SCRANTON -- Work is finished replacing a vacant burned out building in one part of Scranton. Neighbors in Green Ridge said it not only makes the neighborhood look better, but it's bring it back to the way it used to be.
Nada and Co. is a high-end clothing store that used to have a high-profile storefront in downtown Scranton. So, it may have been a bit of risk to sign a lease at the site of a burned out auto part store.
But it's a risk that panned out for the store, and the difference has been dramatic.
"It kind of blends in, it just looks like a warm well-lit home over here. I think the lighting has been great over here too, at night it is gorgeous," said the store's owner Nada Gilmartin.
Gilmartin and her family moved their store to the new plaza on Capouse Avenue right after Thanksgiving. A developer from Lackawanna County bought the old building and transformed it into the Shoppes at Capouse and Marion.
It's a business venture that may be taking the Green Ridge section of the city back to its roots.
"Parking here is very convenient. And there are no meters, that's another reason why I think this particular area will do very well. And it's always been a commercial area," said Pat Moran of Scranton who was shopping at Nada & Co. on Friday afternoon.
People who have lived in Green Ridge for a long time say the intersection of Capouse Avenue and Marion Street, was always a little downtown in itself with lots of shops and restaurants and foot traffic. And they hope that's coming back.
Peter Cupple lives in Green Ridge and used to work on the spot when it was an A&P Grocery store in the 1950's. He's happy to see the corner come back.
"Its fabulous, it makes a huge difference in the neighborhood," he said.
Businesses that have already made a home here said the change has made a big difference. The owners of Nearra's Pizzeria said there's been an increase in foot traffic.
"I see a nice resurgence, I see people coming back to the area which is nice. Now we see it opening back up and I think it's great, I think it's great for the area," owner Tony Pirano said.
There are two open storefronts in the Shoppes at Capouse and Marion complex still waiting to be filled.