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Boscov About Mall: “We Can Once Again Be The Pride Of The Community”

SCRANTON—“If you have a successful store, you want to see the mall flourish,” Albert Boscov said before Scranton’s City Council Thursday...

SCRANTON---"If you have a successful store, you want to see the mall flourish," Albert Boscov said before Scranton's City Council Thursday night.

Boscov met with city council one week before the foreclosed mall goes to auction. Boscov said his company plans to bid on it.

The chairman of Boscov Department Stores said if his company wins its bid, it will invest tens of millions to revitalize the mall.

"Scranton, you've done good to us, we're going to try to do good to you. That's all it is. We're not obligated to stay here," he said.

Boscov's plan is not what everyone wants.

One group wants it to be "The Electric City Marketplace," a commericial space for artists, crafters, and food vendors.

Boscov said his store will only stay in Scranton if the mall remains a retail mall.

Between rent and city taxes, Boscov said his company pays about a million a year to be in the Electric City.

Boscov said despite the downfall of the mall, his store has flourished.

"What would you say to people in the community that are out there saying, you have intentionally devalued the property so you can buy it at rock-bottom price at auction?" asked city council member Pat Rogan.

Boscov responded, "Well, if you were stupid, you would do that, we have a store here, if you want to kill a mall, why would you put a store here? You'd have to be stupid to do that. "

Al Boscov was key to developing the Mall at Steamtown project but stressed Boscov's does not own the mall, although he and other family members did have a percentage of the original ownership.

He denied he had anything to do with running the mall or the financial downfall, instead blaming the economy.

"We think we can accomplish another mall that we will be proud of, that you will be proud of and that will help our store," he said.

Boscov met with the city council for over an hour.

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