News

April 25, 2008

County hopes to generate $215,000 in building sale

Spring Brook Water Supply Co. building is among surplus property county wants to sell.

By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.com
Luzerne County Reporter
Jennifer Learn-Andes on Facebook   |   @TLJenLearnAndes on Twitter

Luzerne County officials are counting on $6 million in revenue this year from the sale of surplus property, and they’re trying to generate at least $215,000 of that by selling the Spring Brook Water Supply Co. building in downtown Wilkes-Barre.

The former office building at 30 N. Franklin St. had been wrapped into the county’s purchase of more than 10,000 acres of Theta Land Corp. property.

Mericle Commercial Real Estate Group is listing the property, and bids must be submitted to the county controller’s office by 1:30 p.m. May 29. The county can’t accept less than $215,000, the appraised value.

County commissioners had unanimously hired Mericle to help advertise and coordinate the sale of numerous county-owned buildings and vacant land.

Interested buyers may check out a virtual tour of the property at www.mericle.com/brokerage.

Personal tours may be scheduled by sending an e-mail from the Web site or contacting Mericle Vice President Steve Barrouk at 823-1100.

Commissioners had originally planned to modernize the 100-year-old building before selling it but scrapped that plan because parties expressed interest in buying it as is.

The property consists of two buildings connected by an enclosed walkway, county communications director Jason Jarecki wrote in a press release.

The main building is four stories and 11,048 square feet. The second one is three stories and 4,770 square feet.

“The architecture of the main building is extraordinary,” Barrouk said in the county release. “It’s easy to envision a law firm or architect’s office taking this property over and really turning it into something special. They could really have a presence in Wilkes-Barre’s historic district.”

The property is less than one block from riverfront recreational improvements and Public Square and within walking distance of public parking, the release noted.

Barrouk said a buyer may want to tear down the back building to create parking for an estimated 16 vehicles.

Tweet	Follow @TLnews