Judge halts virus relief funding for Alaska Native firms

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WB’s old train station awaits salvation; Tamaqua’s welcomes diners and trains

As noted <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/790900/wbs-old-train-station-awaits-salvation-tamaquas-welcomes-diners-and-trains" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in the accompanying </a><a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/790900/wbs-old-train-station-awaits-salvation-tamaquas-welcomes-diners-and-trains" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">story</a>, the vintage railroad stations in both Tamaqua and Wilkes-Barre are on the National Register of Historic Places.
				And yet, as developer George Albert has noted of the Wilkes-Barre station, &ldquo;I could knock it down and build a new structure for half the price.&rdquo;
				That underscores an important point both about historic preservation and National Register designation: In the end, a property owner&rsquo;s wishes carry the most weight in most instances.
				&ldquo;From a procedural standpoint, for the most part, National Register designation is mostly honorific,&rdquo; said Larry Newman, executive director of Wilkes-Barre&rsquo;s downtown revitalization organization, the Diamond City Partnership.
				&ldquo;It says that what you have is at the highest level of national significance from historic or architectural value, but unless public funds &mdash; specific federal funds &mdash; are being used to undertake a project in some way, it does not protect a property,&rdquo; Newman explained.
				The inspiration for this series was the demolition of the Frank Clark jeweler building on South Main Street, and a desire by Newman, city Councilman Tony Brooks and others to seek protection for historic structures under city ordinances, something which does not currently exist. It&rsquo;s an issue that is in the early stages of discussion.
				As Newman reiterated, that&rsquo;s almost the only thing that can stop or delay the owner of a private property from demolishing a building.
				&ldquo;There is nothing in the National Register that prevents that owner from tearing that building down tomorrow,&rdquo; Newman said. &ldquo;The only thing that can do that, so a pause can occur is local regulation, which is how the law works. And in Wilkes-Barre that does not exist.&rdquo;
				 &mdash; Roger DuPuis

Preserved doesn’t mean forever