Wilkes-Barre received five bids Monday for demolition and site clearance of a former silk mill on South Franklin Street. The low bid is under review by the city attorney and engineer for the job.
Jerry Lynott | Times Leader
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Bids were opened Monday for demolition of the former PanAm Silks Mill Inc. building owned by the city of Wilkes-Barre. A section of the brick exterior along Westminster Street fell down in April.
Jerry Lynott | Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE — An eyesore property owned by the city will be coming down after bids were opened Monday for demolition of the former silk mill in South Wilkes-Barre.
Lycoming Supply of Williamsport submitted the apparent low bid of $116,976.51 to raze the vacant building and clear the site at 773 S. Franklin St.
A section of the brick exterior along Westminster Street of the former PanAm Silk Mills Inc. fell down in April, prompting Mayor George Brown to expedite the city’s efforts to tear down the vacant building, which is loaded with trash.
Four other contractors responded to the bid request, offering a wide range of quotes:
• Don E. Bower Inc. of Berwick, $243,928.
• SRI of Dunmore, $148,000.
• Brdaric Excavating of Luzerne, $144,521.
• Stell Enterprise of Plains Township, $137,000.
Last week city council approved awarding individual demolition contracts to the lowest responsible bidders for the former mill and properties at 21-23 Walnut St. and 209-211-213 E. Northampton St. All of the work would come from the city Office of Economic and Community Development budget.
Joyce Morrash Zaykowski, director of the city OECD, said after the bids were opened at City Hall, said, “They have to be reviewed by the city attorney and engineer.”
No contract was awarded and because of the price range the review will determine if they are responsible bids, Zaykowski said.
The former mill was vacant in May 2001 when two 13-year-old boys started a fire that heavily damaged it. They were charged as juveniles with arson.
The city’s Redevelopment Authority purchased the property for $2,000 at a Luzerne County tax sale in June 2001. In March 2017, the city approved the sale of the property for $100 and an adjacent lot for $1,500 to Artanor LLC, a holding company for Carlisle-based Keystone Center of Integrative Wellness.
The prospective buyer was interested in using the site to open a wellness center and medical marijuana dispensary. But it did not receive a permit from the state to locate a dispensary in the Northeast region.
Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.