Cleaning Up the Past. Building a Brighter Future.

The Pennhurst property has stood still for decades.

Its buildings are crumbling. Utilities are outdated.

Old infrastructure and contaminated areas limit what can be safely done here.

This land has not been able to serve our community — not for a very long time.

Revitalizing this brownfield is how we change that.

Old, abandoned playground slide with overgrown grass and bushes in front of a large, historic brick building surrounded by trees.

What Is a Brownfield?

A brownfield is land that was previously developed and now sits:

Degraded or contaminated

Structurally unsafe

Economically stagnant

Often fenced off and unusable to the public

But brownfields hold massive potential because restoring them:

  • Protects surrounding land from new development

  • Promotes public safety and environmental health

  • Brings economic value back to the community

Brownfield revitalization is sustainability in action.

An old, abandoned brick building with a central facade, arched entrance, and a tower with a green dome on top, surrounded by overgrown bushes and trees.
Inside an abandoned, dilapidated building with a sloped ceiling, exposed wooden beams, and overgrown plants in the center.
Aerial view of an abandoned, partially ruined industrial or institutional complex surrounded by trees and open fields.

The Hidden Cost of Doing Nothing

Leaving the land untouched doesn’t preserve nature

it preserves contamination.

When a site like this isn’t responsibly redeveloped:

  • Stormwater runoff can carry pollutants

  • Old infrastructure can leak into soil or groundwater

  • Illegal dumping and trespassing increase risks

  • The community receives zero tax benefit

  • The neighborhood lives next to a deteriorating hazard

A vacant brownfield is not green or healthy — it’s a lost opportunity.

With the Pennhurst AI Campus plan:

  • Legacy environmental issues must be addressed

  • Modern stormwater controls replace outdated systems

  • Natural buffers and native landscape are restored

  • Lighting, sound, and visual impact are minimized

  • The land is cleaner and safer than what exists today

It’s the difference between a site declining into deeper disrepair and one finally put to work for the community.

Why This Project Is the Better Path

A forest with tree stumps and fallen trees, some standing and some lying on the ground, with a dense tree line in the background and an overcast sky.
A small creek flowing through a lush green forest with rocks along the banks and dense foliage surrounding the water.

Keeping Growth Where Growth Belongs

Every acre redeveloped here is an acre saved somewhere else.

By reusing this already-developed property, we prevent:

Farmland being paved over

New forests being cleared

New roads and utilities being carved into open land

We grow smart — not outwards.

A large historic estate or mansion with grand architecture, surrounded by a well-manicured lawn and gardens.

This Land Deserves Better — and Our Community Does Too

We’re not erasing history.

We’re restoring land, protecting what surrounds it, and creating benefits that last.

Rebuilding a site like this isn’t just development — it’s stewardship.

A Second Life for a Historic Property

Pennhurst is part of our region’s story — one with pain, change, and resilience.

This redevelopment embraces that history by bringing:

  • New jobs

  • Stronger tax base

  • Infrastructure improvements

  • Long-term stability

We honor the past by giving the land a purpose again.

Aerial view of a college campus with multiple buildings and a courtyard, surrounded by open land.