Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding would like to see the land at the now-closed State Correctional Institution at Rockview stay in agriculture.
He said he’s heard from many people about keeping that property in agriculture. The concerns come, he said, as discussions about data centers are going on across the state.
“So many communities are really worried about the loss of land," said Redding, during a visit to Penn State this week. "It's been happening, but what's really happened in the last couple of months has sort of elevated discussions about: 'Well, I value that open space, right? I want to see that continue as productive agricultural lands.”
The state shut down Rockview prison earlier this year — leaving the future of about 5,700 acres of undeveloped farm and forested land in Centre County unsettled. That’s drawn interest from a number of organizations, agencies, politicians, and ag officials like Redding.
“I do think it's worth noting that that's really prime agricultural land," he said. "And there are a lot of places that you really see land disappearing quickly. So if we can hang on to it here or part of that, we'll keep advocating.”
The state Department of General Services could eventually sell the land or part of it or transfer it to a new owner.
