How Can Wilkes-Barre Be Fixed? (Warren, Wilkes-Barre Township: section 8, transplants, sales)

[SteelCityRising]

So instead of a thread lamenting the violence that has been plaguing the City of Wilkes-Barre, accompanied with chronic negativity, I thought it might be time to initiate a discussion about what can be done to fix Wilkes-Barre's problems.

We have members on here like Magritte25 and Chefkey who live in the Diamond City and love it there. We have expatriates like me who grew up near Wilkes-Barre, decided it wasn't a good fit for us, and relocated. We have transplants into Wilkes-Barre, like Warren Zee, who moved to Wilkes-Barre, didn't like it, and relocated.

Wilkes-Barre, overall, still has many livable areas. Parsons, for example, is home to both Hollenback Park and Parsons Park; has its own full-service grocery store (Schiel's); and has a decaying business district prime for redevelopment along George Avenue. That business district does still have some bright spots like Premo's Bakery, Golden Palace, an auto mechanic, the Parsons Deli, a pizzeria, and a laundromat---not to mention a cool old Citizens' Bank building that would make a great restaurant. The neighborhood is largely safe and is well-located proximate to the North Cross-Valley Expressway; the Wyoming Valley Mall; Downtown; and the casino.

Downtown itself is a prime residential neighborhood. One can be within walking distance to coffee shops; boutiques; Boscov's; Barnes & Noble; the YMCA; numerous restaurants; many bars; the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts; the River Commons; the movie theater; various houses of worship; galleries and lectures at King's or Wilkes; many employers; the library; the annual events and farmers' market on Public Square; etc.

The city has very good bones. What, in your opinion, can be done to upright it?

[jtab4994]

We don't get up to W-B that often, but when we toured Wilkes with our son the immediate area around the college seemed nice. Of course that was in broad daylight.

Also a couple years ago my wife and I had a nice dinner at a restaurant on Public Square and then saw Elvis Costello at the Kirby Center. We would definitely go back if a good show comes around again.

Is there a decent downtown hotel? If not, I'd put one right in Public Square, with a good restaurant.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by jtab4994

We don't get up to W-B that often, but when we toured Wilkes with our son the immediate area around the college seemed nice. Of course that was in broad daylight.

Also a couple years ago my wife and I had a nice dinner at a restaurant on Public Square and then saw Elvis Costello at the Kirby Center. We would definitely go back if a good show comes around again.

Is there a decent downtown hotel? If not, I'd put one right in Public Square, with a good restaurant.

Downtown formerly had a Ramada Hotel right on Public Square. That building has now been purchased by King's College and houses its reputable Physician's Assistant program.

There is Genetti's Best Western Hotel, just a block away from Public Square. It's a popular site for weddings, graduation parties, and business meetings. The hotel itself isn't really what I'd consider to be "upscale", but it serves its purpose. I believe Chefkey used to be a cook at Oyster, the restaurant at the Best Western.

Otherwise all of the other hotels are closer to I-81 in Wilkes-Barre Township or Plains Township.

I personally don't think Downtown needs another hotel to revive it. More housing? Yes. I'd like to see a multi-story apartment building built on the site of the Hotel Sterling.

[draketrutta]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Downtown formerly had a Ramada Hotel right on Public Square. That building has now been purchased by King's College and houses its reputable Physician's Assistant program.

And now the rest of the story:

King's was granted $3mil from the state which enabled them to purchase/rehab the Ramada Bldg.
Most of that $3mil came from casino taxes collected by the state - which was intended for property tax relief for the homeowners (remember that lie the politicos told everyone when they were first legalizing the casinos?

Sorry Mr & Mrs property tax payers, the politicians gave your money to a tax-exempt entity, which in turn purchased the hotel and created yet another tax-exempt black hole downtown.

No big deal - a few less sorely needed cops, a few more crater-sized potholes, and the possibility that W-B raises its absurdly high earned income tax currently set at 3% to make up the difference in lost revenue.

I truly feel sorry for the hard-working property owners of W-B, they face enough financial pressure without having to feed the institutional leeches aka King's and Wilkes.

[ElijahAstin]

I'd be more inclined to walk Downtown at night if the streets were better-lit.

[North Beach Person]

When I lived in western PA this is what we thought should be done to NEPA, and that was almost 40 years ago.


Nothing will change for the better until there are jobs.

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Downtown formerly had a Ramada Hotel right on Public Square. That building has now been purchased by King's College and houses its reputable Physician's Assistant program.

There is Genetti's Best Western Hotel, just a block away from Public Square. It's a popular site for weddings, graduation parties, and business meetings. The hotel itself isn't really what I'd consider to be "upscale", but it serves its purpose. I believe Chefkey used to be a cook at Oyster, the restaurant at the Best Western.

Otherwise all of the other hotels are closer to I-81 in Wilkes-Barre Township or Plains Township.

I personally don't think Downtown needs another hotel to revive it. More housing? Yes. I'd like to see a multi-story apartment building built on the site of the Hotel Sterling.

If you bring the jobs to the city; housing will follow. Turn towards financials or any sales that 'fit' the city's needs. Try to improve the average salary and people come to the city and hotels/housing will follow.

We have been outsourcing for many years and some studies say that oversea wages are increasing and again making us competitive (perhaps preparing us for another 'industrial revolution'). I know this is tricky and there are many ways to get burnt; especially since robotics are on the increase.

What WB really has going for it is logistics. It is well served by our State's Interstate system: I-81 with I-84 and I-80 not too far away + the Turnpike (I-476). It also has Route 309 and other great State roads. What I am saying is that these major roads are a benefit to trucking, warehouses and industry. The bones are there; it just needs a little more structure.

[Further]

So, the topic at hand is how to save the once thriving metropolis. But what we really have here is another way for a Liberal to ask "How much taxpayer money will it take to fix the problem we Liberals have caused?" The place is in shambles because you liberals, aka. Democraps, just kept digging a deeper hole. Sure, section 8, more entitlements, more hand outs. Just what in the hell did you think the kind of people these things will attract? What sort of person will move here? Now, not only they infested the city, they attract the wonderful outsiders much like themselves. Decent people are rushing out and fools just rush in thinking a pot of gold actually exists there. And now it comes to term. Spend, spend, spend. Well kiss my a**, the tide is turning. It will be a cold day in hell when you convince me to spend more tax dollars on people I don't give a crap about or for that sake, people who don't give a crap about themselves.

[bobconan]

What would save Wilkes-Barre and NEPA in general would be a way to connect it to other culture. We have nothing to compare ourselves to except ourselves. We need to make Places like the lehigh valley and NYC part of our immediate neighborhood. Opportunity would also be pretty nice. It would be nice to not feel foolish about having dreams.

[draketrutta]

The great "cultural experiment" occurred in Hazelton, 20 miles to the south of W-B.
It has been transformed into a Dominican drug trade haven whose # of drive-by shootings rivals the W-B area.
Tax bases destroyed, municipal and emergency services overloaded by non-taxpayers, financial distress approaching bankruptcy.

And the kicker - the Dominicans have no interest in assimilating into the culture there, unless turning young white girls into crack hoes count as assimilation in your world..

Do us all a favor - keep the NYC culture in NYC.