WILKES-BARRE — Larry Newman, executive director of the Diamond City Partnership, on Friday said downtown revitalization is a team sport.
“It doesn’t happen without effective partnerships with the Mayor, City Council, and City government, downtown’s property owners, downtown’s businesses and institutions, and our region’s other elected officials,” Newman said. “And we can’t do it without the people in this room.”
The room was the lobby of the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, where the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Association held its annual membership meeting.
“We need your volunteerism, your individual investments, your patronage of downtown businesses, your attendance at downtown events, and your voices as ambassadors for our center city,” Newman said. “So, thank you for your partnership in building a stronger Downtown Wilkes-Barre.”
Joell Yarmel, executive director at the F.M. Kirby Center, welcomed the group and gave a report on upcoming events and she cited a recent economic impact study done by The Institute.
“Despite major disruptions caused by an October 2023 water main break that resulted in significant damage and a year-long repair effort, the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts has emerged stronger than ever — generating more than $14 million in total economic impact during the 2024–2025 fiscal year” Yarmel said.
Yarmel also spoke about upcoming sold out shows featuring legendary rock band Chicago and comedian Jerry Seinfeld. She said she recently returned from a conference in Nashville, Tenn., where she said she met with numerous promoters and she came away feeling like the Kirby Center is at the top of booking agents’ lists.
As DWBBA President John Maday said following Newman’s address, he never disappoints in providing his annual assessment of the city’s downtown.
“I will tell you that 2025 is the first year since the start of the COVID pandemic when I’ve genuinely felt that Downtown Wilkes-Barre has moved beyond ‘recovery’ and into a new phase — the ‘new normal,’ if you will,” Newman said. “So, I’d like to share some of what’s been happening in Downtown since the last time this group gathered for a membership meeting.”
Newman said during the past 12 months, the downtown had an average daily population of 15,700.
During the same period just before the COVID-19 pandemic, the downtown had an average daily population of 22,000.
“In other words, on average, we’ve lost approximately 6,000 visits per day,” Newman said. “Most of the folks who are missing are workers — the total number of downtown employee visits today is 65% of the pre-COVID figure.”
But visits to Downtown for other reasons have rebounded more strongly, Newman said, stating that the total number of non-work visits to Downtown is 85% of what the pre-COVID figure.
And today, Newman said downtown’s residential population is actually 13% greater than what it was before the pandemic.
“In other words, Downtown Wilkes-Barre has changed,” Newman said. “While its role as a place to work is diminished, its role as a place to live, play, and learn continues to expand.”
Newman said Downtown’s event calendar is as robust as it has ever been, with the F.M. Kirby Center leading the way. He said most traditional downtown events have bounced back — this year, there were more than 19,000 visits to Public Square over the four days of Fine Arts Fiesta, and more than 1,500 visits to Public Square on the day of the DWBBA’s Easter Egg Hunt.
But, Newman said, there are also new additions to the calendar.
“For example, we counted 2,000 visits just to Public Square (the park itself) for the John Oates concert presented by the City of Wilkes-Barre on Aug. 23,” Newman said.
In April, Newman said DCP and the Sordoni Art Gallery hosted the first SOMA Night Lights — a new event that used downtown buildings as a canvas for projection art. He said it brought more than 1,500 people to the second block on South Main Street on a rainy Friday evening.
This was the fifth year of DCP’s Sunsets on South Main concert series, which brings live music to the Midtown Village courtyard once a month from May through September.
And Newman said DCP is preparing for this year’s Small Business Saturday and the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Holiday Vendor Market, which will be held in the grand banking hall of the Bank Downtown on Saturday, Nov. 29.
“All of this brings people downtown, and those people spend money in downtown businesses,” Newman said. “And once again, Downtown is attracting new businesses — after the disruption of COVID, we’re again seeing net gains in downtown business occupancy.”
Year to date, Newman said the downtown welcomed 11 new storefront businesses, such as Adelina’s, Florology, House of Mona Lisa, Imperio Barber Shop, J’Adore Beauty Supply, Margarita Urban Beer Garden, Shinjiru Ramen and the Stegmaier Mansion — which represents a net gain of six new businesses.
“We’re going to continue the momentum by intentionally building out a storefront mix that appeals to current and future downtown residents, college students and all those people who visit downtown for arts and entertainment,” Newman said.
One big challenge Newman noted is the fact that most storefront vacancies are concentrated in a few very prominent large-floorplate buildings, such as the former Rite Aid and Barnes & Noble locations.
He said most potential retail and restaurant tenants, however, are looking for much smaller spaces — so there’s a very real mismatch between supply and demand which he said needs to be addressed.
Newman said progress at street level also goes hand-in-hand with the expansion of downtown’s hospitality sector.
“And so we’re cautiously optimistic that the change in the plans for the new downtown hotel — shifting from new construction on the Sterling site to a rehabilitation of the office building at 46 Public Square — is what’s needed to finally get that project over the finish line,” Newman said. “Adding those new hotel rooms would once again allow downtown to host statewide conferences and capture more overnight stays, which would mean more people and vitality in downtown, and more customers for our restaurants and stores.”
Newman said the hotel on Public Square will be complimented by the Frederick Stegmaier Mansion, which is about to reopen as a B&B in a few weeks under the ownership of John Basalyga, who’s already unveiled his new restaurant at the Mary Stegmaier Mansion. His next project is the former First National Bank building on Public Square.
Newman noted that “none of this works” without the effort to create a place that’s perceived as clean, safe and comfortable. He then recognized DCP’s Downtown Ambassador Team.
During 2024, Newman said six ambassadors removed almost 16,000 pounds of trash from downtown’s sidewalks and curbs. He said that translates to 12 30-gallon bags worth of trash removal each week.
Last year, Newman said the team removed 74 graffiti tags and 369 stickers. In 2024, they also planted and maintained DCP’s 186 hanging baskets and 32 large ground planters, and DCP’s volunteers planted an additional 17 shade trees throughout downtown.
“DCP’s quality-of-life ambassador engaged 180 different at-risk individuals, ultimately connecting 20 of those folks to agencies and shelters that could provide them with help,” Newman said.
DCP has also been making a lot of small-scale physical improvements: so far this year. Newman said DCP worked with the City to fix the Midtown Village clock tower so that all four faces once again show the correct time. He said DCP has constructed concrete pads so that the dumpsters along Livingston Lane could be relocated away from the storefronts and no longer take up metered parking spaces. DCP is also rehabilitating the four-sided kiosk in front of King’s College’s Alley Center on Public Square.
“These may be small fixes, but they add up to a steadily enhanced public environment, which in turn improves confidence that things are headed in the right direction and sets the stage for the bigger investments,” Newman said. “It’s all part of our broader long-term downtown strategy.”
Earlier this year, Newman said DCP was successful in getting Downtown Wilkes-Barre redesignated as a Main Street Program community for another five years.
“Securing that designation — which gives us access to additional state resources and grant opportunities — required us to clearly articulate our vision for Downtown Wilkes-Barre, and our road map for getting there,” Newman said.
“You’ve previously heard me talk about that vision — or what we call the “big goals” for Downtown Wilkes-Barre:
• A downtown that’s clean, safe, and beautiful.
• A downtown that’s the region’s “walk-to-everything” neighborhood of choice.
• A downtown that’s the region’s college neighborhood.
• A downtown that’s a regional center of arts, culture, dining and entertainment.
• A downtown whose historic architecture, riverfront and high-quality public environment are the basis of an enhanced visitor experience.
“Everything DCP does — from the work of the Downtown Ambassador Team, to the downtown events we run, to the downtown website and social channels, to our business recruitment and retention activities — is intended to make those goals a reality,” Newman said.
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
