WILKES-BARRE -- Newswatch 16 now knows who is interested in buying the old train station on Market Street in Wilkes-Barre.
It's a Luzerne County native who's been a developer in the area for at least 20 years.
George Albert and a few private investors are interested in buying the former train station.
Albert says he has a vision to not only revive the old train station but bring new life to the entire Market Street square.
For nearly a decade, the old train station in Wilkes-Barre has been an empty eyesore for the city with windows broken and vines growing over parts of its exterior.
Now there's a new vision for the former station and the entire plaza that it's in courtesy of Albert along with a team of investors.
"This corner on Market and Wilkes-Barre Boulevard would be either a small fast food or a donut shop, a national franchise tenant. The mid-block tenant would ideally would be for us to provide a local grocery store, we're potentially considering a tire battery serve center at that location," offered Albert.
That vision includes about 10 new businesses in total with at least one business inside the old train station.
Albert wants to restore the building to its former glory, including salvaging the structure and most of the wood work.
"if we can be successful, which we are going to work tirelessly to make that effort happen. I think that personally it will be one of the biggest accomplishments that I will have ever had in my career, " said Albert.
Albert and his investors have only signed a letter of intent but have not purchased this property yet. They are waiting to secure leases for all the new businesses, and are currently meeting with dozens of national franchises.
"I think that if anybody can develop this place and do a great job at it. It's going to be George and the people that he's working with," said Jeff Thomas, a nearby business owner.
Thomas owns two of the businesses in the Market Street Plaza, and has been banking on someone stepping in to give life to this property.
"When we moved in our thought was that at some point, somebody would develop the station complex. So it was kind of a calculated risk on our part to make the investment in the area," said Thomas.
Albert's agreement with the Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority is to make a decision to purchase the property by the end of the year.
He has to suvey the property and find tenants willing to move in first.
If all that happens, Albert says we could see a purchase far sooner than that end of year timeline.
