Should affordable housing be part of Rockview land? Conklin unveils proposal

The future of the land that Rockview state prison sits on has remained a major concern for many since the facility’s closure was announced, and a local lawmaker unveiled a proposal Thursday that could lead to some of the vast land being used for affordable housing.

The proposal from state Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Rush Township, would give counties an option to receive up to 2% of former state prison land that the state sells. If counties accept the land — they wouldn’t be required to — they’d need to use it for affordable housing.

Conklin sees it as a potential solution toward a long-standing problem across the region.

“Especially in Centre County, all you have to do is talk to anyone out trying to buy a home today — they can’t afford it,” Conklin said during a press conference at his South Allen Street office. “They’ve been priced out of a home, and to be quite honest with you, especially within the Centre Region of Centre County, we’re losing a workforce because they cannot afford to live within their workspace.”

Rockview state prison has more than 5,700 acres, so under Conklin’s proposal, up to 114 acres of land could be reserved for affordable housing. He said it would be entirely up to the county to figure out the best fit for what could be built there.

“We appreciate Representative Conklin’s efforts to advocate for the people of Pennsylvania, especially his current efforts, which could help secure land for affordable housing or workforce housing for Centre County residents,” Centre County Commissioner Mark Higgins said Friday.

At the press conference, Conklin offered up examples of what counties could do with the land, including implementing what he called a housing “footprint,” where once the square footage and design of a house is determined, it cannot be changed for as long as the house is there.

That way, if the person or family living at the house eventually ends up making more than the maximum amount to qualify for it, they can move out and the house would be available to someone else who does qualify.

“[This proposal is] about hope, and helping those individuals that work tirelessly for us so that they can afford a home,” Conklin said. “What we want is to take that worker and give them an affordable place to live, especially here within the Centre Region, so that they’re able to go to work and enjoy the same things that everybody else does.”

This proposal is the second piece of legislation that Conklin has introduced regarding Rockview’s land. The first was a joint proposal with state Rep. Dallas Kephart, R-Clearfield/Cambria in early October.

That proposal, House Bill 1951, would require any sale of land associated with a former state prison to follow “specific procedures” meant to increase oversight and transparency, and eliminate the possibility of “sweetheart deals.”

More specifically, the bill would mandate the disclosure of all bids and bidders on any closed prison’s land, oversight by Pennsylvania’s attorney general’s office and publication of the sale in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, a weekly publication for the state’s government.

The bill is being reviewed by the state House of Representatives and Conklin is the process of gathering co-sponsors for his affordable housing proposal, with plans to officially introduce it to the House in the near future.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration finalized a proposal in September to close Rockview state prison and Clearfield County’s Quehanna Boot Camp, citing cost savings but leading to widespread concerns about negative economic impact across central Pennsylvania. The soonest the facilities could close is Jan. 19.

This story was originally published November 13, 2025 at 4:01 PM.