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By PAMELA C. TURFA pamt@leader.net
Saturday, January 29, 2000 Page: 1A
WILKES-BARRE – At the request of Congressman Paul Kanjorski, the
Wilkes-Barre chamber is looking for a site closer to the Susquehanna River for
the museum project initially proposed for the former Woolworth’s building.
Kanjorski said Friday he has suggested coordination of location and
planning for a number of river-related projects.
The museum, tentatively titled the Susquehanna River Landing at
Wilkes-Barre, is proposed as a Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor
project similar to the Two Rivers Landing, which includes the Crayola Factory
children’s museum, in Easton.
The Wilkes-Barre project has been described as an “interactive
education/entertainment center.” The river theme would take visitors through
the history of the region and into the future, using interactive exhibits,
displays, a children’s area, an IMAX-type theater and a restaurant and
micro-brewery.
At almost every stop, exhibits would suggest connections to regional
activities to lure visitors out of the museum and into the community.
Other river-related projects under consideration by community leaders
include an inflatable dam proposed by Kanjorski and recre ational projects
proposed by the county in connection with the levee-raising.
“The congressman really challenged us,” said Tom Ruskey, pro ject
specialist for the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry,
which is spearheading the museum project. “He liked the feasibility study
(unveiled last January), but felt it needed to be tied to the river.”
The chamber, which purchased the Woolworth’s building on South Main Street
in 1998 for $300,000, hopes to find a use for it that would complement the
movie theater project planned by Mayor McGroarty.
McGroarty believes he can persuade a movie theater chain to construct a
multiplex on the city block bounded by Northampton, South Washington and South
Main streets and Public Square.
Chamber President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Barrouk said the
private organization will look at possible sites along River Street.
“It was everybody’s considered opinion that something close to the river
with parking” would be a better location, Kanjorski said.
“The most ideal thing would be to have a readily accessible site next to
one of the openings” to the river through the levee project, he said.
Kanjorski said bringing the pro jects together could reduce combined
construction and operational costs and would promote coordinated security.
The Luzerne County commissioners have commissioned a feasibility study of
Kanjorski’s proposals to build an inflatable dam that would create a
recreational lake on the river. That study is expected back in March.
In addition, county officials are trying to develop a package of amenities
for a riverfront park in conjunction with the levee-raising project.
One levee proposal – to cut two holes or portals in the levee would give
residents access to the riverbank for recreation. The portals would be closed
with metal slabs when the water rises, threatening flooding.
“If you tie (all of the river pro jects) all together at the same time,
tie them all together with the same themes and concepts, it works
tremendously,” Ruskey said. “It makes sense to do it all at once than to
piecemeal it.”
The museum project, with a rough cost estimate of $10 million, still faces
several years of development work, Ruskey said. He said construction is at
least three years away.
“If we’re talking about bringing in 250,000-350,000 visitors (per year),
we need places to put them and places for them to park.”
The Crayola Factory museum received 1 million visitors in its first three
years and spurred 250 businesses to open in downtown Easton.
“Downtown Easton was far worse than downtown Wilkes-Barre … and (the
Crayola Factory) was one of the pieces that made it happen.”
Call Turfa at 829-7177.