Dec. 12—WILKES-BARRE — Larry Newman, executive director at the Diamond City Partnership, Monday said he is confident new businesses are coming to the city's downtown, but don't expect 2023 to resemble 1973 at all.

"We won't see Issac Long, The Hub or Lazarus to be there, but we are confident that we will see some new businesses coming to the downtown soon."

Newman said he has been made aware that two vacant businesses were recently purchased by unidentified investors — the former Rite Aid pharmacy and the long-closed Bottleneck's bar/restaurant.

Lewith & Freeman Commercial Real Estate Realtors handled the sale and Tara Siegel, spokesperson, offered a statement.

"The buyers are excited to work with the city, the chamber and the DCP to identify a need for the city within that space. Lewith and Freeman Commercial Real Estate is excited to work with the new ownership group in finding a tenant."

Newman said he and DCP and the city are always pleased to see a new investment in the downtown.

"We are going to work with the new owners, as we would with any commercial property owner downtown," Newman said. "We will help them identify prospective new tenant-uses that would be good additions to Downtown Wilkes-Barre."

Newman said DCP and the city have a good sense of what the downtown market goals are and what the needs are and what the market is looking for.

Newman also said that two other vacant businesses downtown — the former Barnes and Noble Bookstore, located next to the Bottleneck's space, and the former City Market, next to Rite Aid, have also seen recent interest from potential investors/business owners. Newman said recent surveys done by DCP show that residents and visitors would like to see a new grocvery store and a pharmacy in the downtown.

"We have heard some news about those and we have had conversations about them, but again, we can't get into specifics because nothing has been finalized," Newman said. "All of those spaces are being actively marketed and we are hopeful new tenants will be occupying them soon."

Newman added, "None of this happens overnight — it's a long-term process and we certainly are in it for the long haul.The good news is that we have interest in the downtown and we hope these spaces are filled as the downtown continues to evolve."

On Friday, Newman told about 20 members of the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Association that "slowly but surely," the downtown's key market indicators continue to move in the right direction.

In his report, Newman explained the shift in DCP's approach to promoting the downtown. He said as of November 2022, 49% of the city's pre-pandemic employee corps has returned.

"We must create a downtown where people want to be, not have to be," he said. "One area where we have seen significant growth is on downtown residents — 30% higher than pre-pandemic."

Newman said DCP has tracked a 78% recovery of downtown visitors, people who travel to the downtown to shop, have appointments, eat at restaurants, but who don't live in the downtown.

Newman then mentioned several new Downtown storefront businesses:

—Small Batch Baking Company at 45 East Northampton St.

—Furology Pet Grooming at 59 North Main St.

—Luisito Jewelry at 81 South Washington St.

—Stagger's Southern Cuisine at 78 South Main St.

Additionally, Newman said the Chill Grill restaurant will be reopening under new ownership at 100 N. Pennsylvania Ave. this month.

"We must continue to focus on things we can control," Newman said. "That means working to advance our ultimate goal of creating a downtown that people visit because they want to be here — not one that they visit because they're required to be here. If we focus on fostering a downtown environment that serves as an amenity for all those groups, then we'll continue to see new business growth at street level, and Downtown will continue to rebound."

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.