River attracts new business owners to city

By Andrew M. Seder aseder@timesleader.comTimes Leader Staff Writer

WILKES-BARRE – Just the construction of the $24 million River Common park along the Susquehanna River helped sell businesses on downtown . When it opens this week, some of those business owners believe the attraction will help flood their establishments with customers.

Rob Finlay, president of Humford Equities, which owns several retail and office buildings surrounding Public Square, has leased 15 spaces totaling 50,000 square feet the past two years.

“That’s a lot in downtown Wilkes-Barre,” Finlay said. He said tenants were enticed by multiple improvements. .

“New street lights, a 752-car garage in the new transportation center, a new band shell on Public Square, the River Common. All of that mattered,” Finlay said.

Business owners were impressed with the project and its potential and cited it when agreeing to move downtown, Finlay said. Among them were Ron Kamionka, who opened a trio of connecting nightclubs including Hardware Bar, and Amet and Marcello Ameti, who opened Caf� Toscana in 2007.

The Ameti brothers are now working on a new restaurant, Pronto Via Pizzeria, in 1,300 square feet beside the walkway that will connect the new transportation center to South Main.

Kamionka said when he was researching markets to build his nightclubs in, one of the key factors he required was a city that was investing in its infrastructure.

The River Common “definitely impacted our decision,” said Kamionka, a Mountain Top native.

Other well-established downtown businesses were here well before the River Common project hit the drawing board and are equally enthusiastic about the potential.

Circles on the Square owner Phil Rudy praised the project as “long overdue” and “of vital importance.” The English major threw in plenty of other words of praise too, including “stellar,” “excellent” and “riverlicious.”

“I don’t have enough adjectives to laud this development,” Rudy said.

He agreed that the improvements have increased competition but that it hasn’t been a negative.

“I’m seeing more new faces now,” he said, adding that the River Common’s offerings, from boating, to picnicking and concerts will certainly continue that trend.

“The river will wash more patrons in,” he said. “My product is portable. It fits in perfectly with the project. We can pack you a river lunch that will be unforgettable.”

Kamionka, unlike some other business owners, said he doesn’t expect many visitors to the River Common to walk over to his night clubs the same day. But he believes that by having visitors get used to coming to downtown Wilkes-Barre and seeing how much it’s turned around, his business will benefit.

“People have read for years about downtown not being safe. This will help people “feel comfortable coming down there” and when they do he hopes they’ll check out his place.

“Wilkes-Barre is reversing the trend and that’s why we’re there,” Kamionka said.

Gus Genetti, among the deans of downtown business owners, said that with about $100 million spent in an eight-block area, he’s excited about the prospects and the way the “vibe” in the city is changing.

“We’re having fun for the first time in 15 years,” said Genetti, owner of Genetti’s Hotel and Conference Center.