New life for former Tink's building
Feb. 6—SCRANTON — Developer John Basalyga aspires to bring sweet sounds and fine dining back to Courthouse Square.
After seeing the once-vibrant building sit stagnant, Basalyga purchased the former Tink's Entertainment Complex property on Linden Street in late 2021 and plans to construct a bar/restaurant on the first floor, a live music and entertainment venue in the basement and 12 one- and two-bedroom apartments on the second and third floors.
He believes the new establishment will draw people to the city and give them a reason to stay.
The music venue, which will accommodate up to 400 guests, will feature a large bar, elevated stage and VIP section, Basalyga said while standing on a pile of rubble in the bowels of the building Sunday afternoon.
"After people get done dining, I want to bring them down here and keep them downtown," he said. "It's going to bring Scranton's nightlife back in a big way."
Basalyga added the venue will also include a green room — an area for musicians to gear up for their performances — an amenity he hopes will attract bigger acts, including those from outside the area.
"I'm really optimistic about the downtown and want to be one of the leaders pushing it forward," he said. "People love to see change and excitement."
While he noted the style of music will be "ever changing," Basalyga stressed it will all be "respectful."
Basalyga recognizes some people may be disappointed with his changes to the building, but he feels this business model is more sustainable.
"People will be upset that the club's not there anymore, but that club hasn't worked for a long time," he said. "It's a different world now and we have to adapt to it."
The restaurant will have seating for 150 to 180 patrons, including some areas for private dining, Basalyga said.
He hasn't settled on specific menu items but plans to offer Sunday brunch with a bloody mary bar and mimosas.
Jeff Keating, bar manager of the neighboring Backyard Ale House, looks forward to Basalyga's transformation of the property.
"It's nice to see it's getting fixed, and someone is going to take care of the building so it's not a nuisance or eyesore on the block," Keating said. "Before, we had a lot of runoff problems from next door and the building collapsed on us about six or seven years ago."
Keating also believes Basalyga's new venture will create some buzz to benefit the surrounding business owners.
"It's going to bring people down here to check it out," he said. "When they're done, they might pop over here. There is plenty of business to share downtown."
The property was last occupied by Levels on Linden, which closed in March 2021.
Basalyga expressed gratitude for the assistance from city officials with the renovations.
"The city has been really supportive," he said. "I think they see our bigger purpose — whatever I do is always to benefit the community."
He's pleased with the progress and anticipates completing the project as early as the late third quarter or early fourth quarter of 2023.
"We're going to finalize the drawings within the next couple weeks and get them to the city," he said. "If we don't have any tweaks, I can see this place being open within a year. It looks like a war zone right now but when I start a project, I tell people it's going to look worse before it starts looking better. Within a month, it's going to start looking a little bit better every day."
Basalyga believes the building is an important part of the city's landscape and takes pride in reviving it.
"I think somebody else might have got this building and knocked it down," he said. "I'm happy to say we're going to save it."
Contact the writer: rtomkavage@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9131; @rtomkavage on Twitter.
