Monday Update: Former factory in Pine Brook in Scranton getting 24 apartments
Mar. 13—SCRANTON — Developer Don Mammano has work underway on his latest redevelopment project, a conversion of a former factory building in Pine Brook into 24 apartments.
In January 2022, Mammano bought one of the largest commercial properties in Pine Brook — the 90,000-square-foot former Northeastern Plastics Inc. and JED Pool Tools factory at 1100 Penn Ave. and Poplar Street, and its companion 30,000-square-foot structure at 315 Poplar St. along Oakford Court — for $1 million from Telesca Heyen Properties LLC.
In summer and fall, Mammano razed one-story additions to the main building that had a boiler, furnace and storage garages, to open up the interior of the property.
He left standing an 80-foot-tall smokestack that remains in very good condition, and plans on lighting it up as a visible landmark of the site.
"I always like to incorporate the history of the buildings and what was there before," he said.
Next, he set his renovation sights on the 30,000-square-foot, three-story brick building at 315 Poplar St., which will get eight apartments per floor.
In January, he sandblasted off the facade a large, blue-painted Geisinger ad. He plans to construct balconies on the second and third floors and a patio on the first floor of the facade, to capture views of the Scranton Prep school athletic field directly across Poplar Street.
In February, Mammano received approval from the city zoning board for the 24 apartments, and to provide one parking space per apartment instead of the required 1 1/2 spaces per unit.
The 24 parking spaces already existed. In 2020, Mammano also got zoning approval for one space per apartment at his Miller Lofts, a six-story, 47-unit mixed-use apartment building at 614 Wyoming Ave.
"My clientele is typically young professionals and medical students, and now it's becoming empty-nesters as well," Mammano said. "I know from the tenants I have that one parking space for a one-bedroom unit is adequate."
Saying Mammano's projects generally have all been done well, zoning board member Bob Gattens asked about the square footage of the 24 apartments. The city's minimum per unit is 600 square feet. Mammano said they would range from 750 to 1,100 square feet.
The board voted 5-0 — with Gattens, Shawn Walsh, Jim McDermott, Robert Gowin-Collins and Bob Morris all in favor — to grant a variance for the apartments and the reduction in parking spaces from 1 1/2 to one per unit.
Some of Mammano's other properties in Scranton include his downtown flagship 317 Linden, with 59 high-end apartments; the former Hoban Restaurant Equipment building, dubbed the Iron Lofts at 134-136 Franklin Ave., with 20 luxury apartments; and about 18 buildings that provide student housing around the University of Scranton.
Meanwhile, he has considered converting the larger Pine Brook building into a medical facility or mixed uses, such as a medical facility on one or two of the 30,000-square-foot floors of the main building and apartments above.
"There's clearly a need for residential apartments within the city," Mammano said. "I have roughly 400 residential tenants in the city of Scranton right now and everything I have is 100% occupied."
Mammano's Pine Brook site is one of the largest properties in that neighborhood. He believes it could become a catalyst for more economic development in that area and dovetail with a Pine Brook revitalization initiative already underway by United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
MONDAY UPDATE brings Times-Tribune readers up to date on past or pending stories of interest. To offer a suggestion for a Monday Update, please email metrodesk@timesshamrock.com with "Monday Update" in the subject line.
Contact the writer:
jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185; @jlockwoodTT on Twitter.
