The former owners of the York County Prison in Pennsylvania soon will find out how much a court-appointed panel says they will receive once the prison is taken by eminent domain.
The former owners, John E. and Joyce E. Gearhart, say they had development plans, and the city’s taking “doesn't seem right,” even though the prison has been closed since 1979, and the Gearhart family didn’t take ownership of the site until 1983.
The property, in the city’s Northeast neighborhood, is six stories and sits on 2.9 acres. On Feb. 21 of this year, the York Redevelopment Authority filed notice that it was taking the property by eminent domain, according to The York Daily Record.
A court-appointed panel was expected to decide last month how much the Redevelopment Authority must pay the former owners of the long-closed York County prison for taking the property by eminent domain.
A Board of Viewers hearing was held July 15 at which appraisers for the two sides gave their opinions about how much the property is worth. The appraisals submitted at the hearing haven't been made public. The Gearharts had the property on the market in 2007 for $3.9 million.