Pocono News Section

Demolition Begins for New King's College Building

Demolition Begins for New King's College Building - Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 3:12PM EST

Reported by: Dave Skutnik
Tuesday, Sep 2, 2008 @ 03:12pm EST
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY- The revitalization of downtown Wilkes-Barre took another step forward Tuesday. A 19-million dollar project is underway near King's College.

Tuesday, the old Rodano's Pizza on North Main Street was reduced to a pile of rubble. They're moving to Wilkes-Barre's Public Square and will re-open in mid-September.

Two other abandoned buildings will also be coming down later this week, and people at King's College couldn't be happier. Senior Andrea Carroll said, "I think it's great... I just want everything to be nice around here. It's about time."

They say the project has been needed for a long time. Admissions Counselor Tom Landon said, "It's about time, it's long overdue. The campus has really been looking forward to this time, as you see it's all coming down now."

In its place will go a new four story building that will be a combination of King's College space and community retail space - likely to include a new restaurant. But nearby S & W restaurant's Ernie Schmid isn't worried about competition. He thinks the new building will bring more people than ever to North Main. "Probably increase business. The more people that come this direction the more that are going to see our place and stop by," he said.

King's College students say more housing is one of the school's biggest needs. The new building will include student apartments. "I think it's a good idea. We need more housing on campus so it's a good idea," said Carroll.

And instead of useless empty space, they'll now also have more classrooms and a large daycare center. "It's going to be great for our students and our academic programs at King's. It's going to give a lot more opportunity for our students to see some different things, to see some different angles," added Landon.

Demolition should be complete by mid-October. The new building is expected to be ready in time for the new school year next fall.