READING, Pa. — A big conversation is happening tonight at City Hall, and it is centered around one building in downtown Reading.
The property at 600 Penn Street, the former Wells Fargo building, is now the focus of a proposal by Berks County to purchase it and turn it into a county government center.
“Last week, Kevin Barnhart, the county COO, called me to update me that the county was indeed interested in this, that the majority of offices will be moved here,” said Reading City Council President Donna Reed. “They plan to acquire it, not lease it.”
County leaders say the move would help avoid costly renovations, including more than $100 million in upgrades needed at the courthouse.
But from the city’s perspective, there are concerns.
“This was a prime building… could it be a banking hub, could it be a commercial hub,” Reed said. “Once it becomes a government building, it comes off the tax rolls.”
City Council President Donna Reed says the city cannot stop the sale, but leaders want answers.
“We plan to ask a lot of questions… to make sure it is as transparent as possible,” she said.
Here is what the proposal would look like: county offices would move out of the current courthouse and services center and into 600 Penn Street. The existing services center would then become a dedicated space for the courts, judges and related services.
That shift raises another key question: what happens to the historic Berks County Courthouse?