Susquehanna University opening storefront in downtown Selinsgrove

Marcia Moore, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·3 min read

May 1—Susquehanna University is leasing a building in downtown Selinsgrove and establishing a more visible presence, a move that is being lauded by borough merchants.

The Susquehanna University Downtown Center will be located at 111 N. Market St. and feature a retail space and classrooms. The property will be leased by Susquehanna from owner Robert Grayston.

"Susquehanna University has been proud to be a part of the Selinsgrove community since 1858 and we see the Downtown Center as a way to reinforce these already strong bonds," said University President Jonathan Green. "It is our hope that this endeavor will lead to continued fruitful collaboration between our students, faculty, staff and the community members of Selinsgrove."

Downtown business owners Rick Schuck and Domenico Napoli are pleased that the university will have a presence in the center of the borough.

"It's a good, good gesture. It's the stepping stone of the beginning of people investing in downtown," said Napoli, owner of Isabella's and Bella's Pizza on Market Street. "We're very lucky to have a university in our town."

Shuck said the move is "long overdue" and commends Green, the university administration, and board of trustees for bringing SU onto the main street.

"I cannot recall SU ever having a business or property on Market Street," said Schuck, the owner of Bot's Tavern and a lifelong Selinsgrove resident. "It makes perfect sense and is a really positive step. I think it will strengthen the town-gown relationship."

Giving students and their family members a reason to visit downtown Selinsgrove will benefit local businesses and the campus community, he said.

The Susquehanna University Downtown Center will include a small retail space featuring university merchandise, classrooms and a meeting space where lectures, performances and guest speaking engagements will be held; provide students with project-based learning opportunities in partnership with local businesses and nonprofit organizations; enhance volunteer and civic participation between students and the community and provide a space for students to display research and creative work.

Plans for the center began as part of a National Endowment for the Humanities grant-supported program, titled "Promoting Civil Discourse in a Polarized World."

The grant supported a course led by Betsy Verhoeven, associate professor of English and creative writing, Nick Clark, associate professor of political science, and Emma Fleck, associate professor of management and marketing, that integrated all three of their areas of scholarship. Students worked in small groups to look at new ways to engage SU's student body with the Selinsgrove community.

Over the course of a semester, students interviewed about 170 Selinsgrove residents to determine community perceptions of Susquehanna and identify possible initiatives to strengthen relationships.

This project is supported by a grant from the 1994 Charles B. Degenstein Foundation.

Property owner Grayston said he looks forward to working with the university to forward its vision.

"The university is a wonderful asset to the community and this initiative will highlight Susquehanna as a pillar in downtown Selinsgrove," he said.

The 111 N. Market St. building was erected in 1917 as Herman & Wetzel Hardware and included a large apartment on the second floor. The 1917 structure replaced the original 1880 building, which housed a law office. Renovation efforts will be geared toward returning the building to more closely resemble its 1917 façade with plans for Susquehanna University to occupy the building in the fall.