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Eyesore motel in Scranton will get new life

A well-known developer in Lackawanna County has purchased the Red Carpet Inn in Scranton and shares his plans for the property.

SCRANTON, Pa. — The Red Carpet Inn on Franklin Avenue in Scranton has had its share of struggles over the years, and the exterior of the building shows it.

People who live in the area and drive by it say it's disappointing to have a building that looks like this be one of the first things they see when they drive into the Electric City.

"What goes on there is no good, and it's just an eyesore, you know, and it's going to be great for it to be gone. That's all," said James Neff of Scranton.

People won't be disappointed to hear the building now has a new owner. John Basalyga, who owns several properties in Lackawanna County, including the Marketplace at Steamtown, purchased the Red Carpet Inn with big plans of transforming the property into something people can be wowed by.

"This is the central corridor down into Scranton, and we feel like it deserves to have a little bit better than what it has now," said Desmond Ryder, JBAS Realty director of construction and development.

Ashley Smiley is the manager at Electric City Bakehouse. She has a clear view of the Red Carpet Inn from the front window and feels it doesn't do any justice to the businesses in the area.

"It kind of gives like an icky sort of vibe to just this general area of town, so I think it will definitely like modernize it and make it look a lot nicer. So I think people will be more drawn to this area," Smiley said.

Newswatch 16 spoke to John Basalyga over the phone, and he says he's hoping for a mixed-use building, possibly 17 stories tall, with retail stores, professional office space, and some apartments or condos, along with other amenities.

"It's extremely important for us to try to revitalize the downtown. John has a really good vision in trying to keep on, you know, making beautiful appearance down here, and he does things to a very high standard. So I think that providing a large structure here, beautiful as we normally build, will be an absolute benefit to the city," Ryder said.

This sale is still very new, so there are no plans that have been finalized. However, one thing that will happen is that this building will be coming down.

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