trolley. The tour showcased the progress being made with the help of organizations such as the Pottsville Area Development Corp., Barefield Development Corp. and local state legislators.
The delegation met at the newly opened Discovery Park at 3rd and Market streets, then went to the former Miners National Bank, which will become The Rosalia hotel and event space. Bill Metzinger, owner of Metz Properties in Orwigsburg, which is developing the building, presented plans for The Rosalia.
The tour then moved to the Schuylkill Trust Co. building at 101 N. Centre St., which is being developed into market-rate apartments. Savas Logothetides, executive director of PADCO, pointed out the other 'white whale' of downtown apartment development, the historic Thompson Building across the street. The city seeks conservatorship of that long-vacant building, which is owned by an out-of-town landlord, Logothetides said.
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U.S. Housing and Urban Development Assistant Deputy Secretary Joseph DeFelice learns about the Miners National Bank becoming a hotel and event space during a tour of Pottsville, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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U.S. Housing and Urban Development Assistant Deputy Secretary Joseph DeFelice, left, talks with Bill Metzinger inside the Miners National Bank during a tour of Pottsville, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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U.S. Housing and Urban Development Assistant Deputy Secretary Joseph DeFelice takes a tour of Alvernia University – Pottsville CollegeTowne during a tour of Pottsville, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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U.S. Housing and Urban Development Assistant Deputy Secretary Joseph DeFelice discusses his tour of Pottsville, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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U.S. Housing and Urban Development Assistant Deputy Secretary Joseph DeFelice learns about the Miners National Bank becoming a hotel and event space during a tour of Pottsville, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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The tour ended at Alvernia University-Pottsville CollegeTowne, the local campus of the Reading-based university which opened at the former Giant store at 500 Progress Ave.
DeFelice, who started his day with a similar tour in Tamaqua, remarked on the power of collaboration between local organizations to spur economic development. He had previously visited Pottsville in 2019, and was impressed with the progress made since then.
'What I was most impressed with was the collaboration across multiple sectors, whether it's housing, hospitality, health, education,' DeFelice said. 'They seem to have kind of everything they need here now.'
DeFelice believes the one missing piece is affordable housing, which he acknowledged HUD will continue to address with its public and private partners locally.
U.S. Housing and Urban Development Assistant Deputy Secretary Joseph DeFelice takes a tour of Alvernia University – Pottsville CollegeTowne during a tour of Pottsville, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
He noted that many communities, even in rural areas, have urban centers that need vital attention in regard to housing and accessibility.
'The president and (HUD Secretary Scott Turner) have made a strong commitment to rural communities,' he said.
Pottsville appears to have 'all the amenities that they need,' he said, 'but the rents need to be right.'
'With the price of housing skyrocketing, people need the urban center (in Pottsville) … and that's all here,' DeFelice said. 'It's just a matter of making it affordable for people to live here.'
Dave Young, executive director of Schuylkill Community Action, stressed better collaboration between local municipal governments.
'I wish there was a way to bring them all together … to really, collectively find solutions,' he said. 'I think that would be the biggest piece here, getting some of the municipal entities involved in that.'
Others who attended the tour included State Sen. David G. Argall, members of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, and staff assistants for Argall and U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser.
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