WILKES-BARRE — Several residents raised concerns over a proposed hotel and convention center project on Public Square during city council’s combined work session and regular meeting Thursday night.
During the public comment session, resident Sam Troy said he was skeptical about the plan given that the developers tried and failed to complete the project on the site initially proposed at the intersection of River Street and Market Street, where the Hotel Sterling once stood.
“So we’re stuck with that — with that eyesore for God knows, probably the rest of our lifetimes,” Troy said.
H&N Investments LLC purchased the former Hotel Sterling property from the city in 2018 and later announced plans to construct a Gateway Hyatt Place Hotel and Conference Center there.
However, it was announced on May 15 by the developers that the roughly $20 million project would be moving to the old Martz Trailways building at 46 Public Square instead.
During a press conference, developer Hysni ‘Sam’ Syla and project engineer George Albert explained that moving the hotel and conference center to a building that was already constructed would be more cost-effective.
Because of rising construction costs spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, the project would have cost about $40 million if it remained on the Sterling Hotel site.
Mayor George Brown said he believed Syla may end up selling the property to a different developer. When the Times Leader spoke with Syla on May 15, he indicated that he wasn’t sure what he would do with the property, but new plans would be announced soon.
“Maybe it’s not his fault altogether, but I think it’s shameful what happened in that Sterling property,” Troy continued.
He also seemed skeptical of the project’s new location and questioned the developer’s available finances.
“How do we know [Sam Syla] is gonna come through with that?” Troy asked.
Almond Lane resident John Suchoski voiced similar concerns and asked council if they now felt it was wrong to approve Syla’s purchase of the property back in 2018.
“You didn’t go through and do your right research because they did not have the ability to build this property,” he said.
While he wants to be optimistic about the latested version of the project, Suchoski said that was difficult to do because it’s been in limbo for so long.
“I know everybody wants to be able to do that, and we want this down here, but do they have the actual ability to do it?” he asked.
Suchoski also criticized the council for its apparent removal of the reverter clause in the sales contract that would have allowed ownership of the property to revert back to the city under specific conditions.
“Like, now we have no control on what goes on that property,” he said. “It could be a gas station, it could be anything.”
Brown responded to these concerns by stating that the developers do have financing to complete the hotel project. He also pushed back against the notion that he was too optimistic about the project’s completion.
“Am I rosy about it? I’m very happy about it, okay? Because I see a very positive new hotel coming into the area that we don’t have. And that’s gonna be very competitive for us,” Brown said.
Additionally, Council Chairperson Tony Brooks, who was on council at the time, defended his decision to approve the sale of the property to Syla, saying he had a proven track record of success in the city.
Syla currently owns restaurants Cafe Tuscana and The Vault, among others.
“It’s completely understandable about everything else that happened with it, and I think you are absolutely correct. They didn’t have enough money. I wish we had a lot of rich people in Wilkes-Barre that could be developers and they would have egos to compete against each other. […] Sad to say, we don’t have that up in Wilkes-Barre,” Brooks said.
Council Member Bill Barrett pushed back again the idea that the city would have “no control” over what ultimately happened to the Sterling site.
“We all share the same concern about what’s going to become of the property, but it’s not going to be a gas station. It’s not gonna be a cigarette shop. There is zoning, there’s planning, all different safeguards to ensure that what someone does to the property is a good fit for the city of Wilkes-Barre,” Barrett said.
Huber Park improvements
In regards to agenda items, council voted to approve a resolution that would allow the city to apply for a Trails and Recreation Program (GTRP) grant in the amount of $250,000.00 from the Commonwealth Financing Authority of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for various improvements to Huber Park.
The park, often referred to as Mayflower Park, was officially renamed the Brian Grohowski Memorial Park in 2018.
Brown told council that if the city is approved for the grant, he hopes the park will be completely renovated, which includes installing new playground equipment and redoing the basketball court.
The field where the old baseball field used to be will remain green space, the mayor said, with the possible addition of some benches and fencing.
Brown also thanked Council Member Stan Mirin for championing the project and said they were both up at the park recently, speaking with residents.
Mirin said he believed the park hadn’t be updated since the 1990s.
Brown also gave an update construction at The Bog, off Dewey Lane. He expects work on the special needs playground portion of the project to be completed by the end of June.
Suchoski voiced his support for the Huber Park project and asked for more details regarding the planned improvements.
“I want, you know, I want that park fixed more than anybody,” he said. “I live right by it.”
Additional items approved include the second and final reading on an amendment to an ordinance that would raise fines for drivers who cut through parking lots to avoid waiting in traffic and the appointment of Jerome Dunn to the General Municipal Authority. His term will expire Dec. 31, 2028.
Possible community garden
During the public comment section, city resident Jamie Smith told council that he and a group of his neighbors presented a proposal on April 14 to the South Valley Land Bank, in hopes of acquiring a blighted property on 64 W. Ross St. to turn it into a perennial flower garden and outdoor youth education space.
While he knew the land bank had the final decision, he wanted to make council aware of his plans and ask for the city’s support. Smith also brought a group of residents along with him, who also support the project.
Brittany Stephenson shared her thoughts about the community garden with the Times Leader following the meeting.
“It’s a thoughtfully designed initiative that brings together environmental sustainability and educational opportunities,” her remarks read.
According to his website, Smith has been a resident of Pennsylvania since 2011 and founded the Social Fabric Collective in 2015, which is a nonprofit organization that provides professional photography equipment and education to school students.
“Jamie, I wanna say, I wanna thank you for investing in the city and all the work that you’re doing,” Brooks said.
Brown met with Smith and several other residents about the project following the meeting.
Smith told the Times Leader that he expects his proposal to be on the land bank’s June 11 agenda. That meeting will take place at 9 a.m. at the Earth Conservancy building in Ashley.
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