A crew is running to demolish several vacant buildings at Highway 309 and Blackman Street, where a new Turkey Hill is expected to be built.
Bill O’Boyle | Time Leader
A crew is running to demolish several vacant buildings at Highway 309 and Blackman Street, where a new Turkey Hill is expected to be built.
Bill O’Boyle | Time Leader
A crew is running to demolish several vacant buildings at Highway 309 and Blackman Street, where a new Turkey Hill is expected to be built.
Bill O’Boyle | Time Leader
A crew is running to demolish several vacant buildings at Highway 309 and Blackman Street, where a new Turkey Hill is expected to be built.
Bill O’Boyle | Time Leader
A crew is running to demolish several vacant buildings at Highway 309 and Blackman Street, where a new Turkey Hill is expected to be built.
Bill O’Boyle | Time Leader
A backhoe can be seen at the rear of this asset along Blackman Street, where a new Turkey Hill is expected to be built.
Bill O’Boyle | Time Leader
A backhoe can be seen at the rear of this asset along Blackman Street, where a new Turkey Hill is expected to be built.
Bill O’Boyle | Time Leader
WILKES-BARRE TOWNSHIP — The structure of a new Turkey Hill at the intersection of Blackman Street and Highway 309 has been authorized, but it’s unclear when or if the assignment will continue.
Thomas Zedolik, zoning and code enforcement officer for Wilkes-Barre Township, said several buildings at the site were demolished after learning that other homeless people had set up an encampment inside.
“We contacted the owner and he responded temporarily and the buildings are being demolished,” Zedolik said.
In 2020, Turkey Hill’s new parent company, the E. G. UK-based group, purchased several existing buildings at Route 309 and Blackman Street, which once housed a fixed garage, bar, and other businesses, as well as 3 personal homes, and the plan to demolish them. the mall.
Emily Pickering, vice president of public relations at The Castle Group, released a statement on behalf of EG America:
“As a component of our asset progression plan, we have begun demolishing some of the existing buildings on this site. At this time, we have no further updates to share, nor a timeline related to when the structure will begin on the new Turkey Hill. store.
Zedolik said he had won some rental program to expand the site. He said PennDOT continues to paint at the intersection.
Liz Fabri, PennDOT’s protection press officer, said the protection improvement task resolves backup issues on Interstate 81 at the southbound off-ramp to Route 309. He said the task is to widen the off-ramp to accommodate a double left-turn lane at its intersection with Route 309 (Wilkes, Barre Township Blvd. ) and Blackman Street.
Fabri said eastbound access from Blackman Street to the intersection will also be widened to accommodate a larger concrete pipe island, an expanded right-turn lane and stormwater treatment facility relocations. Fabri said existing pavement will be milled and layered, new pavement markings and signage will be placed. Also included are ADA ramps and improvements to ease traffic.
Fabri said the bid amount for the task is around $1. 6 million. The date of the final touch is expected in the summer of 2024.
Turkey Hill had first said the site would feature a full-service convenience store, a fast-food spot with a yet-to-be-named partner brand, a car wash and fuel stations. It is not known if this is still the plan or if it has been changed.
In April 2023, old underground fuel tanks were removed from the former Bone Fuel Station at the intersection of Highway 309 and Blackman Street.
At the time, Pickering said the allocation was in the early stages of design and authorization and said the workshop “is expected to be finished in the next 18 to 24 months and will only be ‘commodities and gas. ‘”
In 2020, Turkey Hill’s new parent company, EG, the UK-based group, purchased several existing buildings on Route 309 and Blackman Street, which once housed Bone’s garage, a bar and other businesses, as well as 3 personal homes.
A short distance along Highway 309, Zedolik said there are 3 projects underway.
The property, formerly called Kmart Plaza, is owned by Union Center Realty LLC and Delaware Land Company LLC.
Zedolik said entry permits have been issued for a convenience store/gas station structure in Wawa and painting is expected to begin soon. He said structural paints at a Cloud 10 car wash will also begin soon. And an Aldi grocery store will take over much of the former Kmart space.
The assets are now Union Center Plaza.
Contact Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.