SCRANTON -- A long-time community staple is calling it quits. After 40 years, Don Clark's Miniature Memories is closing.
The scene inside Miniature Memories at The Marketplace at Steamtown is nothing like it used to be during its prime. Some parts of the layout put together by Don Clark still remain, but piece by piece, everything is getting packed up. After 40 years of being a community staple, Clark's son-in-law Joseph Shock says the end of an era has come.
"To see the end happen this way was far from even considered, ever. I think everything comes to an end and unfortunately, this is a bad way to come to an end. Don, if he was here right now, I think he'd be really disappointed," Shock said.
Miniature Memories, which included several notable local landmarks has been here since 2010 but hasn't been open since 2016. Shock says after failing to reach an agreement, the mall asked Miniature Memories to leave.
"I asked for $6,200. $6,200 wasn't going to come to us to do nilly dilly with. It was going to go to whoever we got the supplies from, the mall would pay it. The cash was never going to come to us. We were asked to come here. We were offered the free rent. Who's not going to take free? Free is good," Shock said.
And as everything is taken away and put into storage, the memories of 40 years of business live on, just the way Don Clark would've wanted.
"Don didn't look to see what the donations were. Don looked to see the smiles on the faces. Don looked to see the thank-yous for giving to the community. Don could've built anywhere in the community, but he chose Scranton."
Newswatch 16 reached out to marketplace officials, but they did not get back to us.