Lottery Numbers for Thursday, Feb. 4

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Our Opinion: Rocky start to Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George’s tenure, but he can recover

<p>PLAINS TWP. &#8212; As rumors circulate about which new retail store or stores might open at the site of the former Valley Crest Nursing Home, the new property owner says it&#8217;s too early in the process to name tenants.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve had some discussions (with possible retail tenants) but everything&#8217;s been preliminary,&#8221; Robert Tamburro, of Tamburro R.E. Development and Management LLC, said on Thursday.</p><p>&#8220;These projects are marathons; they&#8217;re not sprints. We&#8217;re in the marathon now and we&#8217;re optimistic and excited and grateful for the opportunity,&#8221; Tamburro said.</p><p>County officials transferred the operation of the nursing home to a private entity &#8212; Complete HealthCare &#8212; in December 2005 because its declining occupancy rates and uncontrolled expenses became a drain on county finances.</p><p>County officials had been trying to sell Valley Crest since the private operator relocated to its new Timber Ridge Health Care Center nearby in early 2010.</p><p>Tamburro R.E. Development and Management LLC entered into an agreement with Luzerne County last March to purchase the 62.3-acre property off state Route 315 for $2.075 million. The property transferred hands in December, and Tamburro plans to demolish the nursing home to make way for a new residential and commercial project.</p><p>&#8220;The first order of business is to demolish the existing structure and series of structures. We have some abatement to do related to asbestos on the site,&#8221; Tamburro said.</p><p>If all goes as planned, demolition should take place this summer, he said.</p><p>Another order of business is securing &#8220;proper access&#8221; to the site off state Route 315, which Tamburro described as a &#8220;complex task&#8221; given that the current access road is about half-way between the convergence of Mundy Street with Kidder Street and the intersection of state routes 309 and 315.</p><p>Tamburro said he&#8217;s been in discussions with officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the nearby Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center as well as local government officials on the access issue.</p><p>&#8220;As far as the future goes, we&#8217;re in the process of bringing some leasing agents on board,&#8221; Tamburro said. &#8220;As for specific tenants, there is nothing definite at this time.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Tamburro </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_Tamburro_Robert_toned.jpg</photo0><caption0>Tamburro </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Steve Mocarsky</p><p>smocarsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Steve Mocarsky at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @TLSteveMocarsky.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

New development at former Valley Crest Nursing Home site a ‘marathon’ project