Larry Newman, executive director at Diamond City Partnership, addresses the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Association at its meeting Friday at the F.M. Kirby Center.
                                 Bill O’Boyle | Times Leader

Larry Newman, executive director at Diamond City Partnership, addresses the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Association at its meeting Friday at the F.M. Kirby Center.

Bill O’Boyle | Times Leader

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<p>John Maday, president of the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Association, and Susan McHugh, treasurer, give their reports at the meeting Friday at the F.M. Kirby Center.</p>
                                 <p>Bill O’Boyle | Times Leader</p>

John Maday, president of the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Association, and Susan McHugh, treasurer, give their reports at the meeting Friday at the F.M. Kirby Center.

Bill O’Boyle | Times Leader

WILKES-BARRE — Larry Newman, executive director at the Diamond City Partnership, Friday told about 25 members of the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Association that only one-third of downtown workers have returned to their offices, with the rest working remotely.

“This crisis is causing everyone to pivot,” Newman said. “We’ve lost several hundred workers in the downtown every day for the last 20-plus months. That’s why we have initiated many downtown event to draw people downtown. These events will continue during this age of uncertainty and we reach that ‘new normal.’”

Newman then talked about DCP’s Neighborhood Assistance Program that will help restructure the downtown strategy moving forward.

Four weeks ago, Gov. Tom Wolf announced that DCP was one of the community revitalization programs across the Commonwealth to receive funding through the 2021-22 Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP). Newman explained that the NAP provides tax credits to businesses that donate capital to support projects addressing specific neighborhood and community problems.

Newman said DCP will receive $130,000 in corporate contributions through this award, which was obtained as a Special Program Priorities (SPP) applicant to the NAP program.

He said DCP will use the funds to implement a data-driven business retention and recruitment strategy addressing the implications of pandemic-fueled structural changes to the downtown economy.

“Our goal is to shift Downtown’s market position, fostering a broader business mix that’s relatively less dependent on office workers and more capable of attracting customers and visitors from throughout the community and region,” Newman said. “We are incredibly grateful to our 2021-22 NAP contributors — First Priority Life Insurance (Highmark), M&T Bank, PNC Bank, and FNCB Bank.”

On Nov. 9, Gov. Wolf announced the approval of nearly $36 million to 220 community revitalization projects across the commonwealth. The funding through the Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) supports nonprofits, businesses, and resident projects in distressed areas or low-income neighborhoods.

NAP encourages private sector investment into projects that will help improve distressed communities by providing tax credits to businesses that donate capital to support projects that address neighborhood and community problems. NAP can be used for projects in categories including affordable housing, community services, crime prevention, education, job training, charitable food, blight, special population issues, veteran’s initiatives, and long-term community revitalization.

The approved funding will support 19 community investments in the northeast region. One project in Luzerne County will help address the need for childcare facilities — a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic — so that individuals with children seeking employment can obtain reliable childcare. This will provide parents/guardians with necessary support services, assist local businesses by enabling employees to work, reuse an under-utilized building, establish a new business that will employ 45, and provide support to 160 children.

In opening Friday’s meeting, John Maday, president of the DWBBA, said, “We’re back.”

He said the group has continued to sponsor community events in the downtown and he announced more will come in the future. He said the Easter eggs have already been ordered and arrived for the annual Easter Egg Hunt on Public Square, scheduled for Saturday, April 9, at 10 a.m. The event is attended by hundreds of children each year and the Easter Bunny is always on hand for photos.

Maday also said the annual River Fest is scheduled for June 17-18-19, com0lete with dragon boat races. The annual event brings thousands to the Riverfront Park along River Street.

Maday said the group participated in the September version of the postponed St. Patrick’s Day Parade and also in the annual Christmas Parade and the Halloween Trunk and Treat on Public Square.

The annual holiday window painting is also almost complete with 28 businesses, representing many large windows, painted for free by volunteers with holiday scenes.

Lauren Menn of the Kirby Center staff, welcomed the group and announced Weird Al Yankovic will appear at the center in May.

Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.