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Beyond the Byline: Savoring some normalcy during pandemic

Dressed in protective clothing due to pigeon excrement caked on floors, Luzerne County Councilwoman LeeAnn McDermott and Chief Solicitor Romilda Crocamo toured the county&rsquo;s vacant former juvenile detention center in Wilkes-Barre last week.
				McDermott, who chairs council&rsquo;s Real Estate Committee, scheduled the visit as part of committee discussions on plans for the property, which has been in limbo since the county stopped sending youths there in 2002.
				While the interior and grounds would clearly need an overhaul for reuse, tour guide Wayne Mitchell, the county&rsquo;s road/bridge supervisor, said the three-story brick building constructed in 1937 is solid.
				&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a very sound structure,&rdquo; Mitchell said.
				Looking beyond the peeling paint, pigeons fluttering around a skylight and a dead squirrel lodged in exterior window bars, McDermott said she saw potential for a developer to remove non-loadbearing walls and repurpose the structure, possibly for apartments.
				McDermott said she will ask fellow committee members to recommend publicly seeking proposals from prospective buyers, with minimum bids at the $133,000 value set by an appraiser in 2017. She said she recently spoke to the appraiser, and he still believes that price would be a &ldquo;good starting point&rdquo; in pursuing a sale.
				The county&rsquo;s last movement on the property was three years ago, when it spent $78,000 to remove asbestos and bird droppings and board it up, although the pigeons have since managed to get in. The center roof had been replaced in 2003.
				At times, county workers have found evidence of the homeless staying there.
				&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just sitting there. It would be great if we can get it on the tax rolls and developed,&rdquo; McDermott said.
				A council majority had voted in 2016 to reject local businessman Jim Casey&rsquo;s offer to buy the building for $20,000 to create a long-term residential program for women recovering from substance use disorder, in part due to concerns prison officials raised about rocks and balls &mdash; some packed with narcotics or tobacco &mdash; that had been thrown from the detention property to the prison yard below at times.
				Constructed as a women&rsquo;s prison, the structure overlooks the Water Street prison and is accessible from a now-gated driveway off North River Street.
				But McDermott said prison security concerns still exist if the structure remains empty, and occupancy could prevent trespassing.
				If a public request does not yield offers, the county may consider listing the property with a Realtor who will heavily market it, McDermott suggested.

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Luzerne County Councilwoman sees outside development potential in tour of former juvenile detention center