Basalyga projects bring new looks in downtown Scranton
Sep. 25—SCRANTON — Developer John Basalyga's projects in downtown Scranton involving renovations to commercial properties and anticipated construction of a 17-story mixed-use building remain ongoing.
The former Tink's/Levels bar, 519 Linden St.: Interior and exterior construction has been well underway for months. Basalyga plans to put six apartments on each of the upper two floors, for a total of 12 units, a restaurant on the first floor and a live music venue in the basement.
A concept rendering shows a stark change in color from red to white on the front of the building, stairwell and balcony, and the side wall along Dix Court getting new surfaces, windows and a large music-themed mural.
A basement music venue called "Sergei's" will be named after his late father, Sergei Basalyga, who grew up in Scranton and was a renowned accordionist. At 17, he won the American Accordionists' Association national competition in Detroit in 1959. He went on to play professionally for years for Broadway productions of the original "Fiddler on the Roof," "Cabaret," "Dear World" and others. His peers elected him president of the Accordion Symphony Society of New York in 1983.
The brick face on the Dix Court wall had to be removed and created an impromptu canvas for a music-themed mural.
He encountered some extra, unexpected work and expense in having to shore up part of the foundation, but that's completed.
"It's moving full steam ahead," Basalyga said of the project.
Scranton Art Haus movie theater, 301 Lackawanna Ave.: Situated across from the Marketplace at Steamtown, the theater will receive a megawatt marquee.
The orange façade of the Electric City Parking Garage connected to the theater is being painted white. A large "Art Haus" marquee installed on the second-story will illuminate the corner. Fabricated off-site, the sign will contain over 1,000 light bulbs, Basalyga said.
At street level, Basalyga installed decorative stone and six window boxes with video screens to show movie trailers.
The theater's new look comes after the eight-screen theater reopened in mid-July. The COVID-19 pandemic closed the theater in 2020, months after Basalyga reopened it in late 2019 following unsuccessful runs by outside operators.
The Tower, 320 Franklin Ave.: The anticipated construction of a 17-story, mixed-use building on the site of the former Red Carpet Inn & Suites between Mulberry and Linden streets, is advancing in planning stages.
Such a structure, which would remake that block's streetscape and create a new downtown skyline, calls for a 110-room hotel; 200-250 apartment units and possibly condos; 150,000-200,000 square feet of commercial, office and/or retail space; and a private parking garage.
With an $80 to $100 million project estimate, a Franklin Avenue tower would be one of the largest projects downtown since the Mall at Steamtown in the 1990s, which Basalyga bought in 2015 and remade into the Marketplace at Steamtown.
A 17-story building height would require a zoning variance. He aims to submit an application within a few months to the Zoning Board for approval for a building of up to 22 stories.
"I think it's important we build a tall building, something that is symbolic to Scranton, something people will stand in front of and know you're in Scranton," he said.
An initial rendering had the tower section on the corner of Mulberry Street, but an updated concept now has the tower closer to Linden Street.
"We're still shifting things around," he said, noting designs will depend on whether a height variance gets approved.
If so, "we can start designing" the building, he said. But if a variance were to get denied, "There's no sense in designing (now) what we can't build."
Drill testing of the site also determined bedrock sits 160 feet below the surface, which is deeper than any potential mine voids. He would sink steel posts into bedrock and then construct a mat slab anchored to the beams to negate any possible subsidence problems.
A timeline for going forward remains undetermined.
"It's hard to say. It's a massive design package. The building is enormous," Basalyga said.
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