Schuylkill County Commissioners confirmed Wednesday that the federal government has not finalized a deal to purchase the former Big Lots Distribution Center in Tremont Township, contradicting a previous report that the plan was already “confirmed.”
Commissioners Chairman Larry Padora told The Canary that after Wednesday’s public meeting, the Board placed a direct call to the Charles Jones, the firm cited as the source of the rumors, and found that no transaction has occurred, though there is interest.
“There is no confirmation whatsoever. No deeds recorded, no anything that this facility’s even being purchased,” Padora said on Wednesday.
The “Confirmed” Report vs. The Record
Concern in the community stems largely from a Jan. 20 report by the Republican Herald, published under the headline: “Tremont Twp. warehouse confirmed for ICE processing facility.”
That article claimed a sale was imminent or complete. It referenced a letter received by Tremont Township from the Charles Jones Tax Search Division, which requested tax certifications for the property.
According to that report, the letter “stated the sale of the facility to the United States of America, with an estimated settlement date of Dec. 26.”
The report also cited Tremont Township Supervisor Larry Bender, who stated he had forwarded the letter to the County but had not received a reply as of Jan. 20. Based on this document alone, the report presented the purchase as a confirmed fact, a narrative quickly picked up by other regional outlets.
However, Padora stated Wednesday that the report failed to account for verification checks.
“Why the Pottsville Republican ran a story that said this information, we can’t figure it out,” Padora said.
The Canary Exclusive: Verification
While the report relied on the existence of a search letter, Padora told The Canary that a phone call clarified the situation.
Padora said the Commissioners contacted the Charles Jones agency directly on Wednesday, after the public meeting. They reached a representative familiar with the Tremont inquiry who confirmed that while an interested party had requested a title search, no deal had been finalized.
Further, Commissioners checked with the County’s own Recorder of Deeds and Tax Assessment offices. They found no record of a transfer. They also contacted the offices of U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, Sens. Dave McCormick and John Fetterman, and Gov. Josh Shapiro. None of these offices could confirm a sale.
“There is no confirmation anywhere that this is coming,” Padora said. “Everybody’s getting worked up and there’s no confirmation of this in any way, shape, or form.”
FOR THE RECORD: Ever since the Washington Post article was published late last year, The Canary has attempted to contact Meuser’s office for confirmation and has been in contact with several County officials who would know for sure if the deed to the property has been transferred.
No one could confirm that and no such confirmation of the sale was ever published on this site.
Not an Ideal Location
While the Commissioners emphasized that no deal exists, they also questioned the logistics of the rumored proposal.
Padora noted the property lacks public sewer and water connections, making it ill-suited for housing detainees.
Commissioner Boots Hetherington added that the facility was designed for roughly 60 employees, not the 1,500 people rumored to be included in the federal draft proposal.
Retrofitting the warehouse would require massive infrastructure upgrades, Hetherington said.
Residents Urge Action Now, Not Later
Despite the lack of a confirmed sale, about 10 residents turned up at Wednesday’s public meeting to urge the Commissioners to preemptively block the project rather than waiting for ink on a contract.
Tremont resident Lara Wiscount said she and her family are opposed to the facility, questioning why the Board wasn’t being more proactive.
“Why do we wait for something to be done and then backtrack?” she asked. “You need to hear, we don’t want it.”
Josephine Kwiatkowski, representing Schuylkill Indivisible, read a statement condemning the “brutal and self-defeating immigration system.” She and Padora found common ground on the potential economic hit: if the federal government purchases the property, it becomes tax-exempt, costing the County approximately $222,000 in annual revenue. Kwiatkowski said she resented taxpayers having to make up that loss.
Others focused on safety. Rev. Brian Beissel, a pastor in Llewellyn, expressed concern about a daycare center located just a few hundred feet from the site. He also said that Schuylkill County has long been “used” by others to their benefit and then abandoned.
Beissel said it feels as though history may be repeating itself in that regard with the rumored ICE facility.
“What happens when people are in there and they’re supposed to be very dangerous people and we have a daycare center [nearby]?” Beissel asked. “We need to be thinking about the safety of this community… What happens when they come and use our area and then they just leave?”
Tension at the Board
The meeting grew a little contentious when residents pressed the Commissioners to take a harder public stance immediately.
Rachel Keck told the Board she felt their response lacked urgency.
“Your job was to listen to us and fight for us,” Keck said. “What I hear from you is kind of a lot of attitude.”
Keck was referring to pushback from Padora, who stressed the legal limits of County power.
“What would you like us to do? We have no control over the federal government,” Padora responded.
When residents told the Board to publicly oppose the proposal, Padora countered by asking if they would respect the Board’s stance if a majority of County residents supported the facility.
(READ: WaPo: ICE Processing Facility Proposed for Schuylkill County)
TOP PHOTO: Josephine Kwiatkowski, representing Schuylkill Indivisible, expressed disgust with the County being part of President Donald Trump’s immigration policy and plan as well as concern with the lost tax revenue a sale would cause locally. (Coal Region Canary photo)
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