Federal grants will fund 2 Lykens projects
Published: January 7, 2010
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LYKENS — The abandoned Lykens Hotel is expected to get a face-lift thanks to federal grants.
“It’s been abandoned since 1985. It’s looking for the next breath of fresh air,” Kevin Jury, president of the Lykens Community Development Corp., said Wednesday afternoon.
U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, D-17, visited Lykens on Dec. 30 with grants for two long-awaited projects. Holden presented a $150,000 check — a federal grant through the Small Business Administration — to local officials in front of the hotel at 600 Main St.
The money will be split, with $75,000 marked for hotel renovations and the other $75,000 slated for northern Dauphin County’s Rail-Trail project.
“We’re very excited to see these (projects) moving forward,” Ric Cooper, president of the Northern Dauphin Revitalization Project, said, just before being presented with the check.
Holden, who secured the money through earmarks in the recently-passed federal spending bill, said he continues to “find ways to have the federal government help” with local projects.
“We’re going to be good stewards with this money,” Jury told Holden.
Jury said there is no timetable for renovations to the Lykens Hotel, but said it will eventually include retail office space and “upscale” apartments. The project has been kicked around for many years, he said, but has not had the capital to get off the ground.
“This should be a nice shot in the arm,” he said.
As for the other $75,000, Cooper said a scenic trail is planned along the old Lykens Valley Rail Lines. Once completed, the trail will stretch from Lykens’ L&W Baseball Field to Millersburg, nearly reaching the banks of the Susquehanna River.
Officials hope it will be used for biking, hiking and even cross-country skiing.
“The Rail-Trail project will hopefully start in the spring,” Cooper said.
Like the hotel project, however, Cooper said there is no definite timetable for completing the trail.
Local officials, despite being presented with a giant cardboard check, will not actually get the money for several months, Holden said. It will funnel through federal channels to the SBA office in Philadelphia, where it will eventually make its way to Lykens.
“But this money can’t be used for anything else,” Holden assured local leaders.
