WILKES-BARRE -- The Coal Street extension project has basically sat as a vacant lot for years. But now, the new section of Coal Street is finally set to be built, thanks to the site’s developer, Jewlecor.
Coal Street off Wilkes-Barre Boulevard sees plenty of traffic. The private developer has agreed to pay to extend Coal Street part of the way from Wilkes-Barre Boulevard to Pennsylvania Avenue.
The city wants to eventually connect Coal Street all the way to Pennsylvania Avenue, saying it would be a gateway to the city, but Wilkes-Barre has to get the money first.
“I think it'll be great for the city. It'll be a direct connection right into our downtown and it will give us ample opportunity for commercial development,” said Wilkes-Barre City Administrator Greg Barrouk.
The area around Coal Street is just some of the land in Wilkes-Barre that's waiting for development. Much of it has tax-exempt status. But that tax-free offer for developers will expire at the end of the year if new businesses are not brought in.
"Just because it's KOZ, people still have to invest,” Barrouk said, adding even with the KOZ status, every property comes with different challenges to find the right business or developer. “There's always underlying issues. Whether title issues with the property, development issues, economy issues.”
But when the KOZ statuses of those sites expire at the end of the year, those properties will be more difficult to develop. That's forcing some folks to question the success of the program.
“For ten years, no taxes? I would love that!” said Moses Norbert of Wilkes-Barre.
But Wilkes-Barre says the KOZ program is worth it, and it has seen some success. Jewelcor says the recent Turkey Hill deal off Coal Street would not have happened without having the tax-exempt status. And some new homes, which sit at the old Murray-Courtright building, also sit on land that came with the KOZ status. Now, the neighborhood offers affordable housing.
David Harris lives in the neighborhood.
“It's nice. It's quiet. It's peaceful. Right now, I don't think there's any crime, which is a good thing,” Harris said.
There are 169 parcels total in Luzerne County that have the KOZ status, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development. The below breakdown provides the expiration year and totals.
Expiration Total
2015 63
2017 70
2019 26
2020 1
2022 2
2024 7
Expiration dates are subject to change, especially with the 2015 parcels. If any of these become occupied or if significant development begins this year, the expiration for the parcel will be 2024.