Former W-B Twp. high school being converted into apartments

Denise Allabaugh, The Citizens' Voice, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
·2 min read

Mar. 29—WILKES-BARRE TWP. — A project to convert a former high school on Casey Avenue into an apartment building for senior citizens is nearing completion.

Developer Joe Rinkus is in the final stages of turning the building into 30 apartments with one bedroom or two bedrooms for people ages 55 and older.

He said pre-leasing begins April 1 and the new apartment building will be called "Botanical Pointe." People ages 55 and older can pre-lease apartments through Lewith & Freeman Real Estate in Kingston, he said.

He would not say how much rent will cost but he said each apartment will be unique and the monthly rate will be based on that and utilities are included.

"It will be nice for many people in the area who have houses who want to downsize," Rinkus said. "It will be affordable."

Apartments will have washers and dryers and the building includes an elevator.

During a recent tour Rinkus showed a community room that's near completion. It will include card tables, exercise equipment and a big-screen TV.

Site development work, including paving the parking lot, will begin next week, he said.

The parking lot will consist of at least 60 spaces and will include handicapped parking spaces, he said. Residents also will have individual gardens and landscaping will be completed outside, he said.

"We will take care of all the maintenance," Rinkus said.

Rinkus said his company LHC Construction Management has been working on the construction and adaptive reuse of the building for the last year.

LHC Construction Management also built Highland Park Senior Living in Wilkes-Barre Twp. and Glenmaura Senior Living in Moosic.

He is a partner in the company Casey Avenue Holdings LLC that paid the township $240,000 for the former school. The township previously acquired the building from Wilkes-Barre Area School District for $1.

The building has been vacant for years and the property will go back on the tax rolls which Rinkus said is "huge for the township."

Contact the writer:

dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2115, @CVAllabaugh