"I'm pleased that we've been able to move it into the hands of people who can begin to develop it," says secretary of general services Donald T. Cunningham Jr.
Maintaining the notorious property has been costly, as it has attracted curious trespassers, vandals and arsonists, according to local reports. Once home to as many as 6,500 patients and consisting of about 30 buildings, Byberry was long considered a mental institution of last resort and the focus of numerous investigations.
Byberry's location in a Keystone Opportunity Zone will help spur redevelopment of the site. Projects in Keystone Opportunity Zones get priority for state and local financial assistance. Among the ideas that have come and gone for the Byberry site was a skating rink proposed by developer and mayoral hopeful Sam Katz.
A separate 22-acre parcel will eventually be given to the department of conservation and natural resources, which will expand the adjoining Benjamin Rush State Park. Before that transfer, though, the general services department will demolish a building and remove hazardous material.
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