`a Coal Miner's Bride' Author To Launch Book Club

Antinovitch Put The `civil' Back In Public Discourse

By JOLYN RESNICK jolynr@leader.net
 Saturday, January 13, 2001 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 7A 





WILKES-BARRE - Just as Mayor Tom McGroarty was getting ready to swear in
four new police officers Friday, he was stopped by a Federal Express delivery
man bearing good news - $1 million worth. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The letter stated a federal Housing and Urban Development grant for
downtown development had been approved, said City Administrator/Clerk Bill
Brace. The funds are earmarked to help finance the downtown theater project. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; McGroarty said the grant will pay for the properties the city purchased for
the project. He said it should satisfy a state Historical and Museum
Commission stipulation that the city prove it has funding before the
International Ladies Garment Workers Union building on South Washington Street
can be razed. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The work was supposed to have begun in mid-December, but was delayed in
part because funding had not been secured. McGroarty said the project should
be completed by the April 2002 deadline. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The expected $1 million helps the theater financing, but the city still has
a long way to go before it has the needed $12.5 million to start construction. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McGroarty has said the city might have to borrow about $9 million. He's
also counting on payments from the theater, which will pay the city rent; and
revenue from Commonwealth Telephone Co. employees, who will each pay $40 a
month to park in the lot that will be built on top of the theater. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Jolyn Resnick, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7210. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
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W-b Awarded $1 Million For Theater Project