Business

November 20, 2009

Airport site could host new tenant

Agreement could bring a new business to the former site of Damon’s restaurant.

By Jerry Lynott jlynott@timesleader.com
Business Writer
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PITTSTON TWP. – The former Damon’s restaurant on land owned by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport soon could be home to a new tenant.

At Thursday’s meeting of the airport’s bi-county board of commissioners from Lackawanna and Luzerne counties, airport Director Barry Centini said the company leasing the property is close to finalizing an agreement to fill the building located in Concorde Drive, Dupont.

The board agreed to hold off beginning legal proceedings against Dublin-1634 LLC of Scranton until April 1 of next year.

Dublin-1634 LLC of Scranton has been paying rent on the property that had been leased to Dupont Airport Realty. Dupont Airport’s tenant, Dupont Airport Pub Inc., operated a Damon’s on the site for more than 10 years and abruptly closed in March 2007.

“It’s not a national firm, but they have a number of restaurants in North Carolina and Florida and they’re dealing with Dublin,” said Centini. “What Dublin told us is that everything seems to be on track and they think they can be opened up by March 1.”

A message left with Dublin’s Joseph Carroll was not returned.

Two other property lease matters were handled by the board. It recommended approving a two-year lease with Deeluxe Transport Inc. of Wyoming for office space in the airport Aviation Center. The company operated by Harold Flack will pay $15.50 per square foot for the space. The airport will receive $3,255 a year in revenue.

Marywood University, which operates a flight school, also will lease space in the center at a cost of $13.71 per square foot. The one-year lease will generate $2,400 in annual revenue for the airport.

The board recommended awarding contracts to low bidders for window cleaning and natural gas service.

PJ Window Cleaning of Plains Township submitted a bid of $60,000 for three years.

Hess Corp. submitted a bid of $7.11 per thousand cubic feet of natural gas for 2010. The company’s quote was lower than UGI’s bid of $7.17 per thousand cubic feet, but higher than Centerpoint Energy Service’s $6.85 per thousand cubic feet. Centerpoint’s quote did not meet the bid specifications for including a 10 percent swing to protect the airport from penalties if it uses less than the required amount of natural gas.

The Hess quote would provide the airport an “anticipated savings of at least $22,000,” said Michael Conner, assistant airport director.

Conner updated the board on the airport’s passenger activity for October. A total of 17,855 people boarded planes last month compared to 19,827 in October 2008 for a drop of 9.9 percent.

Through October of this year, 176,636 people boarded airplanes, compared to 190,197 during the same period last year for a 7.1 percent decrease.

Conner also reported that airport finances were mixed. The airport recorded net income of $59,407 for October, but a net loss of $47,155 through the first 10 months of the year.

Before the start of the meeting, the board met behind closed doors in executive session to discuss the upcoming contract negotiations with airport employees, said Luzerne County Commissioner and Board Chairwoman Maryanne Petrilla.

Through October of this year, 176,636 people boarded airplanes (at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International), compared to 190,197 during the same period last year for a 7.1 percent decrease.

Jerry Lynott, a Times Leader staff writer, can be contacted at 570 829-7237.

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