Business incubator expansion gets $2.2 million

WILKES-BARRE  – At a press conference thisafternoon, Willie Taylor, the regional director of the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Philadelphia Regional Office, U.S. Rep. , and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, announced $2,263,500 for the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business & Industry’s Innovation Center at Wilkes-Barre II.  

Crews in May began tearing down the Blum Bros. building at 27-29 S. Main St. in Wilkes-Barre. The building has been vacant since 1998, when the family-owned store closed after 87 years of business. The store was founded by Isidor Blum in 1911. In its place will be the city's second business incubation center -- a $5.2 million project.

Clark Van Orden/The Times Leader

Additional Photos Below

The funding will expand an existing program to create affordable office space for local small businesses in Wilkes-Barre which will help them develop their companies and encourage start-up companies to locate and grow in Northeastern Pennsylvania.  The facility will be built at 27-29 South Main St., the former home of Blum Bros. clothing store, in order to accommodate the expansion.

Members of the economic development administration's regional office staff, Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber representatives and area elected officials were at the announcement in Downtown Wilkes-Barre. The project, which the chamber's real estate development affiliate, the Greater Wilkes-Barre Development Corporation, will undertake, involves the construction of a 30,000 square foot building with an estimated cost of approximately $5 million.

See Wednesday's edition of The Times Leader for the complete story.