SCRANTON -- A private business in Scranton is defending itself for being awarded a grant that comes from state gaming funds. The folks from The Leonard theater and event space told Newswatch 16 the public will benefit when the theater opens its doors officially later this year.
Inside a long-shuttered hardware store on Adams Avenue in downtown Scranton is a piece of vaudeville history hidden away on the second floor.
"There are a lot of people who still to this day who don't know that this is up here and they look at it and they think of Leonard's Hardware. Well, Leonard's Hardware had a huge theater on its second floor that was once called Casino Hall," said The Leonard's Jessica Kalinoski.
Kalinoski showed Newswatch 16 around the theater that is now owned by the same company that operates Montage Mountain. The group was just given $225,000 in state gaming money. It will help pay for a new facade for the building.
But the state gaming money will only pay for about a quarter of the renovations that are planned for The Leonard.
The owners also plan to install an elevator and make the theater handicapped accessible. Even though The Leonard is run by a private business, it is still eligible to apply for state gaming grants because it has a positive economic impact for the community.
"The people around us, the businesses will be able to benefit by us opening this building and this venue, they will be able to get business before and after shows and before and after weddings and things of that nature," Kalinoski added.
Employees across the street at Loyalty Barber Shop think the public will see that money, in increased tax revenue for Scranton. And the other businesses on Adams Avenue will see it, too.
"Any business that comes to this block, we all help each other, so obviously anything that's going to bring traffic into the area is going to help everyone on this block including ourselves," said Loyalty Barber Shop's Anthony Lavdanski.
The Leonard plans to be done with renovations and officially open later this year.