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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Another developer has plans for the Empire Silk Mill that was eyed for apartments, offices and commercial space more than 10 years ago.</p><p>The Wilkes-Barre Zoning Hearing Board on Wednesday approved the project proposed by Empire Street Realty LLC to convert the four-story mill on South Empire Street into 80 studio apartments. More than 10,000 square feet of retail space would be included on the first floor. </p><p>George Albert of G &amp; Albert Consultants P.C. in Wilkes-Barre presented the board with details of the estimated $8 million plan to renovate the building from top to bottom.</p><p>&#8220;This project has been in front of this board before and it&#8217;s never come to fruition,&#8221; Albert said.</p><p>The board approved a mixed-use project in 2007 when current owner George Tassone envisioned renovating the mill. This time, Mindy Ginsberg, who developed the Citizens Bank building downtown into luxury apartments, is interested in the property, Albert said.</p><p>The apartments would range in size from 650 square feet to 1,100 square feet with monthly rents from $850 to $1,250, depending upon the size of the unit.</p><p>&#8220;We sense a good demand for this type of use in this particular marketplace,&#8221; Albert said, adding the &#8220;fantastic&#8221; location puts it close to the major retail sectors in Wilkes-Barre Township and downtown Wilkes-Barre.</p><p>The project would be phased in, starting on the ground floor and proceeding to the upper floors as the demand builds for the apartments, Albert explained.</p><p>The concerns of Larry Grochowski of neighboring Freeman Street eased when Albert informed him the parking lot would be paved, the property landscaped and fenced in.</p><p>But Grochowski worried about the tenants, saying he didn&#8217;t want another high-rise like the one at Sherman Hill blocks away at the north end of the street.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s so easy to change to Section 8 (subsidized low-income housing),&#8221; noted Grochowski.</p><p>&#8220;That&#8217;s not even in our interest model at all,&#8221; Albert responded.</p><p>For other neighbors, traffic was an issue, especially when there will be only one driveway on the already busy South Empire Street for the tenants and patrons of the retail space that could include a small market, restaurant/deli or newsstand.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">George Albert of G & Albert Consultants P.C., said a downtown developer is interested in an estimated $8 million mixed-use project to renovate the Empire Silk Mill on South Empire Street in Wilkes-Barre into 80 studio apartments and retail space.  Times Leader file photo


</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL032118sterling1.jpg</photo0><caption0>George Albert of G & Albert Consultants P.C., said a downtown developer is interested in an estimated $8 million mixed-use project to renovate the Empire Silk Mill on South Empire Street in Wilkes-Barre into 80 studio apartments and retail space.  Times Leader file photo


</caption0><photoCredit0>Times Leader file photo </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 zoning board OKs plan to renovate Empire Silk Mill into apartments