Dickson City business owners partner to develop youth sports complex

Two Dickson City business owners, Ron Augelli of Talk Shirty to Me and Alfred “Butch” Kriger Jr. of Kriger Pipeline Inc., are partnering to develop a youth sports complex on 17 acres along the Lackawanna River. The land, purchased for $900,000 from Carrier Coal Corp. and its LP, was one of the few sections in the borough zoned for data centers. Operating as American Youth Development DC LLC, the developers explicitly aim to prevent data center construction on the site. Augelli stated they bought the land "to kind of put a little hold on it" and are now turning it into "something nice," effectively taking this prime data center-zoned property off the market. The project is currently in its early planning stages. This development follows a Feb. 12 vote by the Dickson City Council to amend its zoning ordinances, making data centers conditional uses within the light manufacturing district where the property is situated. The proposed sports complex, intended to host youth tournaments and offer advanced training, is described as much needed for the area, addressing a gap in local facilities for younger athletes.