Luzerne County Courthouse
Luzerne County is seeking offers to purchase the county-owned Broad Street Business Exchange in downtown Hazleton, according to an online posting.
The four-story property at 100 W. Broad St. in Hazleton, which contains an attached wing, was constructed in the 1930s and once housed the Deisroth department store.
The county accepted ownership of the property in 2009 from the nonprofit Alliance to Revitalize Center City Hazleton because the property was headed for a delinquent tax auction.
The nonprofit owner owed the county’s community development office more than $1.8 million in loans, which were at risk of remaining unpaid if the property were sold to the highest bidder at the tax sale. Those community development loans remain as liens on the property, which means net proceeds from a sale must be applied toward the loans, officials said.
Tenants in the 44,480-square-foot structure include Luzerne County Community College, a coffee shop, and a law firm.
Bids will start at the $2.1 million appraised value, as stated in the posting on the county’s purchasing page at luzernecounty.org.
County officials said several prospective buyers have expressed interest.
Proposals are due by 10:30 a.m. Dec. 19.
Real estate broker
A request has been posted seeking proposals from licensed real estate brokers to market and sell county property, according to another purchasing page posting.
While this is a general solicitation for broker services, it was prompted by plans to sell a three-story brick structure at 54 W. Union St. in Wilkes-Barre that previously housed county community development. That property is appraised at $373,000. Council concluded a broker listing would reach more potential buyers.
Council must vote to approve a selected broker.
Broker proposals are due by 4 p.m. Dec. 15.
Meeting recording
As promised, the county Information Technology Department has posted a Zoom recording of last week’s council voting meeting and work session on the county website.
Council had opted to discontinue an agreement that included the posting of council meeting recordings on YouTube for those unable to attend in person or remotely through the Zoom platform.
County IT Service Delivery Manager Ed James had said the county would post a link on the county website within 24 hours of council meetings for those interested in viewing the Zoom recording. James said there is no added cost for the county to provide this service.
The county has a stationary camera for Zoom recordings, which means there are no panning views from multiple cameras like those provided in the past.
The recordings are posted in council’s online public meetings section, under the heading “Luzerne County Council Meeting Archives,” at luzernecounty.org.
Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge
County Manager Romilda Crocamo released a monthly status report on the Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge replacement project, indicating that an engineering technical scope and price for the first phase of the project are still under review by county, state, and federal officials.
Crocamo had closed the county-owned bridge over the Susquehanna River in March after engineers performing an inspection found further deterioration and section loss of primary, load-carrying components.
County Council voted in August to hire Modjeski and Masters Inc. as the engineer to develop three replacement options — a step necessary because federal funding is involved, officials have said.
The next step in this lengthy process will be to fully execute the agreement between the county and Modjeski and Masters, the update said.
Regular meetings are held between all parties to ensure that this project “moves forward in a timely manner,” it said.
The federal government earmarked $10 million for the project. The county also has access to a $55 million casino gambling fund established for county infrastructure.
Since the bridge closing, the alternate route has been the state Route 29/South Cross Valley Expressway crossing, officially called the John S. Fine Bridge.
Totaling 2,072 feet, the bridge connects Nanticoke with the West Nanticoke section of Plymouth Township. The crossing was constructed in 1914 and last rehabilitated in 1987.
