Suprising Scranton & Wilkes-Barre PA

[donybrx]

The opposite of 'on time & under budget' is........

07/12/2005
Downtown W-B theater project to cost more
By James Conmy and Tim Gulla , Staff Writers

Escalating construction costs are prompting developers of the downtown Wilkes-Barre movie theater project to seek additional sources of public funding.
When construction of the 14-screen theater complex and rehabilitation of five blighted South Main Street buildings was announced last year, the estimated price tag was $21 million. About $11 million was from taxpayer-funded sources.

Rising prices of steel, concrete, petroleum and other construction materials have increased project costs above initial estimates, officials from the Greater Wilkes-Barre Development Corp. said Monday.

They insist the project will be completed by June 2006 - six months later than originally scheduled - but also say they plan to ask federal, state and local governments to dig a little deeper. The Development Corp. - a subsidiary of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry - will not release the exact amount it is seeking at this time, said Fred Lohman, senior vice president and chief financial officer.

"We can certainly say construction costs have gone up," he said.
The amount will be made public once application for additional funding is made, he said.
Cost increases aren't limited to this project.
"It's universal," said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Virginia-based trade group, Associated General Contractors of America.

In the last 12 months, diesel fuel prices have climbed 41 percent, steel prices have climbed 9 percent, concrete has climbed 10 percent, and wallboard has risen 16 percent, he said.

"Many public authorities have been throwing out their bids and re-estimating," Simonson said. "It's quite a widespread problem."
The Development Corp. has the resources to finish the project but plans to seek additional public funding so it doesn't limit its ability to finance other county development projects, Lohman said.
He anticipates application for additional public funding will be made within a month.

Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak has a meeting with chamber officials in coming weeks and expects to learn more details, specifically about additional funding requests. The county already has contributed $2.5 million and there might not be enough to go around.
"I've heard grumblings about the theater project being over budget and I have my concerns," Skrepenak said. "We gave the $2.5 million because we thought the project benefits the entire county, but we're fighting our own budget constraints.

"If they ask for more money and we approve the request, it could mean a project just as valuable to a smaller community will be eliminated."
Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton pledged the city's support in lobbying federal and state governments for more funding, but could not commit city funding.
"We're confident there are funding sources available other than the city coffers," he said.

The city's redevelopment authority paid for the acquisition of several parcels for the project, including the five buildings being rehabilitated.
It also served as the applicant for Gov. Ed Rendell's Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program that contributed $5.8 million toward the project in 2004.
The economic development vehicle is not funded in the state's 2005-2006 budget.

Although the theater will not be completed by December 2005 as originally planned, officials say the project is well under way and steel beams will be erected at the site shortly.
"I think it should be very clear to everyone, even the most skeptical among us, there will be a movie theater in downtown Wilkes-Barre next spring," said Lawrence Newman, the chamber's vice president of community and economic development.

Though he couldn't release details, Lohman said the construction budget on the project is almost completely set.

Once local contractors are finished, the anchor tenant, R/C Theatres, will have its contractors finish work for movie theater operations. R/C Theatres Chief Executive J. Wayne Anderson could not be reached for comment Monday.

©The Citizens Voice 2005

[donybrx]

Decent news for DT Wookspareh.....

07/14/2005
County takes first step to buy Market Street Square
By James Conmy , Staff Writer

Luzerne County commissioners on Wednesday night took the first official step to buy the Market Street Square complex in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
Greg Skrepenak, Stephen Urban and Todd Vonderheid approved a $200,000 transfer of funds to the Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority. The authority will use the $200,000 as a down payment on the 7-acre parcel owned by Thom Greco.

The $200,000 guarantees the county first right of purchase and prevents Greco from selling it to anyone else while the county secures funding from a federal Office of Community Development Section 108 loan. Two appraisals have placed the value of the property around $5.5 million.
The county plans to turn the historic train station into a visitors center and eventually use it as a passenger station for rail service between Wilkes-Barre and Scranton.
"I think the possibilities are endless," Skrepenak said at the meeting in Nescopeck Borough.

[donybrx]

Watching the Pocono Mountain region transition from pristine forest environs to more honkin' hoop-la is painful and the process seems to be accelerating..... I tell ya, when they bring a film festival to your town (outside major cities) it's usually the death knell, the point of no return has officially been reached....that's my yardstick, anyway. A decade ago the Poconos were included in America's last great places category and most threatened....and so it goes...

07/16/2005
NJ developer plans to buy Pocono Manor Inn
BY STEPHEN DAILY Staff Writer

A New Jersey developer is considering plans to spend $1 billion to buy and renovate Pocono Manor Inn, a 3,500-acre resort and build a casino and indoor water park there, two officials familiar with the plans said.
Representatives from Matzel Development, of Ocean Township, Monmouth County, have been in talks with the owners of the Pocono Manor and community leaders about their plans to buy the landmark resort that has sat along Route 314 in Mount Pocono for more than a century. The property includes a 257-room hotel, two 18-hole golf courses and a spa, along with several houses.

State Rep. Mario Scavello, R-Mount Pocono, whose district encompasses 80 percent of the resort site, said developer Greg Matzel met with him to go over his plans for the historic hotel.

Mr. Matzel is considering several options, including building a casino, which would require him to add his gaming license application to the growing list of applicants for a handful of available gaming licenses in the state. Such a move would challenge the bids of nearby Pocono Raceway and Mount Airy Resort for a gaming charter.

Mr. Matzel showed Mr. Scavello artist’s renderings of his casino and indoor water park plans, which are estimated to cost in excess of $1 billion.

“I always like to see the land stay the way it is. The (Pocono Manor) owners did a good job,” Mr. Scavello said. “But when I met with the developer, I was very impressed. They have the wherewithal to do everything they want.”

Efforts to reach Mr. Matzel, president of Matzel Development, were unsuccessful. The owners and management of Pocono Manor were not available for comment Friday, but they previously said they had been contacted by potential buyers.

Robert Uguccioni, executive director of the Pocono Mountains Vacation Bureau, said the resort’s owners described the plans to him and said that while Matzel does have an agreement to buy Pocono Manor, the deal was not complete.

If the sale is completed, it will be the latest in a round of major sales, renovations and new developments.

In December, Dunmore businessman Louis DeNaples purchased Mount Airy Lodge for $25.1 million. Mr. DeNaples has plans to renovate the old honeymoon resort into a casino. In April, Greystone Capital Partners bought Tamiment Resort for $64 million. In June, Pocono entrepreneur Arthur Berry III bought Camelback Ski Area for $48 million. And Wisconsin-based Great Wolf Resorts Inc. is building a $92 million indoor water park resort in Scotrun that is set to open in October.

“For the last 18 to 19 months, there has been more interest in purchasing Pocono resort products than in my previous 30 years here,” Mr. Uguccioni said. “Monroe County is one of the fastest-growing population counties and one of the hottest real estate areas. If this is a bubble, it certainly hasn’t burst yet.”

Mr. Uguccioni added that the aspect of having gambling in the area is stimulating interest from developers.

Pocono Manor Inn is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places as a Historical District. To local residents, it is known as the “Grand Lady of the Mountains,” according to its Web site.

The manor, which has its own post office, began as a Quaker retreat in 1902.

Contact the writer: sdaily@timesshamrock.com

©The Times-Tribune 2005

[James Bond Agent 007]

I want another burrito factory.

[donybrx]

hey...you laugh. You mock. you poke fun, but you'd be sorry if burritos weren't made somewhere, mister man......very very sorry. soooo sorry.........

The bitter irony is that here's a city and region that went from fueling the industrial revolution to simply giving people gas.......

[donybrx]

Uh, oh...drum roll, please....maybe a spring roll while you're up .....

the anticipation...perhaps anorther burrito-rama???

07/18/2005
The Downs at Pocono set to unveil slots plans
By Borys Krawczeniuk , Staff Writer

As the state gambling control commission moves closer to finalizing temporary regulations for slot machine venues at horseracing tracks, officials of The Downs at Pocono are primed to unveil detailed plans for their slots parlor.

The state Gaming Control Commission is scheduled to meet Thursday at 10 a.m. in Harrisburg. Commission Chairman Thomas A. Decker said earlier this month that the commission hoped to have amendments to the proposed temporary regulations governing slot machines at tracks completed by Thursday's meeting. However, Commission spokesman Nicholas Hays said last week that the agenda for the meeting hasn't been set so it is unknown if there will be a vote on the regulations.

Meanwhile, the Downs plans to publicize its designs Thursday at 3 p.m. at the track in Plains Township. The unveiling will also include details of new restaurants and stores and the Downs' new name and logo, according to a news release.

Robert Soper, president and CEO of the Downs, declined to provide details during a telephone call last week for fear of violating federal securities laws.

The events Thursday will highlight the parallel tracks being taken by slots developers and the gambling commission during the gestation of the state's gambling industry. While regulators set up the playing field, the industry is getting ready to host the games and the players.

Both are eager to get slots up and running, the regulators because slots revenues will go toward school property tax cuts and spur economic development, the operators for obvious reasons.

The Downs' opening date remains uncertain partly because the licensing process is still up in the air, but the state slots law gives horseracing tracks an edge in getting licensed first. Only the four existing and three planned tracks are allowed to receive conditional licenses. Conditional licensing means the tracks may be granted a license before complying with all requirements if they pass background checks and the commission finds their opening to be in the public interest. Eventually the tracks have to go through the full licensing process under the temporary regulations just like the seven standalone parlors authorized by the slots law. The commission will have to come up with permanent regulations no later than July 2007.

Soper said the earliest the Downs could receive a conditional license to operate slots is January or February. Hays agreed that is likelier now than a December date commission members discussed earlier.

A full-blown slots parlor will take a year to 14 months to build, Soper said, but Downs officials are hoping to operate slots in a temporary facility before then. He declined to elaborate, saying he would Thursday.

Last month, the commission issued its first regulations, which govern the licensing and operation of slot machine manufacturers.

It was a key step forward.

But rules governing the operation of slot machine parlors at four existing and three planned horseracing tracks and seven other venues aren't the only rules necessary before people are playing slots in Pennsylvania.

The commission must still finalize rules for licensing suppliers of slot machines.

Without licensed suppliers, manufacturers have no suppliers to buy and re-sell their slot machines. Besides that, the state slots law says no licenses to operate slot machine venues may be issued until at least three months after the commission decides on the first applications for licenses to manufacture and supply slot machines.

The commission set an Aug. 15 deadline for accepting applications for licenses to manufacture slot machines, but there's a difference of opinion among commission members on what the rules for licensing suppliers should be, according to meeting transcripts.

Originally, the commission proposed rules that set no geographic restrictions on supplier licenses. These rules would leave supply, which under the slots law must be based in Pennsylvania, strictly up to the marketplace.

Commissioner Jeff Coy wants to split the state up into five regions and issue licenses to at least five and no more than 10 suppliers in each region.

Coy, a former state representative, said dividing up the state that way would match the state General Assembly's intent in passing the slots law: to foster the growth of small businesses, create jobs and provide opportunities for women- and minority-owned businesses, among other things.

At the July 7 commission meeting, Decker proposed an alternative - two regional supplier networks.

Commissioner Kenneth McCabe questioned the need for regionalizing suppliers at that meeting, stating, "I still need help and assistance to understand why breaking the state up into different regions is different (than) letting the free market decide."

The commission, which had earlier accepted comments on the original proposed rules and Coy's proposal, is accepting comments on Decker's proposal that are postmarked no later than Monday, July 18.

In their comments on the original and Coy's proposals, slots manufacturers based outside of Pennsylvania objected to regionalizing suppliers. They would rather deal directly with slots parlor operators and think suppliers add an unnecessary middleman who will add to operator costs. The higher costs will be passed on to players.

Gov. Ed Rendell and state legislators are banking on taxes on slots revenues providing up to $1 billion worth of school property tax cuts.

Besides the Downs, Dunmore businessman Louis DeNaples and Pocono Raceway owner Dr. Joseph Mattioli are interested in one of the seven non-track licenses for slots parlors in Monroe County. Last week, Matzel Development, of Ocean Township, N.J., unveiled plans to buy the Pocono Resort, also in Monroe County, and seek a license for a slots parlor.

©The Citizens Voice 2005

[Robert Pence]

The Lackawanna Mine tour and the adjacent anthracite museum at Scranton are first-rate. For anyone who doesn't know the history of labor abuses in nineteenth-century industry, a visit will be a big eye-opener.

The mine tours start with a ride in a mine car that was used to transport miners to and from the work site and take you 600 feet underground in an authentic anthracite mine, and the guides are people who have worked in mines.

I stumbled across the site on my way to Steamtown, thought it might be good for an hour or two, and spent a good part of the day there.

[donybrx]

Interesting, rob 1412.....especially if you're willing to descend 600 feet underground. (not me, baby, lol.)...the mines have a rich history that involves Houston/Dallas type wealth for owners of the day and despair, poverty, illnesses like anthrasilcosis...over and above the
dangers of the job. Some might not know that there was a time when canaries in cages accompanied the miners so that if the bird died there was surely something toxic if not volatile in the air down there and it would be wise to exit......if possible.....very very tough.....There is also a restored mining town called Eckley Miners Village near Hazelton (just a short drive south on I-81 from Scranton). Eckley has a tall coal breaker, several restored 'company houses' and the like. I believe that it was used as a locale for a 1960's or 70's film called "The Molly Maguires" with Sean Connery.... a big screen epic depicting the bloody conflict between miners and owners/management...a very violent/guerilla atmosphere.

Did you ride the eletric trolley at Steamtown...? it's my favorite.

While in Wilkes-Barre over the Fourth, I encountered a guy from Arkansas at the hotel...he and his wife just happened to stop in WB en route to Boston. They were heading north on I-81 and upon reaching the crest of the mountain south of the Valley, they were amazed to see the mile and miles of city lights stretched out below & before them from Wilkes-barre all the way past Scranton. He said he didn't realize the area was so big...........it's
quite a sight....

[donybrx]

07/21/2005
Counties show rise in housing units
BY JESSICA D. MATTHEWS staff writer

Despite a decades-long trend of steady population loss, Lackawanna and Luzerne counties are growing in housing units, new figures show.

The U.S. Census Bureau released today 2004 estimates on the number of housing units in counties nationwide.

Lackawanna is estimated to have 96,405 housing units — a 0.3-percent rise since 2003 and a 1.1-percent increase since the 2000 Census. The county has an estimated 209,932 residents, which is a drop of 1.6 percent since the 2000 Census.

With 146,411 housing units, Luzerne saw a 0.4-percent rise since 2003 and a 1.2-percent increase since the 2000 Census. The county has an estimated 313,431 residents, which is a decline of 1.8 percent since the 2000 Census.

The bureau comes up with housing unit estimates based on building permits, mobile home shipments and a formula using 2000 Census data.

“For years, we’ve been saying the county population has been going up, not down,” Steve Pitoniak, Lackawanna County senior planner, said. “It’s not like they are building homes and they’re staying empty.”

Mr. Pitoniak criticized the way the bureau comes up with population estimates because it uses a formula that includes patterns of past population declines. Those patterns do not include more recent areas of high growth, such as in North Pocono and Montage Mountain, he said.

In Pennsylvania, Monroe and Pike counties top the state as having the most growth in housing units since the 2000 Census, the figures show. Monroe has 74,028 housing units, a 9.5-percent rise, while Pike has 37,245, a 7.4-percent hike.

Since 2003, Pike has seen a 2.3-percent increase in housing units, the most in the state, while Monroe has seen a 2.2-percent rise.

With an estimated 54,117 residents and 14.4-percent increase since the 2000 Census, Pike is the fastest growing county statewide. Monroe, with an estimated 158,925 residents and 12.7-percent hike, is the second fastest.

“I’m not surprised with the estimates,” said Pike County Planner Michael Mrozinski.

Most of the growth in Pike is in municipalities that border New Jersey, he said. Many new residents are turning summer homes into year-round residences, as well as building new houses, he said.

“People are still coming here from New York and New Jersey for quality of life issues,” Mr. Mrozinski said. “The trade-off is the travel time they have to commute to work (in New York and New Jersey).”

Nationwide, there are an estimated 122.7 million housing units, a 5.8-percent increase since the 2000 Census.

Contact the writer: jmatthews@timesshamrock.com

©The Times-Tribune 2005

[donybrx]

OK, so here's the upshot on the planned Mohegan Indian casino-racino for WB's Pocono Downs raceway: the whole enchilada if you'll pardon my mirth, Mr. Bond......
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted on Fri, Jul. 22, 2005

Construction could be running at full tilt

By RON BARTIZEK
rbartizek@leader.net

PLAINS TWP. – The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority won’t waste time once construction begins on Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. And if everything falls in line, there won’t be much of a break until well into 2007.

Jim Gibson, vice president of Keating Building Corp., the Philadelphia company hired to build the nearly $200 million facility, said it is likely contractors will work two daily shifts, and employ more than 1,500 in all during the anticipated one and one-half year project. In the end “we’ll do whatever they want” to get the job done.

The initial phase, a $47 million reconstruction of the clubhouse and grandstand, should start in September and be completed in six months, said Robert Soper, president of the Plains Township harness racing track. A two-story addition will allow installation of 1,000 slot machines and a 10,000 square-foot food court.

While the tribe is willing to gamble it will receive a conditional license to operate slots early next year, it will wait for a permanent license before breaking ground on the main casino, estimated to cost $140 million-$160 million. If both licenses are granted at the same time, Keating will start on the larger project without missing a beat.

There also will be parking for 4,100 cars.

Keating has experience with gambling facilities, having done a similar project at Dover Downs in Delaware.

The company also has worked on casinos in Atlantic City and elsewhere.

Still, this will be a big project for the firm, which Gibson said typically does about $320 million per year in business.

The company’s 200 employees will be supplemented by subcontractors.

Soper said the tribe will seek out local employees and subcontractors where possible. Requirements are being drawn up now and soon will be available to local firms. “It will be a fast-track process.”

The casino, which will borrow some American Indian themes from Mohegan Sun, is designed by Jeter, Cook & Jepson. The firm has several casino projects in its portfolio, including Wheeling Downs in West Virginia and a large expansion at Foxwoods Resort Casino, which is located just a few miles from Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ron Bartizek, business team leader at the Times Leader, may be reached at 970---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

© 2005 Times Leader and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.timesleader.com

[donybrx]

Well, well Wilkes-Barre is 5th in something!!! Don't laugh, dorkwads....it ain't easy...lol. Its the Wachovia Arena which is ranked FIFTH WORLDWIDE FOR ARENAS OF 10,000-15,000 capacity. hahaha.
It's been such a hit that I can't ever seem to get tickets for a (baby) Penguins hockey game, etc., when I'm planning to be in town. Funny, back in th planning stages when a few valiant souls fought to build this arena against the tide of negativity that grips Wyoming Valley, the concession was made to back away from the planned capacity of 13,500 which would have made the facility third in size behind Philly and Pittsburgh in PA. The concession was made to win support the project..Too bad. It should have been larger........

Stadium finances
Wachovia Arena 5th in revenues
The arena made $4,460,195 in the first half of 2005, thanks to high-profile acts such as the Eagles, who grossed nearly $1 million.
By RONALD BARTIZEK
rbartizek@leader.net

WILKES-BARRE TWP. — The Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza is making a name for itself.

According to a ranking posted in the July 2005 Venues Today magazine, the local arena ranked fifth in the world for the first half of 2005 in gross revenues among venues with 10,000-15,000 seats. The arena had sales of $4,460,195 in the period, from 95,367 tickets to more than 20 events.

While the arena can be configured to seat more than 10,000, it generally does not, making the ranking even more impressive, said Kathleen Bird, marketing director. “There’s thousands of arenas. You’re also talking about theaters.”

As in real estate, Gallery of Sound music store owner Joe Nardone said the arena’s biggest asset is location.

“Our routing is perfect” for tours that hit Philadelphia and New York, Nardone said. It’s an easy drive here, and then on to upstate New York and into Canada.

Nardone points out that the arena is the only indoor stage of its size in the region, and can draw from a wide area. “Generally, from the (Lehigh) tunnel up, it’s our market,” and it also is a convenient drive for residents and visitors in the Poconos.

The arena has attracted several high-profile acts, including an Eagles concert in March that was its highest-grossing show, at $934,723. That show also commanded the highest top ticket price, $125.

While the sales figures are impressive, Bird says the arena gets only a small slice of the pie.

“The promoter is the middle man who’s really taking the risk,” she said, since the act is guaranteed a certain payment regardless of ticket sales, and the arena charges a negotiated rental fee.

The arena also makes money on food, concessions and parking, although it often gets only a percentage on souvenir sales. Revenues are offset by employee costs – there can be 300 employees for a big show – utilities and amenities for the performers.

In addition to the Eagles concert, Bird cited performances over the years by Cher, who played two dates spaced a month apart. Before Simon and Garfunkel opened their world tour, Bird said, “They rehearsed here about a week,” then performed their kickoff concert before a crowd of 8,500.

The arena ranks lower in other industry polls, such as one conducted by Pollstar magazine.

“That ranking depends more on number of tickets sold, where Venues Today looks at gross dollars,” Bird said. Both rankings are based solely on entertainment events, not trade shows, hockey games or other events.

Both Nardone and Bird said the Wachovia Arena has built a reputation among artists, and that helps draw quality acts.

“It’s known in the industry as a very successful building,” Bird said.

Nardone puts it in more specific terms: “They won’t be embarrassed with a half a house, plus they can make money.”

State Rep. Kevin Blaum says there are other reasons why the 6-year-old facility is thriving.

“It’s the result of a lot of hard work, keeping politics out of our building, running it as a business,” he said. He calls SMG, the firm hired to manage the arena, “perhaps the best in the world. They have a great staff, and they’re allowed to do their job.”

Blaum helped shepherd through the arena’s construction as an independent facility after a county-owned arena was rejected by voters in 1995. Now, he is chairman of the convention center authority. “We don’t have the safety net that perhaps others have,” he said, so there is an unwritten rule against losing money.

Each year, Blaum said, operations have ended in the black. “Not by a lot, but we do keep our head above water.”

Construction was partly funded with a $22.1 million bond issue. A 5 percent tax on hotel occupancies contributes toward paying that debt.

While he doesn’t get involved in choosing events – “I wouldn’t know the first thing about getting an act into the building,” he says – he wouldn’t mind seeing Jimmy Buffett on the arena stage.

That concert, or another, might be promoted by Nardone. He’s been in the business for decades but has not brought an act to the arena. But he is meeting with arena management soon and said there’s a good chance he’ll have a show on stage next year.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ronald Bartizek, Times Leader business team leader, may be reached at 970-7157.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

© 2005 Times Leader and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.timesleader.com

[donybrx]

Some notes on the Sterling Hotel's future: The 14 story tower in question is a landmark, visually very appropriate. It would be hard to match with a new tower in every sense.......IMO:

Posted on Sun, Jul. 24, 2005

What will be next for the Sterling?
Options to replace tower depend on success of fixing main building

By JON FOX jfox@leader.net

WILKES-BARRE – With its signature red sign and black scaffolding support, the 14-story tower of the Sterling Hotel dominates the downtown skyline.

But if a $22 million vision to resurrect the hotel complex becomes reality, the iconic tower could give way to a gaping hole in the sky.

“We hope to replace it with something that has as significant if not more of a presence within the skyline,” said Alex Rogers, executive director of CityVest, the nonprofit organization pushing for the Sterling’s rebirth.

Architectural renderings of CityVest’s vision for the site include a modern tower filling a void in the city’s silhouette, but construction of the proposed residential tower is pinned on a successful rehabilitation of the original seven-story hotel.

The ambitious plan to transform the moldering hulk into a mix of commercial and residential real estate is slated to progress in two phases.

The first includes the demolition of the tower and a four-story connecting building as the original seven-story corner structure is rehabilitated. It’s the second phase – much deeper in the realm of speculation – that includes the new towering building.

“Phase two is going to be determined largely by the market demand for phase one,” Rogers said. “It can be 10 stories. It can be 14 stories. You can scale it with market demand.”

CityVest is working to move into phase one as soon as possible, but at this stage there is little indication of when a new tower may rise from the ashes.

“We’re not going to wait for phase two to do phase one,” Rogers said. “Phase two is an ambitious project.”

Moving forward with the first half of the project, CityVest is working closely with Cope Linder Architects, a Philadelphia architectural firm known for its work on blighted historic buildings, to finalize conceptual drawings.

CityVest also is moving forward with the acquisition of an adjacent parking lot and the Perry-Block property, where the city recently removed a crumbling and unsafe building and a second phase of environmental abatement. To date, CityVest has solidified $8 million in funding and is working toward securing complete financing.

Rogers also is in discussions with the state’s Bureau for Historic Preservation to make CityVest’s case that the existing tower is a lost cause in redevelopment terms.

Low ceilings and other structural elements make the towering addition economically unfeasible to rehabilitate and an unlikely candidate for a second life, Rogers said.

“We’ve identified the significant challenges to the 14-story building,” he said. “We’re having a very constructive ongoing dialogue about the project.”

The entire 4-acre Sterling site, part of River Street Historic District, is listed as historically significant in the National Register of Historic Places, but it’s the original building that really wields the historic credentials, Rogers said.

Designed by J.H.W. Hawkins, a Wilkes-Barre architect, the corner structure opened in 1897, according to Preservation Pennsylvania, a nonprofit organization.

The 14-story tower was designed by the architectural firm Warren & Wetmore, collaborators on New York City’s Grand Central Terminal. It opened in 1928. A small building on West Market Street between the two sections was purchased to provide access.

The former Elks Club building on North River Street was made part of the complex in 1940.

Funding has not been pinned down nor have potential tenants been solidified, but Rogers is nonetheless optimistic about the progress of the project. “Pieces are in place for the project to move forward on a very timely basis.”

As the plan moves forward, part of the city’s visual signature might be lost, at least temporarily, but Rogers believes a rejuvenated Sterling Hotel will bring memories back to life. It’s the seven-story hotel that occupies a special place in the minds of residents who visited it before it was shuttered.

“They remember the grand lobby and they remember having social functions in the Crystal Ballroom,” he said. “I think the first reaction they have is going to be ‘Isn’t that wonderful that that building has been brought back to life.?’ ”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

© 2005 Times Leader and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.timesleader.com

[donybrx]

Scranton film office forming....well, it's a start...lol:

07/27/2005
Scranton going Hollywood
BY BORYS KRAWCZENIUK STAFF WRITER

With Scranton already the backdrop for the weekly situation comedy “The Office,” a local marketing group is aiming for more Hollywood hype.
Scranton Tomorrow is opening the Scranton Film Office in hopes of attracting other producers of films, commercials and videos to use Northeastern Pennsylvania settings for their productions.

“I think Scranton’s a visually interesting place,” said independent filmmaker John Stefanic, who used the city for location shots in his upcoming film, “Head Trauma,” and who is acting as a consultant on Scranton Tomorrow’s plan. “It’s such a beautiful city.”

Scranton Tomorrow officials plan to detail plans for the film office today at noon at the Endless Mountains Theatre in Dickson City, which is near the Kmart on Business Route 6.

Help getting started

Officials of the Pennsylvania Film Office are expected there to award Scranton Tomorrow a check for start-up expenses, including the “wining and dining” of location scouts, said Paige Balitski, the Scranton Tomorrow project director who will serve as the film office’s director. Mrs. Balitski said the amount is less than $10,000, but said she does not know the exact amount. No other government money is involved.

Mrs. Balitski said she came up with the idea as she and Mr. Stefanic were chatting last year while he was helping to produce “Head Trauma” in the city. The movie, which is about a drifter whose nightmares from a bump on the head convince him he’s a killer’s target, is in post-production and is expected to debut this fall. The idea for the film office took about eight months to germinate.

Mrs. Balitski said the film office will serve as a liaison to producers and others interested in using Scranton as a setting.

The office will work with local governments, businesses and others to help clear the way for productions to happen.

“It’ll bring a lot of money into the area,” she said.

Typically, Mrs. Balitski said, a filmmaker spends about 30 percent of his or her budget where a production is shot. Thus, a $10 million film, which is considered low-budget, will spend $3 million locally on hotel rooms, food, staff, equipment and other expenses, she said.

State has track record

The state has had a film office since 1977, with larger metropolitan areas such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh the most popular destinations. Films shot in Pennsylvania since the office opened include “Signs,” “The Sixth Sense,” “Robocop,” “Gettysburg,” “School Ties” (which had a reference to Scranton) and “Silence of the Lambs.”

Last Wednesday, Gov. Ed Rendell, who was aggressive as Philadelphia mayor in trying to attract films there, signed a bill that will provide certain producers a 20 percent film production tax credit for expenses they run up in the state.

To be eligible for the tax credit, a producer must make a feature film, television series or television shows at least 15 minutes long, and 60 percent of expenses must be spent in Pennsylvania.

“Filmmakers continue to discover that Pennsylvania is an ideal location for film production,” Mr. Rendell said in a statement.

©The Times-Tribune 2005

[donybrx]

Intermodal transportation center set for DT Wilkes-Barre...(in view of such beeeeg things/crowds to come, no doubt... )

07/29/2005
Downtown transit center gets green light
By Denise Allabaugh , Staff Writer

Construction of a $13.5 million intermodal transportation center in downtown Wilkes-Barre could begin in January of next year, said Pennoni Associates project manager Lawrence Fetich.
"Starting in the winter is a hard time to start, but that's what we anticipate," Fetich said. "We're trying to put this project on a fast track."
Fetich and other representatives of Pennoni Associates, the project's designers, joined Wilkes-Barre officials at city hall Thursday to show the public plans for the project and answer questions.

The transportation center will be constructed on South Washington Street behind the state Department of Labor and Industry office building being constructed. It will house the buses now on Public Square and create 600 parking spaces.
In all, the transportation center will have space for 17 buses, Fetich said. This includes 11 Luzerne County Transportation Authority buses and six Martz Trailways buses.

The vacant Radnor building at 63 S. Washington St. will be demolished to make way for the project. The building formerly housed offices but is now in "deplorable" condition, Fetich said.
Funding is in place for construction to begin, said Deputy Administrator Marie McCormick. This includes federal and state funds and $1.5 to $2 million in city funds. The city's share would come from a bond generated from revenues from the city's other parking garages, she said.

In May, council approved Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton's request to pursue a $1.5 million loan for the project.
The facility's design began early last year after an extensive site selection, McCormick said.
"We considered six possible sites for this project, but for one reason or another, five sites did not work out," McCormick said. "This seemed to be the ideal spot for the intermodal transportation center and the proposed garage."

City Administrator J.J. Murphy said the facility will positively impact the city's ongoing efforts to revitalize the downtown by creating additional parking and getting the buses off Public Square.
Additional parking will not only benefit downtown businesses, he said, but there will be parking for people who go to the new movie theaters and retail businesses planned for the Hotel Sterling, projects which also are under construction.

The proposed Riverfront Park project will create increased recreational opportunities which will create additional traffic and a need for even more parking, he said.
"This affords the city the flexibility to have additional parking not only for our downtown business clientele, but for the residents of Luzerne County who participate in making our downtown an 18-hour downtown," Murphy said.
With all the development underway downtown, Murphy said there is already talk of future hotels and additional commercial and retail units.

"This facility alone will help Wilkes-Barre market itself better because we will have the available parking for future development," Murphy said. "This is sorely needed for our city."
Several other cities throughout the state have intermodal transportation centers and other cities are constructing them.
Luzerne County Transportation Authority executive director John Gruzenski said these transportation centers have become the "way of the future."

"The concept is a great idea," Gruzenski said. "It is safer. It is more protective of the weather. It allows us to interact with different modes of transportation, which will be cost-effective. Intermodals provide efficiency in fuel consumption."
Norma Ritchie, a resident of Provincial Towers, expressed concerns about the transportation center being located so close to her residence.

"I'm a little disappointed in the location," Ritchie said. "When we come out of our building, these buses are going to be facing away from us. They're going to be backing into our exit space."
©The Citizens Voice 2005

[donybrx]

Wilkes-Barre's getting a MACY*S:

Posted on Fri, Jul. 29, 2005

Area mall’s Kaufmann’s converting to Macy’s
The move is part of a 330-store national shift as Federated Department Stores realigns.
By RENITA FENNICK rfennick@leader.net


WILKES-BARRE TWP. – A Macy’s store is coming to the Wyoming Valley Mall next year.

Kaufmann’s, which is part of the May Department Stores Co. chain, will be converted into a Macy’s, the flagship store of Federated Department Stores Inc. Federated announced Thursday it was converting about 330 May stores to Macy’s in its pending takeover of the May chain.

The Cincinnati-based Federated also plans to sell 68 stores, including nine in Pennsylvania, where the two companies have duplicate locations. The changes will eliminate all May store names except Lord & Taylor and Marshall Field’s.

Plans for other May operations, such as the Lord & Taylor distribution center at Highland Park, have not been announced.

Federated has pledged not to cut any jobs before March 1.

The May chain of St. Louis also owns David’s Bridal, which has a store at the mall.

The changes mean Macy’s will have a total of 730 stores across the U.S. in nearly every major market. Federated’s decisions followed research into customer attitudes.

The pending $11 billion transaction was announced in May and this month was approved by shareholders of both companies. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter following completion of regulatory review.

The two retail chains have combined annual sales of $30 billion.

Kaufmann’s operates two sites at the Wyoming Valley Mall – in the former Hess and McCrory stores.

Shareholders of both companies approved the takeover this month. Federated expects the deal to close in the third quarter, following completion of regulatory review.

Shares of Federated rose 47 cents to close at $76.24 on the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, where May shares rose 18 cents to $41.08.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Federated Department Stores Inc. plans to close these stores in Pennsylvania:

•Kaufmann’s, Monroeville Mall, Monroeville, 274 employees

•Kaufmann’s, South Hills Village, Bethel Park, 284 employees

•Strawbridge’s, King of Prussia Plaza, King of Prussia, 219 employees

•Strawbridge’s, Lehigh Valley Mall, Whitehall, 112 employees

•Strawbridge’s, Montgomery Mall, North Wales, 418 employees

•Strawbridge’s, Oxford Valley Mall, Langhorne, 137 employees

•Strawbridge’s, Springfield Mall, Springfield, 252 employees

•Strawbridge’s, Willow Grove Park, Willow Grove, 213 employees

•Macy’s Central, Ross Park Mall, Ross Township, 220 em-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Renita Fennick, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7246. Source: Federated Department Stores. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

© 2005 Times Leader and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.timesleader.com

[donybrx]

Scranton to get funds for NYC rail link process, hopefully to have trains runing by 2010: long article: here's the link:

http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFri...ewsid=14949734

......AND maybe a medical school for Scranton!

07/30/2005
Group working to open medical school in Scranton
By Christopher J. Kelly , Staff Writer

A group of area physicians and state and local officials are ramping up efforts to bring a medical school to Scranton.
While still in its preliminary stages, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Medical Education Consortium has commissioned a study examining the feasibility of a school. It should be finished by January, state Sen. Robert J. Mellow said Friday.
The study will cost a minimum of $250,000, paid through a mix of state and private funds, he said.

"There hasn't been a new medical school built in the state since 1962," said Mellow, D-Peckville. "We think this is the appropriate time in one of the few areas that doesn't have a medical school."
A medical school could stem the exodus of doctors from the area and provide a much-needed shot in the arm to the region's economy, Sen. Mellow said.

"The infrastructure of this country is not just roads and bridges," he said. "We have not had a new medical school in this state in 43 years. There is an abundance of doctors in the southeast (part of the state). Why is that? Because of all the medical schools in an around Philadelphia."

The consortium has met with officials of the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine in Hershey and Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Sen. Mellow said. While no agreements are in place, both schools have shown interest in the discussions, he said. The consortium is also consulting with Scranton hospitals and Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.

The consortium began meeting last fall, said Robert Wright, M.D., a professor at Temple University School of Medicine and director of the Scranton Temple Residency Program, which trains primary care internists using the facilities at Mercy and Moses Taylor hospitals in Scranton.
For him, the hook was solving what he calls the area's "medical manpower crisis." If nothing is done to attract more doctors to the area and keep them here, he said area patients may eventually have to travel to Philadelphia and other larger metropolitan areas for procedures no longer available here.

Medical schools in Pennsylvania are currently in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Hershey.
It is not yet clear how much a school would cost to start in Scranton and what role local higher education institutions would play, subjects that could be part of a study.

Efforts to reach the Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., president of the University of Scranton, were unsuccessful. Efforts to reach Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce President Austin J. Burke, who is also working with the consortium, were also unsuccessful.

Linkages between main campuses and a more distant location for medical training exist elsewhere. A medical school in Duluth, Minn., for example, is located at a branch campus of the University of Minnesota. The school admits 53 medical students each year.

The students complete the first two years of undergraduate medical education before transferring to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area for their final two years. Some third- and fourth-year students, however, train in Duluth area health care facilities.

©The Citizens Voice 2005

[wrightchr]

i think the medical school concept for the scranton/wb area is a great idea. several Harrisburg hospitals are affiliated with Penn State Hershey Med Cnter and med students intern at area hospitals to recieve experience and training. this wouldn't be nearly as successfull if there wasn't a medical school nearby.

will the rail link from NYC to scranton be operated by NJ Transit? it was hard to tell exactly from the article whether it was going to be NJ Transit or another agency. i believe this is a great project and i think once it's up and running, more people will use the service, especially tourists. eventually it may even help to reverse outmigration in NEPA, by making it an outer edge city for NYC.

[donybrx]

^^^ I agree re: the med school idea. NEPA needs some high quality installations and institutions onboard if it is to gain people, prominence and enhanced quality of life....your example of hershey medical is a very good one. WB now has Geisinger growing larger than it's original plant with it's takeover of Mercy Hosp., but it isn't a teaching hospital.
I've been up on the Cape (Cod) for a few days...sorry not to repsond.

Your point about who will operate the NYC-Scranton train is well-taken. I get the sense that NJ Transit will operate it, but I will follow the process & post any news for clarity. Such a system is certain to be a big plus for those who have & will migrate from NYC to the Poconos and commute since I-80 gets to be such a pain in the ass so often especially toward the Stroudsburg area and certainly as it nears NYC. I know how sucky it is to wait to cross the George Washington Bridge or to be on I-80 in bumper to bumper traffic when the cops won't let you exit at any exits in order to take back roads...and I'm not a commuter.

[donybrx]

Designer for proposed Mohegan Sun casino at Pocono Downs is selected: A Dallas native (Dallas, PA., not Texas). At least the design for the damned gambling operation is in the hands of a native of the area...he'll have awareness of the environs, hopefully sensitivity about the area, too.......

08/07/2005
Dallas native to design Pocono Downs casino
By Mike Cherney , Staff Writer

Brian Davis is returning home to Wyoming Valley.
Sort of.

After more than 20 years as an architect who crafted casinos and resorts from Mexico to Michigan, Davis, a Dallas native, is the top designer on a project much closer to his old stomping grounds: Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

"Just the idea of being able to do work back in the Valley was something that was very exciting to me," said Davis, 50, who is married and has four children. "I still have a lot of very close ties, dear relationships and fond memories from the valley."

It's clear that Davis, who spoke in a friendly voice over the telephone from his office in Hartford, Conn., has not lost any passion for architecture ever since he began scribbling houses in kindergarten.

That enthusiasm, combined with what he said was a special affinity for Wyoming Valley, led him to approach the Mohegan Sun Gaming Authority about designing the new casino at Pocono Downs.

"The (authority) recognized that my special relationship with the Valley would serve as an asset to the project that other architects would not be able to bring to the drawing board," Davis said.

For friends back in the Valley, the commission came as no surprise.

"He's the man," said Rob Friedman, owner of Exeter-based Friedman Electric, who has known Davis since high school. "He just got excited with the local connection. Mohegan just trusts this guy's work."

Davis, a senior partner at Jeter, Cook, & Jepson Architects, Inc., co-owns the firm with other employees.

He had previously worked with the Mohegan authority on a casino project in Wisconsin.

The authority was happy enough with that project, Davis said, that they were willing to negotiate for the Pocono Downs project with Davis' firm without getting bids from any other architects.

"Brian's a professional," said Harry Coldreck, the vice president for construction management at the Mohegan Sun Gaming Authority. "He can give you the same effort if he was building it in his backyard or building it in other parts. He's just that kind of person."

In crafting the Pocono Downs casino, which is slated to include 1,000 slot machines, Davis said he included some design elements that only Wyoming Valley residents would recognize.

"But if I reveal them now," he said, "it spoils some of the fun."

Davis' career has centered on hospitality projects - buildings such as resorts and casinos where people go for a break from day-to-day life. Building a casino, with its multitudes of lobbies, restaurants, showrooms and gambling areas, allows for a degree of creativity that other building projects lack.

And for Davis, it's more gratifying to design a building where people want to be.

"It's wonderful to provide a new, exciting school for a community," he said, "but you know kids don't like going there no matter what you do."

Growing up in Dallas, Davis attended Wyoming Seminary. He went to Catholic University in Washington, D.C. for his undergraduate and graduate degrees, and did some graduate work at universities in London and Rome.

And, Davis' friend Friedman said, he was captain of the Wyoming Seminary football team.

"Even though he was short, he had the heart and the drive," Friedman said. "And he's got the same heart and drive in becoming one of the lead architects in the country."

mcherney@citizensvoice.com

©The Citizens Voice 2005

[donybrx]

More news on the proposed NYC-Scranton rail link. It's a long article so I'll just give the link for those who have interest......in brief, this will be a long time coming. Justifying service to Scranton as opposed to terminating in the Poconos for the commutation crowd is still subject to study......The statement is made that NJ Transit would operate the line......that agency, of course, already operates at a deficit......
Good transportation to the Poconos will, of course, contribute to the further development of the 'mountains' and an end to the rural nature of the place....
I for one wouldn't mind some slacking off of the population increases that are challenging quality of life in too many ways and in too many places......oh, well.......

http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFri...ewsid=14995419