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For release
May 2, 2008 - WILKES-BARRE, PA –The revitalization of Wilkes-Barre’s downtown continues to gain momentum with the announcement of the North Main Street Gateway Project. Plans are well underway for a private/public joint venture to transform a blighted and underutilized area at the corner North Main Street and North Street into a dynamic new living/learning community adjacent to the King’s College campus. The properties are located at 155 to 177 North Main Street. Radnor Property Group LLC, a private developer based in Wayne, PA, and Kinship Square, a local non-profit corporation organized to benefit the North Wilkes-Barre community, have joined forces to redevelop three properties in the downtown. The properties include the Corcoran and MacIntosh properties, which contain vacant buildings once used for manufacturing, and the Rodano property. Community eyesores for many years, the Corcoran and MacIntosh properties have gradually deteriorated hurting local businesses, impacting the neighborhood and affecting the pristine campus of King’s College. Finally balance will be restored to this part of North Main Street. "Exciting things are happening on North Main Street again and we at King’s College are thrilled to be a major participant in the revitalization of our neighborhood,” Rev. Thomas J. O’Hara, C.S.C., president of King’s announced. “This new development will not only accommodate a significant need we have in providing new student housing, but will also service the community and King’s with a new childcare facility and retail space while at the same time be a meaningful learning environment for our students enrolled in our Early Learning Educational Program.” Radnor Property Group and Kinship Square are proposing a four-story, 95,000 square foot building on the assembled parcels. This mixed-use project will include 165 beds (69,000 square feet) of student apartments for King’s students, a 154-child daycare center (13,000 square feet) including community-based retail (3,000 square feet) serving both students and neighborhood residents, and a living/learning classroom space (10,000 square feet) housing the Early Learning Educational Program. Proximity to the daycare will be an advantage to the program which plans to use this facility as a learning tool. “We are excited to team up with Radnor Property Group for this major urban infill project adjacent to campus, “ explained David Selingo, chair of the board of Kinship Square. “Partnering with a developer knowledgeable in off-campus development and community revitalization is directly aligned with our interests as a community builder in this part of Wilkes-Barre.” This $19.4 million development is planned for construction beginning this summer with the demolition of the existing buildings. Twenty-five to thirty full- time jobs are estimated to be created with as many as 125 construction jobs. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of summer, 2009 in time for King’s 2009-2010 academic year. “We are extremely grateful to Kinship Square and King’ College for providing the leadership required to make the North Main Street Gateway project a reality,” indicated David Yeager, President of Radnor Property Group. “Urban infill projects involving blighted properties are extremely complex and often times depend on the vision and commitment of those involved. We look forward to working with Kinship, King’s and the City of Wilkes-Barre in bringing this project to fruition.” King's College is a Catholic College sponsored by the congregation of Holy Cross. |