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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Mayor Tony George had one message for the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Association on Friday morning: &#8220;We should use what we have.&#8221;</p><p>George, referring to the landscape, colleges and business developments in the city, told members at their monthly meeting at City Hall that bringing more people to the area through tourism will be an effective way to grow the local economy.</p><p>&#8220;We have to change our strategy to bring people in as tourists,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Larry Newman, executive director of the Diamond City Partnership, echoed the mayor&#8217;s comments.</p><p>&#8220;We have to take advantage of the assets that we have here in downtown that give us competitive advantages,&#8221; he said, adding that the area&#8217;s historic architecture and riverfront make it unique.</p><p>George said while he may have &#8220;some good news in the near future,&#8221; he said there is plenty to celebrate in the downtown business community right now.</p><p>George briefly discussed developer George Albert&#8217;s dedication to the city through his Market Street Square Complex and First National Bank projects.</p><p>Construction is continuing on the <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/612407/tenants-more-plans-announced-for-market-street-square-complex" target="_blank">Market Street Square project</a> in which Albert hopes to attract national retailers and more tech businesses. Albert recently told the city his plans to <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/628277/wilkes-barre-city-council-to-consider-adding-to-citys-debt" target="_blank">purchase the former bank building</a> on Public Square to expand on the Innovation Center that houses global marketing company Pepperjam on South Main Street.</p><p>&#8220;The next thing we have to do is the <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/619280/irem-temple-restoration-group-holds-first-informational-meeting-fundraiser" target="_blank">Irem Temple</a>, and we&#8217;re working on that, and hopefully something comes to fruition there, because that&#8217;s a major tourist attraction to downtown,&#8221; said George.</p><p>George also mentioned <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/624213/hotel-sterling-site-eyed-for-guard-insurance-expansion" target="_blank">the possibility that Guard Insurance will expand</a> operations to the vacant Hotel Sterling property, bringing in &#8220;400 to 500 new jobs.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;It looks real good,&#8221; said George.</p><p>Newman noted that in the 10 years since the Diamond City Partnership created the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Improvement District, 43 more storefronts have been occupied.</p><p>The district provides supplementary services for downtown businesses, funded by downtown businesses.</p><p>&#8220;What we have been doing together makes a huge difference,&#8221; said Newman.</p><p>George mentioned luxury apartment complexes being built in the city, including the Alleghany Lofts and Hampton Park apartments developed by D&amp;D Realty Group and the units in the Citizens Bank Building, called The Bank.</p><p>&#8220;They can&#8217;t finish them fast enough for the people moving in,&#8221; said George.</p><p>He said the goal is to get millennials to live downtown, so they can walk to work, bringing in more foot traffic to downtown businesses. Newman added that in 2000, people ages 25-34 made up 4.6 percent of the downtown&#8217;s residents. That has increased to nearly 10 percent, he said.</p><p>Newman said since 2010, there have been 112 new housing units constructed in seven different buildings in the downtown area.</p><p>&#8220;Those seven projects together total at least $9.4 million, all in private investment,&#8221; he said. He added there are 52 units under construction in two more buildings at the moment.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">George </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_George_Tony_mug-cmyk-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>George </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>George discusses city&#8217;s accomplishments, goals during business association meeting</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Sarah Hite Hando</p><p>shando@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Sarah Hite Hando at 570-704-3945.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

George discusses WB’s accomplishments, goals with downtown business association