WEST PITTSTON — The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will relocate its Sweet Valley office to the former Pennsylvania Army National Guard Center on Susquehanna Avenue, officials have announced.

The move is expected to be completed by late 2021, and the governor has released $1.2 million in funding to renovate the property at 1308 Susquehanna Ave.

“I am pleased that this local building and property will be re-purposed and put to good use, as well as provide a good resource for local anglers and boaters,” state Rep. Aaron Kaufer, R-Luzerne, sasid in a press release.

The state owns the roughly 3-acre parcel, used until two years ago by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs as an Army National Guard center. The state has been actively seeking to dispose of the vacant property ever since.

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“It’s a win for West Pittston and a win for the Pa. Fish and Boat Commission,” said state Sen. John Yudichak, D-Plymouth Township.

Norman Gavlick, Fish and Boat Commissioner for the Seventh District, also hailed the development.

“Having a location on the Susquehanna River will give the PFBC greater access and oversight to one of the largest waterways in the commonwealth,” Gavlick said in the release.

West Pittston Mayor Thomas Blaskiewicz called it “fantastic news for the borough.”

“It fulfills so many dreams and hopes for the residents of West Pittston, especially the victims of flooding in 2011 who have fought so hard to rebuild their homes and our community,” the mayor added.

“We are thrilled that the PFBC is coming to West Pittston,” West Pittston Borough Council President Ellen Quinn said in a press release. “We look forward to the rebirth of the vacant Armory building and to working with the PFBC to ensure a smooth transition.”

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