Work begins on the Connell Building

[johnqpublic]

Better???? opening this fall!!!! {maybe not?}
Connell Building Rehab Begins

[8x57mm]

My great grandmother (in a time when it was extremely rare for women be and have professional offices) had one there. She was a physical therapist. The Conner was once all professionals, mostly doctors, with elevator operators, and a great drugstore and awesome bakery downstairs. My brother and I spent a lot of summers there with her while she finished up work before vacation, and then we would head up to the family cottage on Fiddle Lake in Thompson.

It's sad to see what has happened to Scranton. Although we moved from there when I was still quite young, (we once lived on Lafayette, and I went to St. Patricks), I came back every summer until I was 16. Her apartment building (The Rose Bldg.) on Madison Ave., where we ate her great cooking, and watched the men land on the moon the summer of 1969, was bought by the U Scranton and torn down.

Hey... who remembers Hatchy Milatchy?


I wouldn't mind all the demolishing and rebuilding, if it seemed to add up to something, but it doesn't seem it has. Even in the hard economic times that forced our family to move to MA, the downtown was still a vibrant and busy place. The problem is, with the coal industry gasping its last after The Knox Mine Disaster, January 22, 1959

The 60's found Scranton on an endless tide of rising unemployment, and my father's generation and their young families had no choice but to move out. I think Scranton still suffers from that lost generation. Every time we went back to visit everyone seemed to me either quite young, or quite elderly. There seemed nothing in between. I hope better times will eventually come to my dad's home town.

JR

[scrantonluna]

To the best of my knowledge, work is still right on schedule. Limited
spaces were to be available late this fall, they were still working on
waste removal as of only a few weeks ago, truckloads of debris were
drug out twice or more daily for months. They are moving walls and
reconfiguring a good majority of the building, the largest in the downtown.

The parking garage project has been scaled back just a bit, to not
include the extension over Murray's lot off of Spruce, but otherwise also
seems to be on schedule.

You may not be seeing much, but they seems to still be going full speed
ahead. This stuff does take time, it's not HGTV down there.

[HollywoodSIAS]

Thanks Luna for a real answer. It's nice to know not everyone in this city has such a negative attitude towards progress in this city.

[go phillies]

Originally Posted by HollywoodSIAS

Thanks Luna for a real answer. It's nice to know not everyone in this city has such a negative attitude towards progress in this city.

Progress would be taking steps to reduce crime in the city. Maybe taking a proactive stance rather than reactive. Maybe if we had a mayor that treated his position as something more than a stepping stone to higher office, that would be possible. Then, imagine this, if the city was safe and the neighborhoods were desirable again, people would stay here, people would move here, and then that old principle of supply and demand would kick in and private money would build such things as condos due to the increased demand...rather than the government building them looking for a photo op. "If you build it, they will come" is a failed concept.

[NYRangers 2008]

Originally Posted by go phillies

Progress would be taking steps to reduce crime in the city. Maybe taking a proactive stance rather than reactive. Maybe if we had a mayor that treated his position as something more than a stepping stone to higher office, that would be possible. Then, imagine this, if the city was safe and the neighborhoods were desirable again, people would stay here, people would move here, and then that old principle of supply and demand would kick in and private money would build such things as condos due to the increased demand...rather than the government building them looking for a photo op. "If you build it, they will come" is a failed concept.

Exactly. Where is this so-called "progress" all the sheep speak of? Everything you stated is true. Imagine if we had a safe city, desirable neighborhoods and a competent mayor to do all of this. Then Scranton would truly be moving forward. It's not going anywhere under this regime of short-sightedness and foolish spending.

[toobusytoday]

Originally Posted by scrantonluna

Well it's official, they started tearing into the Connell Building this afternoon, with two big dumpsters in front already filled to the brim. I wound up quoting the whole article, there wasn't much to it, and below is the rendition of what the finished product should look like. I hope they make the apartments affordable, there will be 89 units and the key will be to fill them. A small fresh foods maket would be a welcomed sight in one of the store fronts....







http://scrantontimes.com/articles/2009/01/13/news/doc496cc2c486071947610193.txt[/url]

Here's what the OP wants to talk about.... Instead of yet another what's wrong with Scranton thread - please.

[scrantonluna]

If I hear anything else I'll update the post, but I don't see the
workers as much as I used to.

[go phillies]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

Here's what the OP wants to talk about.... Instead of yet another what's wrong with Scranton thread - please.

Sir yes sir!

[scrantonluna]

Just a follow-up, it does seem as though work is on hold at the Connell. My
guess is that the state funding promised was, no doubt, not a lump sum but
rather a structured payment. They are probably dry until the budget passes.

Work does however continue on the parking garage being constructed along
side the Connell. One might question the status of the court off of Spruce
that was to be part of the garage, maily due to the fact that this parcel is/was
owned by Murray, who was ordered to sell off all holdings in relation to an
insurance investigation and subsequent finding.

It would probably make good sense for either the city or the Connell to buy
this property for future use.