THE YARD INSIDE THE WESTERN PENITENTIARY. | PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

For more than a year, one man has attempted to save the former Western Penitentiary by convincing Gov. Josh Shapiro that the building would be better used for recreational tourism than spending $49 million to transform it into a flat concrete pad.

The movement “Save the Castle” was created by 76-year-old Tom Tripoli, a retired developer who says he has 30 years of restoration experience on the South Side. He proposed that instead of demolishing the building for that hefty price, it could pump money into the economy as a hostel-type hotel or tourism mecca. He’s been running ads on his campaign in local publications.

He has already collected 1,500 signatures on a petition to “Save the Castle.” The website, where the petition is posted, also encourages anyone to send their opinions directly to Shapiro’s offices and request a letter of support from Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, to whom he hasn’t received a response.

Eric Veronikis, a spokesman for the governor’s office, says the governor is “checking on the matter,” but did not have a comment in time for publication.

Tripoli calls his plans for the penitentiary or former State Correctional Institution Pittsburgh, West Penn Castle. The 143-year-old building is located in the Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood along the banks of the Ohio River and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“I clearly don’t understand demolishing the entire property, which is a standing order,” Tripoli says. “[It] would be another languishing pad-ready site in the Pittsburgh area.”

In recent years, the penitentiary has been used as a backdrop in the Showtime miniseries “Escape at Dannemora,” released in 2018, and in the second and third seasons of Paramount+’s “Mayor of Kingstown,” which is poised to start filming its fourth season in Pittsburgh.

SCI Pittsburgh was closed in 2017 by former Gov. Tom Wolf as a cost-saving measure. At the time, it employed 555 workers. It is slated to be demolished beginning later this year; the land would be ready for development in 2027 or later.

In the plans for remediation, Tripoli hopes to take advantage of its close proximity to the city and the Three Rivers Heritage Trail as well as the Great Allegheny Passage, which starts Downtown at The Point.

The website says that the former state prison could host an RV park within the prison walls, accommodating more than 100 vehicles and a service not currently provided in Pittsburgh; a prison tour, museum and gift shop; a dungeon-themed hotel; sets for the film industry; and a budget-friendly hostel to accommodate cyclists.

In an ideal world, Tripoli says he would purchase the Castle, begin the restoration himself and get the hostel up and running for the city. But at his age, he says he’s open to someone else taking the helm.

“Somebody else can do the same thing, […] if they do it I’d be glad to help them,” Tripoli says. “This isn’t a project I need, it’s just a project I want.”

If the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania listens to Tripoli’s plans, the remediation could save them $30 million to $40 million in demolition costs, according to a feasibility study prepared by Michael Baker International, which is referenced on the Castle website.

To sign the petition or for more information, visit savethecastlepgh.org. You can contact Tripoli at savethecastlepgh@gmail.com.