Quote:
Originally Posted by ScranBarre
I would love to see CenterPoint here in the Pittstons started anew. In its rebirth it would parallel the Triangle Research Park in the Raleigh/Durham/Cary/Chapel Hill area in North Carolina. With thousands of positions available for aerospace engineers, software developers, pharmaceutical sales representatives, biochemists, ACCOUNTANTS!!!, etc., our region would FINALLY be able to ebb our "Brain Drain" and retain some of our fresh college graduates. Not all of us wish to relocate to NJ/NYC/Philadelphia for employment, and this would be a great boon to our region.  |
Less three things you already have it. What the NE Pa area lacks is weather, spring to fall is typically February to November in the triangle and some days in Dec-Jan hit the 60' and 70s. The other is the ocean is just over 2 hours away as is the mountains to the west. You have the colleges. IMO lack the
fiscal responsibility to invest in growth and not government programs without an form of payback. But this is about possibilities and imagination so here goes.
1. Tie the two major metro areas together via a rail system, not your average run of the mill train. How about an electric train that carries people and vehicles like the Smart Cars. Just imagine a train that takes many little cars that people can drive on and off like a ferry boat and the people can then drive them to work or shop or see family. They buy tickets for the 'transport' system which gives them the train ride and use of the Smart car. Or if they own a Smart car they can use that as well. Then when small cars become electric the whole transportations system is electric. No more fossil fuels.....As NC done with Research Triangle Park, ties U of Scranton and say Wilkes being both would be connected with the project as research centers for the new form of transportation. This train can ride along side of Rt 81 so people passing through can see first hand the innovative ideas NE Pa can be known for. Look at the industries this could create right there in NE PA. Very much what the Vulcan Irons works did for the area at the turn of the 19th century. Think BIG!
2. You already have Steamtown. People love trains how can the area pass up the opportunity to tie a major theme park to Steamtown. With the proximity to major metropolitan areas of NYC, upstate NY, MD, Ohio, NJ. WOW ready made growth opportunities with investors with vision. Just imagine if #1 above brought people to the theme park.
3. Downtown Wilkes-Barre or downtown Scranton, can't rent the areas in attract business to move there so why don't you turn one of them in what they use to be. A 19th century replica of life back them. Real trolley cars, specialty stores of items from the day, sort of like Williamsburg store workers could dress like they did in the turn of the century. Public Square in WB could be a weekly exhibition place to show like in during the turn of the century. This would bring in tourist if steamtown had the theme park than WB can have the downtown of the era. Again, #1 would be the transportation back and forth. A slogan to use, "Visit yesterday with tomorrow's transportation"
Imagine a Christmas with shopping in a turn of the century settling.
4. Pick a green technology and get the colleges involved and form a competition between, U of Scranton, Wilkes, Kings, PSU, LCCC, Johnson Institute of Technology. Become the next hi tech center and watch the Government money flow in for research and not social programs. This will draw out of town students from other states and areas to live in NE Pa after college versus my generation that left where they had high paying jobs. THINK BIG!
The possibilities are limitless, the area is in the crossroads on the Northeast, Mid Atlantic, Ohio Valley. Now that is the sweet spot to exploit! This could be very exciting times for NE Pa with visionaries in and out of local and state governments willing to step to the plate and take a swing at a future. Even of the swing and strike out the seeds would be set for the future.
Great question!!!!
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05-02-2008, 08:59 PM
Market Common
It seems every other developed country on the planet has a first class rail system except us...
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