County to Sell Human Services Building

By Brittany Tressler

The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to approve the sale and lease-back of the Human Services Center in Norristown, the former Sacred Heart Hospital, which has been on the market for 13 years.

“We should never have bought that building. That building has been an enormous drain on the county’s finances, despite the worthwhile work that goes on there. It needs to get back on the tax rolls,” said Commissioner Bruce Castor, who called the purchase a “20-year mistake,” according to The Times Herald.

The Human Services Center will be sold to the Delaware-County based SHDC Dekalb Investors for $17.5 million.

County operations will continue at the Human Services Center as the county continues to lease the space.

According to The Intelligencer, the county spent $7 million on the property nearly 20 years ago, and spent more than $30 million to retrofit and renovate the building.

The county owes $15 million on the property, and it costs $1.5 million to maintain each year, according to officials.

Commissioner Leslie Richards said the county does not need to be in the real estate business, and the sale will bring taxes to Norristown; currently the property is not taxable, as it's government-owned.

“I’m proud to say that the county worked with Norristown, every step of the way. I think that helped this process move forward. In the past, there had been some distrust,” Richards said. “Getting this back on the tax rolls will benefit Norristown, the county, as well as Norristown Area School District.”