Another diamond coming to the Diamond City! (Reading, Wilkes-Barre: apartments, daycare)

[W-B proud]

A new $20 million dollar building project is coming to downtown Wilkes Barre! The former Corcoran Printing, Mary Macintosh building, and Rodano's Pizza (which will be relocated to Public Square, where Campus Billiards was) will all be demolished to make way for a new privately owned student housing and retail complex in downtown Wilkes-Barre across from King's college. These old buildings on the northern gateway to downtown W-B have been an embarrasing, blighted eyesore for years. It's wonderful that they are finally coming down to be replaced by yet another multi million dollar project.The Wilkes Barre area is really starting to take off. Just off the top of my head I can think of many projects in the works. The River Commons, The Hotel Sterling, The Intermodal Transportation Center, The new student housing project (mentioned above), The Market st. Square Visitors Center(with scenic dinner train),the proposed Wilkes Law School, Murray Complex (if it ever gets off the ground?), Coal st. Park renovations (thats just downtown!) On the outskirts- Mohegan Sun massive expansion with many restaraunts and pubs to boot, the new 9-building office park at East Mountain corporate center, and a (just announced) new 5-story Comfort Suites Inn to be built up by the Arena/Mall area, and the last remaining tract of land by the Arena has been sold (I'm still waiting to see what will be built there: to all the naysayers and doubters; these projects are all a testament to the rebirth of Wilkes-Barre. The Diamond City will be a pretty impressive city in a few years! I, for one, can't wait! It's all been a long time coming.

[Chefkey]

This is great news W-B Proud, I am looking forward to all the progress as well and plan to participate by accommodating all the new businesses with great banquets.

[W-B proud]

Originally Posted by Chefkey

This is great news W-B Proud, I am looking forward to all the progress as well and plan to participate by accommodating all the new businesses with great banquets.

I just caught the eleven o'clock news. They showed the artcitechual drawings of the completed project. It looks very impressive! Expecially compared to what it looks like now. I only live a block and a half from that corner, so I'm obviously excited over this news. I'm kicking around the idea of someday starting some sort of none profit organization to help raise money for some small scale beautification projects downtown. Some ideas I have are lighting the fountain on Public Square, filling the empty flower baskets that hang on the light-post' on the Market st bridge, a permanant, granite, half dome style band shell for Public Square, and kioske with maps on downtown street corners for visitors (with different color coded districts i.e. the historic district, Market st. Square district, Riverfront district ect. and list all the buisnesses and eateries in that area), and above all- the formation of a events committee. W-B sorely lacks having festivals and other events throughout the year. Public Square is very under-utilized, to say the least. It's embarrasing how few events are held in the city. I can't believe that nothing is being done in this department! I want to petition the city to form a group that plans, markets and carries out these future festivals and events. Some of my bigger (pipe dreams) i'd like to see down the road included 1. a gas lamp lit Victorian Village at Market street Square(a little brick lined pedestrian square with little shops, benches, and a fountain, all tied together with the future Visitors Center 2. A year round Wyoming Valley Marketplace, similar to The Reading Terminal Marketplace in Philly. I think the ground level floor of the future Hotel Sterling parking Garage would be an ideal spot for it. Anyway I type letters to the editors from time to time sharing these and other ideas in hope that the "right people" will read it and hopfully make one of these ideas a reality someday.

[Chefkey]

Originally Posted by W-B proud

I just caught the eleven o'clock news. They showed the artcitechual drawings of the completed project. It looks very impressive! Expecially compared to what it looks like now. I only live a block and a half from that corner, so I'm obviously excited over this news. I'm kicking around the idea of someday starting some sort of none profit organization to help raise money for some small scale beautification projects downtown. Some ideas I have are lighting the fountain on Public Square, filling the empty flower baskets that hang on the light-post' on the Market st bridge, a permanant, granite, half dome style band shell for Public Square, and kioske with maps on downtown street corners for visitors (with different color coded districts i.e. the historic district, Market st. Square district, Riverfront district ect. and list all the buisnesses and eateries in that area), and above all- the formation of a events committee. W-B sorely lacks having festivals and other events throughout the year. Public Square is very under-utilized, to say the least. It's embarrasing how few events are held in the city. I can't believe that nothing is being done in this department! I want to petition the city to form a group that plans, markets and carries out these future festivals and events. Some of my bigger (pipe dreams) i'd like to see down the road included 1. a gas lamp lit Victorian Village at Market street Square(a little brick lined pedestrian square with little shops, benches, and a fountain, all tied together with the future Visitors Center 2. A year round Wyoming Valley Marketplace, similar to The Reading Terminal Marketplace in Philly. I think the ground level floor of the future Hotel Sterling parking Garage would be an ideal spot for it. Anyway I type letters to the editors from time to time sharing these and other ideas in hope that the "right people" will read it and hopfully make one of these ideas a reality someday.

Great work W-B, Let's make it happen by continuing to keep optimistic about Wilkes Barre and entice others to want to be part of this great rebirth.

[The Commish]

Times Leader Story (http://www.timesleader.com/news/20080504_04building_ART.html - broken link)



What I like about it:

• Whatever they built there, it's 1000 times improved on the blighted buildings that formerly occupied the corner.
• The building incorporates mixed-uses. Student apartments, classrooms, daycare, and other retail space.
• The aesthetic is germane with the rest of the campus. King's College colors and similar architectural style. (Although not saying a Frank Gehry building in Wilkes-Barre wouldn't do wonders as well).

What I don't like about it:

• It looks hermetically sealed off from the rest of Wilkes-Barre. I could be wrong, but there appears to be one door on that entire expanse facing Main Street. The ground floor is hardly inviting on the street level. The Margarita apartments suffer from this criticism as well. The Margarita building just takes up space; it doesn't "do anything" positive for the community around it except take the place of a blighted, problematic structure. Granted, this building does do more for the community since the first floor has a 154-capacity modern daycare, but that's it.

When do they bulldoze Essef and the library to build a new library?

[wbnurseguy]

I was downtown last Friday night for Lisa Lampanelli at the Kirby and after leaving the show public square actually reminded me of my favorite college towns. Where nightlife is going on and people are mingling.Barnes and Noble and the Hardware Bar including Thai Thai and Toscana have really helped enliven that area. This new structure looks great and will draw more students to Kings and the area.

[W-B proud]

Originally Posted by wbnurseguy

I was downtown last Friday night for Lisa Lampanelli at the Kirby and after leaving the show public square actually reminded me of my favorite college towns. Where nightlife is going on and people are mingling.Barnes and Noble and the Hardware Bar including Thai Thai and Toscana have really helped enliven that area. This new structure looks great and will draw more students to Kings and the area.

I also have witnessed this while driving down S. Main st. at around 10:30 pm on my way to Whiskey Buisness after work. The downtown was crawling with activity! I almost forgot I was still in Wilkes-Barre for a moment. There must have been at least a hundred people out and about on S.Main st. alone walking to and from thier destinations. It's hard to believe that only a few years ago that whole area was a desolute slum, crawling with hookers, drug dealers, and pimps. No one would dare walk down S. Main st after dark unless they were up to no good. What a dramatic come back! it's amazing what a little revitalization, a few new buisnessess and an increased police presence can do for a bad area. And that area was definatly one of the worst in the city! And it's only gonna get better. Five years from now downtown Wilkes-Barre is gonna really be a hot spot in the area.

[Chefkey]

I am very proud of the locals for their devotion to revitilization and I am very proud to be a new resident embracing the city for what it can be.