Renaissance at 500 (Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Washington: luxury, military, condominiums)

[ScranBarre]

Today Governor Ed Rendell was in Downtown Scranton to officially unveil plans for the restoration of the 500-block of Lackawanna Avenue in Downtown Scranton with much pomp and circumstance. WNEP-TV had a very informative story about this project, even going so far as to interview Giovanni Piccolino, the owner of Buona Pizza, one of only two businesses that I'm aware of in that block that refused to be included in the project and are now being faced with eminent domain by the city. While Mayor Doherty painted a pollyanna vision for the project, Mr. Piccolino cried a river about how his decades-old business at the SE corner of Lackawanna & Washington would now have to close in order to make way for the massive multi-million dollar project.

I have mixed feelings on this. On the one hand I don't feel as if the city has any right to take a business through eminent domain in order to further private investment, but on the other hand the Buona Pizza building is an urban blight in itself. If the Piccolino family was so dedicated to wanting to see Downtown Scranton succeed, then why didn't they ever take it upon themselves to do a few exterior renovations to make their building more attractive? Perhaps if their building was a bit more tasteful looking instead of a clunky white cinder block horror the developer would have been more lenient in trying to keep the business independent from his project. I mean, if you look at this situation from the developer's perspective it's going to make no sense to have 9/10 of the block looking revitalized while the building that sits on the gateway corner sticks out like a sore thumb, detracting from the overall vitality of that block's revival.

Anyhow, with that vignette aside I am pleased to post a link to a very informative web site that was just launched in regards to this project that is aimed to signify the nearly entire renovation of Lackawanna Avenue, which was formerly one of the city's most blighted corridors in the early-1990s.

Reniassance at 500

The project will feature restaurants, shops, 18 luxury condominiums, and green space.

[weluvpa]

Its an election year.......

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by weluvpa

Its an election year.......

Very true. In general I'm not very happy with the way this project came about with all of the hemming, hawing, and legal disputes, but I must say that judging by the renderings on the web site the finished product WILL be a visual improvement over what's there now. WNEP seems to even have a slant towards being pro-Doherty, much like the Times-Tribune, because they give the mayor positive air time seemingly semi-weekly. Instead of dwelling on the past and hitting our heads against a brick wall, let's just hope this project comes to fruition.

Election year? I thought the Scranton mayoral race wasn't until 2009? Is Mr. Do-Boy getting an early start with the photo-ops?

[skijmpr]

Hmm, any idea how much the residential units are going to cost?

[scrantonluna]

Overall, I like the project and it seems to finally be picking up steam. I am not that fond of the treatment of the coney island building, which has been greatly diminished; the same has happened to the pub charles building. Piccolino wanted to be bull headed; now he is out of the project, and he will probably be out of his location as well.

[weluvpa]

Bull headed? You mean that he should just have consented to and not questioned an eminent domain action and a condemnation of the building so that a friend of the mayor who just happened to be recieving alot of money from the state could just do whatever he wanted?

[weluvpa]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Election year? I thought the Scranton mayoral race wasn't until 2009? Is Mr. Do-Boy getting an early start with the photo-ops?

"Summer in the city" leading into the fall campaign for the 09' spring primary..

[loveinbloom]

Originally Posted by weluvpa

Bull headed? You mean that he should just have consented to and not questioned an eminent domain action and a condemnation of the building so that a friend of the mayor who just happened to be recieving alot of money from the state could just do whatever he wanted?

I am 100% in agreement with you on this. I have been following the story for 2Yrs (?). Private development and eminent domain? I do not think that is what eminent domain was intened for.

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Election year? I thought the Scranton mayoral race wasn't until 2009? Is Mr. Do-Boy getting an early start with the photo-ops?

He wants to have it done in time to be able to get the photo ops in front of the finished product for election propaganda. I'll bet this project becomes Scranton's version of Wilkes-Barre's Northampton & Main KOZ building.....nice new building takes up most of a large city block...still mostly empty.

Corporate welfare at its worst.

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by weluvpa

"Summer in the city" leading into the fall campaign for the 09' spring primary..

Guaranteed that those billboards make a comeback next year....with Do's face taking up half of the signs.

He is such a cocky looking elitist with that smug grin on his face....especially cocky for such a nerdy looking guy.