Pennsylvania Association of Realtors® Urges PA House to Pass House Bill 2412

124923969_web1_Bobby-Baird

Coping with Corona: Legendary trumpeter Baird marks 90th

WILKES-BARRE TWP. &mdash; With Gov. Tom Wolf&rsquo;s order that construction can resume May 1 in Pennsylvania, a much anticipated project is expected to begin as early as next week.
				Thomas Zedolik, Wilkes-Barre Township zoning/code enforcement officer, Tuesday said work is expected to begin on the construction of Wilkes-Barre Township Commons that was hit hard by the June 2018 tornado.
				Many of the buildings &mdash; including Panera Bread &mdash; were condemned and were demolished. The new plan to rebuild the plaza has been submitted and approved.
				Zedolik said he has not been contacted by Urban Edge Properties of New Jersey, the developer that wants to build a free-standing building to house a free-standing Panera Bread with a drive-thru on the land, plus a strip of retail spaces.
				&ldquo;The permits are approved,&rdquo; Zedolik said. &ldquo;But we haven&rsquo;t been told when construction will begin.&rdquo;
				Sordoni Construction Co. recently placed a work trailer on the site and two large pieces of heavy equipment are also on-site, indicating work will begin soon.
				&ldquo;I doubt they will start on Friday (May 1),&rdquo; Zedolik said. &ldquo;But I would expect something to happen early next week.&rdquo;
				Zedolik said a lot of people have been patiently waiting for Panera Bread to return to the plaza located off of Mundy Street. Panera Bread was a popular dining spot for shoppers.
				Zedolik said Urban Edge Properties has indicated they want to get Panera Bread open as soon as possible.
				Attempts to reach Urban Edge Properties for comment went unanswered Tuesday.
				New McDonald&rsquo;s
				Zedolik said the McDonald&rsquo;s Restaurant on on Route 309 will be demolished and a new one will be built on the same site.
				Zedolik said township zoning hearing board will meet May 12 at 6 [p.m. to decide on several construction projects, including variances for McDonald&rsquo;s.
				Zedolik said the zoning board had already approved plans to remodel the existing restaurant, but the company has since decided to tear it down and build a new restaurant. Zedolik said the project could begin in July or August.
				Turkey Hill/Burger King
				Zedolik said the new Turkey Hill to be built at Blackman Street and Route 309 is also moving forward. He said the company will submit its land development plan soon.
				&ldquo;The permits have been approved, but there&rsquo;s no word yet on a construction timeline,&rdquo; Zedolik said. &ldquo;We really haven&rsquo;t heard from anybody since the shutdown. Nobody has contacted me about any start-up plans.&rdquo;
				Zedolik said the land development plan for a new Burger King, also at Route 309 and Blackman Street, has been approved.
				Zedolik said several existing buildings on Route 309 and Blackman Street, which once housed a repair garage, a bar and other businesses &mdash; along with three private homes &mdash; were purchased by Turkey Hill&rsquo;s new parent company, United Kingdom-based E.G. Group.
				In April 2019, Cindy Rantanen, vice president of brands and public relations for E.G. America, said the company has the property under contract. She said five properties were purchased from four different owners and the site measures three acres.
				Rantanen said the plan is to begin construction in spring 2020 and the new Turkey Hill will include a full convenience store, a fast food restaurant with a brand partner still to be named, a car wash and fuel stations.
				Dollar Tree
				Robert Tamburro of TFP Limited, Tuesday said construction should begin next week on the new Dollar Tree to be built behind Mission BBQ.
				Tamburro said the new store will be 12,000 square feet.
				&ldquo;This will replace a building that was torn down after the June 2018 tornado,&rdquo; Tamburro said. &ldquo;This is a positive development.&rdquo;
				/
				/
				/
				/
				/

Construction expected to begin next week at W-B Township Commons