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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The mayor has chosen a developer for the former Hotel Sterling property and arrived at a $600,000 sale price for the prime real estate downtown that could now become condos and shopping space.</p><p>Still, city council has to approve the deal and is scheduled to hear from Gateway Center Associates on its plans for the site during Tuesday night&#8217;s work session. A formal vote should follow at council&#8217;s public meeting March 22.</p><p>Mayor Tony George on Thursday said he recommended Gateway Center Associates after the developer was unanimously chosen by the six-member committee created to review two submitted proposals.</p><p>Gateway, whose principal Hysni &#8220;Sam&#8221; Syla developed the nearby Wyoming National Bank building into the Vault Grill &amp; Bar and apartments, plans a mixed-use site, the mayor said.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s going to be retail, hotel and condos,&#8221; George noted.</p><p>An attempt to locate Syla was unsuccessful.</p><p>Gateway and McClure Company Inc. of St. Petersburg, Fla., responded in February to the city&#8217;s request for proposals to develop the 2-acre site at the intersection of West Market and North River streets.</p><p>The property has been used as a parking lot since the landmark hotel was demolished in 2013 after an unsuccessful attempt by CityVest, a nonprofit corporation, to get it into shape for development. </p><p>CityVest ran out of money, despite receiving a $6 million Community Development loan from Luzerne County.</p><p>CityVest had done some demolition and gutted the hotel, but the vacant building deteriorated to the point that the city condemned it. Wilkes-Barre then spent approximately $600,000 to secure and demolish it. Eventually, it took ownership due to the lien it placed on the property to recover its costs.</p><p>The county was in the position to receive any sales proceeds in excess of city costs. But the sale price contained in the work session agenda appears to leave nothing for the county.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">The former site of the Hotel Sterling in downtown Wilkes-Barre is now being eyed for a development that would include retail, condos and a hotel. Mayor Tony George has recommended a development proposal, but city council still has to approve selling the land. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_TTL020318Hotel-sterling1.jpg</photo0><caption0>The former site of the Hotel Sterling in downtown Wilkes-Barre is now being eyed for a development that would include retail, condos and a hotel. Mayor Tony George has recommended a development proposal, but city council still has to approve selling the land. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre has developer for ex-Sterling site; council to decide on sale