Leighton sees W-B as a city in flux
The Times - Tribune - Scranton, Pa.
Author: NICHOLAS SOHR
Date: Mar 23, 2008
Start Page: O.29
Text Word Count: 663

Document Text
Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton sees his city poised to take a significant step in the right direction.
But fixing the longtime listless downtown is going to take more than bricks and mortar projects, the mayor says, more than new bars, restaurants and boutique shops.
A change of culture is in order.
"The perception is that the downtown is not safe," Mr. Leighton said. "That is not true. Do we have crime in the downtown? Yes, every town does. We are very fortunate that most of the crime down there is nuisance crimes. The perception will soon evaporate and people will feel safe."
The problem Mr. Leighton faces in righting the ship is not unique to Wilkes-Barre. Urban centers across the country are undertaking massive projects to regain their prominence after decades of suburbanization sapped residents and commercial activity.
Mr. Leighton points to the completion of his streetlight project as a major milestone in fixing the downtown. Coupled with the network of more than 500 security cameras the city plans to install around town and increased police patrols funded by a business improvement district tax, the ring of lights will make downtown a more inviting destination, Mr. Leighton says.
The mayor's long-term goal is the make Main Street a "walkable" boulevard lined with restaurants, bars, nightclubs and boutique-style shops.
"Walking is the key. If you go to see the Penguins and you want to get a bite to eat before or after, you have to get in your car. You go to Montage to see a movie, you have to get in your car," Mr. Leighton said. "That's the luxury of being downtown, you can park your car and spend five hours here."
His goal is a lofty one, extending the current gap-toothed entertainment district from North Street to Hanover Street, a 1.7-mile stretch encompassing about 12 blocks.
Mr. Leighton looks to the Northampton and Main mixed-use development to spark the expansion. The owner, the Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry, has been in talks to sell the property to a California-based real estate firm with connections to national chain restaurants and stores.
"The theater project has only been open a year and a half, and they're the anchor," Mr. Leighton said. "A lot of businesses want to see how that main anchor is doing before they start to invest their money."
The mix of options provided by the major attractions -- the Movies 14 theater, F.M. Kirby Center and soon-to-be-completed Riverfront Project -- and the shops and restaurants Mr. Leighton envisions would again give people a reason to come downtown after work and on the weekends.
"Once you get the people here, they're going to stay here," Mr. Leighton said. "They're going to park their cars and walk one or two blocks on Main Street and visit the shops and the restaurants."
Coupled with cities' efforts to bring businesses back within their limits is the push to make downtowns livable again for professionals and empty-nesters.
"I think the downtown is bursting, waiting for residential apartments to come," Mr. Leighton said. "There are people who live in walking distance of the downtown already and I think the market is ripe to bring more people in."
The chamber's Northampton and Main project has room for high-end loft apartments that could be priced as high as $250,000 and another nonprofit developer has plans to restore the Sterling Hotel building and install similar living spaces.
Elsewhere, however, Wilkes-Barre enjoys some of the lowest housing prices in the area. According to real estate groups, the median home sale price in 2007 within the city limits was less than $68,000. Countywide, that number was $138,000.
"The potential is there and the market is right for it right now," Mr. Leighton said. "People want to come in now before the real estate prices go up. People are looking at Wilkes-Barre and are seeing a town that is on the verge of a rebirth."
Contact the writer: nsohr@citizensvoice.com
Credit: STAFF WRITER
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Abstract (Document Summary)
"Walking is the key. If you go to see the Penguins and you want to get a bite to eat before or after, you have to get in your car. You go to Montage to see a movie, you have to get in your car," Mr. [Tom Leighton] said. "That's the luxury of being downtown, you can park your car and spend five hours here."
"Once you get the people here, they're going to stay here," Mr. Leighton said. "They're going to park their cars and walk one or two blocks on Main Street and visit the shops and the restaurants."
"The potential is there and the market is right for it right now," Mr. Leighton said. "People want to come in now before the real estate prices go up. People are looking at Wilkes-Barre and are seeing a town that is on the verge of a rebirth."