The Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Soccer Club announced Thursday that it plans to develop a sports complex on a 42-acre parcel of public works land in North Huntingdon on Route 30.
The facility includes a full-size indoor field and multiple full-size outdoor fields suitable for soccer and other sports.
The new complex will expand the Hounds and Hounds Academy’s footprint while also adding facilities to support existing organizations and sports programs in the area.
Riverhounds owner Tuffy Shallenberger said in a statement that construction of the sports complex is “another major investment in growing soccer in Western Pennsylvania.”
“This new complex will give the Riverhounds and our academy another top-class facility that complements our existing home bases in Connellsville, Coraopolis, and Highmark Stadium,” said Jeff Riverhounds.・President Garner stated.
North Huntingdon commissioners on Wednesday granted a new entity, NHT Investment Partners LP, the exclusive right to negotiate a long-term lease on the property for a 120-day period. Commissioners approved the intent to negotiate by a vote of 6-1. The proposed contract would lease the property to him for 27 years at a cost of $1 per year, with three options for him to extend the lease to a full 116 years.
Board Chairman Commissioner Jason Atwood said Wednesday that officials cannot reveal details of the agreement because the municipality has signed a confidentiality agreement.
“We’re going to negotiate to make sure the town benefits from making this happen,” Atwood said after the meeting.
Commissioner Rich Gray, the lone vote against the agreement, said the agreement gives investors the right to use town property leased by the town as collateral to raise money to build an athletic facility. Mr. Gray said.
NHT Investment Partners lists Joshua Zugai, of Charles Drive, North Huntingdon, as its general partner in its registration with the Pennsylvania Department of State dated February 7, 2024. No other partners are listed on the state’s website. As of Thursday, North Huntingdon Township Sports Complex LLC was not registered as a business with the state.
Zugai could not be reached for comment.
ongoing negotiations
For the past several months, commissioners have been holding closed executive meetings to discuss what they call “real estate issues.” Atwood declined to discuss the content of the meeting or identify the other party. The state’s Sunshine Law allows government agencies to discuss real estate issues in executive council meetings.
Details of what the investment group is proposing to do with the 40 acres remained shrouded in secrecy at the meeting. Commissioners asked what expertise the investor had in realizing a sports complex on public land, and what steps could be taken if the investor leased the land but was unable to build the complex. He did not explain certain safety measures.
Daniel Cornak, president of the Friends of Norwin Trails group, said the town would not approve the agreement with the investment group unless there is language requiring the sports complex to be accessible by foot or bike path. He said it shouldn’t be done. Cornack said the site could be connected by a path to Clifton Drive, which is adjacent to the public works property, making it easier for young people to get to the sports complex.
This is the second proposal the town has received in the past six months to build a sports complex at the site.
Shane Larkin of North Huntingdon, owner of the Westmoreland County franchise of N-Zone Sports, which organizes and manages youth sports, told commissioners in December that he would receive a $10 million deal covering about 15 to 15 games. A proposal was submitted for a multi-field and court sports complex. 18 acres on public works land.
Larkin could not be reached for comment Thursday, but said in January that his company would seek a long-term lease.
Larkin’s proposal included an indoor turf field and track, two soccer fields, multiple indoor basketball courts, an outdoor deck hockey rink, an inline skating rink and possibly a pickleball court.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering the Irwin, North Huntingdon and Norwin school districts. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked for the tribe since the early 1980s. Please contact us at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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