Another $4.5M in state funds coming to Scranton

Jim Lockwood, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
·3 min read

Nov. 2—SCRANTON — The city received $2 million in state funds for streetscape upgrades downtown and $500,000 for recreation at Nay Aug Park, officials announced Tuesday.

Lackawanna College also received $2 million to convert its 401 Adams Ave. building downtown into a new workforce education and training center.

The $4.5 million total is new funding from the Pennsylvania Office of the Budget's Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, and in addition to the $6.5 million announced Thursday for several other projects in the city.

In all, projects in the city now have received $11 million in RACP funds, state Sen. Marty Flynn, D-22, Dunmore, said during the announcement at Nay Aug Park.

"It's good news for the city," Flynn said.

Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti, Scranton City Council President Kyle Donahue, Scranton Councilwoman Jessica Rothchild and state Rep. Thom Welby, D-113, Scranton, also attended and spoke at Tuesday's announcement in Nay Aug Park.

Under the RACP program, recipients must match the state funding with money from another source.

The $4.5 million and projects announced Tuesday include:

Streetscape upgrades to Linden Street and North Washington Avenue: $2 million from RACP to be matched with federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, to improve three blocks of Linden Street, between Jefferson and Wyoming Avenues, and three blocks of North Washington Avenue, between Mulberry Street and Lackawanna Avenue.

This project calls for new sidewalks, curbs, period lighting, underground conduit and relocation of overhead utilities, rain gardens and stormwater improvements, street trees and new traffic signals with period poles. How much of North Washington Avenue can be included will depend on how far the funding goes.

Nay Aug Park multipurpose court complex and pavilion: $500,000 from RACP to be matched with state Department of Labor & Industry funds, for $1 million total, for site preparation, demolition, signs, trash/recycling station, benches along walkways, bleachers, picnic tables, lighting, fencing, tennis court and net system and resurfacing, pickleball court and net system, basketball courts, connector walkway, pavilion pad and pavilion.

This funding would not go toward revamping a pool complex, which remains a larger, undetermined project, Cognetti said. Instead, the RACP and match funds will go toward "recreational upgrades that we can put in, in quick order, while we do a comprehensive park study," Cognetti said. "We don't have the funding for a pool complex. We also haven't been able to find a consensus on a pool complex."

Lackawanna College Center for Technology Innovation: $2 million from RACP to be matched with another source.

The college has described it as a technical and vocational education center to offer a college-level student program, high school program and a training site for STEM, industrial technologies and trades employers for continuing education students. Programs would include robotics, electric vehicle and battery technology, a cybersecurity program, augmented reality, artificial intelligence and applied technology. This RACP project calls for upgrades to the entire building, including replacement of mechanical, electrical, plumbing and related systems.

emailto:Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185; @jlockwoodTT on Twitter.