The Hotel Sterling faces reality & fantasy

Louis J. Betti When she opened in August of 1898, in part under the impetus of Emma Sterling, she was the finest hotel; not just in Wilkes-Barre and the surrounding area, but for a far greater distance. For a burgeoning, coal-producing community, she became the social venue for the area. The coal flowed and so did the money, and the Sterling became the social icon of the anthracite coal region. It was all about coal then, and when one needed to spend coal-money, the Sterling was the place to go. Then, American hotels were just starting to compete with their European counterparts, if not proceeding ahead of them, and for a small town like Wilkes-Barre, this hotel was a sterling example of such accomplishment. Not meaning to burst anyone's bubble, but Walter G. Sterling never built the Hotel Sterling, and it was not named after him either! Walter was long-dead at the time it was built, and it was named after his wife, Emma, who championed the building of it. Granted, she got her last name from her late husband, who was one of the partners that built the Music Hall that formerly existed at the site, but Walter had nothing to do with the Hotel Sterling. Walter died in 1889, and the hotel was built in 1897 and opened in 1898. Sorry, it is what it is. Would someone please look up some death certificates! It should not take someone living in Fort Lee, NJ to tell Wilkes-Barre, PA that Walter Sterling did not build the Hotel Sterling! I became acquainted with the Hotel Sterling in 1976, and while she was in her decline then, I admired what she was prior. My thoughts follow. This isn't going to work, I said to myself when I moved into the male dorm building at Wilkes College (it was called a college back then) at the start of my freshman year in 1976. I had no problem with having to share a room, but the communal bathroom situation was not going to work for me. I don't shower in front of other men; it's not my style. Within a week, taking a shower at 1AM was no longer an option, but over the preceding week I had heard that some students were staying at the Hotel Sterling. Hmm..., an hotel; they have private bathrooms- sounds good to me! A quick visit to the housing office at Wilkes College and the next thing I know I am down the street standing in the gorgeous lobby of the Hotel Sterling; and that lobby was gorgeous! I made my way down what I would later learn was once called Peacock Alley, a name taken from New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel, and to the elevator to what I later learned was formerly the Plaza Hotel, yet another New York City hotel icon, and made my way up to the 6th floor and room 699, where I met Kam Wase (pronounced wah-see). His family was prominent in the Marshall Islands, and his host family here in the USA owned WNEP TV 16 at the time. This works for me; I think I'll stay at the Sterling! My time at the Sterling was most memorable, and it caused me to become interested in old, grand hotels, of which the Sterling was sort of one. In the late 1970's the tower was mostly Wilkes College students, along with permanent residents who occupied various single rooms, efficiency rooms (with a kitchen) and mini suites (no kitchen). The two latter types of rooms were created by combing two rooms, sealing up a doorway with sheet rock and, when required, turning a redundant bathroom into a small kitchen. There were ice water taps at the bathroom sinks, but they had long ago ceased to function. The connecting building, and some tower rooms, were for transient guests, and the original building was all for permanent residents, along with containing the restaurant and ball rooms for catering. I recall Lewith & Freeman real estate having an office on the ground floor lobby facing River Street. There was an accounting firm in the penthouse of the Plaza tower, and Balut's Furs was located on the ground floor of the tower. The hotel was quite active, and in generally good repair. There was VIPs coffee shop to the left of the main entrance on Market Street. The Plaza tower rooms were nothing special. The tower was never more than 3-star hotel, even in its heyday, trust me. Despite ice water taps in the bathrooms, the small bathrooms with no marble or bidet betrayed it for what it was; nothing special, save for the penthouse, which is where the interior money was spent. The exterior of the tower was better than the interior. Indeed, the tower was designed by Warren & Wetmore, a legendary New York architectural firm. Among the many famous buildings they designed was New York's Grand Central Terminal, an iconic structural creation to this day, along with Hawaii's Pink Palace, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, an hotel I've had the pleasure of staying at. Warren & Wetmore's Grand Central Terminal at New York, with the Met Life tower, the former Pam Am building behind

it. Never call Grand Central a station; it is a terminal, as in the Latin word terminus.

As to the tower: Design is based on budget. The connector building rooms were better, and the converted apartments in the original 1898 hotel were decent, based on the few I saw. The General Sullivan room, or restaurant, while no longer serving haute cuisine, was an architectural gem for the area, and they still did a buffet night (on Thursdays at least, maybe still on Sundays too), which some of us college students used to go. It was $6.95, and that's all it was worth even back then. The food was decent, nothing great, and I think they still served shrimp. I would often go alone there for dinner, and would usually be served by Nella, who worked for the hotel for many years. It was a nice venue and provided a good dinner for a college student, certainly better than going to the college dining hall. I have no complaints. Wilkes-Barre seemed like a city back then, and the Sterling was no longer a grand, five-star hotel. Frankly, she was never a five-star hotel. That's what the Paris Ritz, the London Savoy, the New York Pierre, or the Vienna Bristol is, and the Sterling never came close to those hotels as to facilities, service and overall luxury. I've stayed at those aforementioned hotels, and have had marble bathrooms almost the size of some of the Sterling's hotel rooms! It's not like Melba Toast, Peach Melba (from London's Savoy hotel), or Ritz Crackers (from the Paris Ritz hotel), or the Waldorf Salad and Veal Oscar (from the New York Waldorf Astoria hotel) came from the Sterling. It's not like Auguste Escoffier was ever a chef at the Sterling, as he was at Londons Savoy or New Yorks Pierre hotels, but I am sure that Fred George did an exemplary job while at the Sterling. The Sterling was overall more like a three to four star hotel in her heyday and a twostar hotel later on. I mean no disrespect, but she still reminded one that she once was a great hotel in regard to where she was located, and that's all that matters. It's all relative. One cannot expect the Sterling of Wilkes-Barre to match the Biltmore of Los Angeles, the Brown Palace of Denver, or Claridge's of London. She was never in that league, but served her purpose for where she was, and that she did with great aplomb for many decades. Here's the grand ballroom of the Palmer House in Chicago. Just look at the number of chandeliers, and you're not seeing all of them either. The Sterling had just one of those the size of these.

Here's the wreckage of Detroit's Book-Cadillac hotel's ballroom prior to restoration. Makes the current Sterling look good at this stage!

Here's the Book-Cadillac's ballroom after restoration. The Sterlings Crystal Ballroom never looked this good:

Of course, the Book-Cadillac was a $200+ million restoration. This is the lobby of Hotel Utica today. Note the windows. The Sterling's lobby was not quite on par with this.

The Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas: A planned $54 million restoration is in the works. Sorry, but the Sterling's structure does not compare to this beauty which, due to climatic conditions and no mothballing is in much better condition.

If we go south of Wilkes-Barre, we run into the Hotel Bethlehem; still alive and well. If only the Sterling's entrance ever looked that good! Of course, this hotel was built in 1922, a quarter century after the Sterling.

Next door to Bethlehem, Allentown has this to deal with this, and it was once part of the Sterling Hotels System! Of course, at least the Americus is in much better shape than the Sterling is, but it is much newer (1927). Even then, you're looking at maybe $45 million or more to restore it.

The Sterling ballrooms, especially the small, pretty Crystal Ballroom, although not grand, attracted business. I once threw a party in the Blue Room. It had blue walls and not that much more to say for it. However, none of these rooms could hold a candle to the grand, multi-story, big city hotel ballrooms, such as at Chicago's Palmer House (see above). The ol' gal, in the 1970s, was hanging on for dear life, as was the city. For the late 1970's it was about as good as it would get for the Sterling. The coal was long gone, and there was nothing to replace it. The idiots running the city had no clue, and just had their hands out. However, how long will permanent residents and college students pay the bills for an hotel owner in what was then an essentially dying city? The ol' gal wasn't what she was, and neither was Wilkes-Barre. Thus, where

goes Wilkes-Barre so does the Sterling. The Sterling pretty much followed that path too. I forget who owned the hotel at the time, but I believe his nephew, maybe cousin, Murray Popky was his man on the scene. There was also Mike. I wish I could remember his last name, but he was of Italian descent like me. He was the controller; the money man. His office was behind a glass wall across from the check-in desk, which was on the ground floor of the tower, opposite the elevators. He had no privacy, but could keep an eye on things. There was also a general manager who shared an office with Murray Popky, to the left of Mike's office (when viewed from the elevators). I really feel badly that his name is at the tip of my tongue, yet escapes me. He was an old timer from the Sterling, and I was told that they gave him that job because he knew the place and all the old staff. He was a real gentleman, and a good choice for the job. The night auditor was another man whose name escapes me. Boy, I'm getting old! I spent many times chatting with him during the wee hours at the front desk. He gave me a good behind-the-scenes look at the hotel while he processed the receipts for the day. Then, there was Phil Weaver. How could I forget Phil! He was given the title of assistant manager, and we loved to drive him crazy as he tried to keep us college students in line. We didn't go easy on Phil, and I'll refrain from any anecdotes concerning him. However, I hope he is alive and well today. Sorry if I drove you crazy, Phil, but I was only 18/19 years old at the time and, well, you asked for it! I returned to Wilkes-Barre during the early to mid-80s to work for WKRZ FM, and lived in an apartment on South Franklin Street, one owned by Ed Popky. Might he have been related to Murray Popky? I think he was! The Sterling was still there, but I was told not to waste my time with it. The in place back then was the Station Complex that Marvin Roth turned into a happening place and it sure was. Even though I lived nearby, I would often stay in one of their beautiful Pullman cars for a weekend just for a change of scenery. Later, I was the first to host live radio broadcasts from the Woodlands Inn on Saturday nights for WMJW FM, and their general manager, and my friend, the late Paul Grimes. Their night club then was called the 25th Hour. The Station Complex has gone the way of the Sterling now. Speaking of the Station Complex, I used to know Thom Greco, as he later owned it. These days, only the Woodlands thrives, and the Station Complex is another disaster, though in perhaps a bit better condition. The Station Complex in her early-80's hey day. What a beautiful place it was, like the Sterling was twenty years prior:

New York City has more historic, iconic hotels than one can count on all fingers, even if one has six arms. They tore down the old Waldorf Astoria hotel, and built the Empire State building on that site, and also built a new Waldorf Astoria hotel on Park Avenue. They broke ground on the new Waldorf just at the start of the great depression of 1929. New York's former St. Moritz hotel, just down the street from the Plaza Hotel on Central Park South, was another depression-built baby, yet she thrives today as a Ritz Carlton hotel, and is one of the best in the city. The same can similarly be said for other large American cities. New York City has a population of roughly 8.4 million people. Having just recently checked, as of the 2010 census, the city of Wilkes-Barre has a population of 41,498, making Wilkes-Barre about 1/200 the size of New York City, and about half the size of what it was in the 1930s. I live in the town of Fort Lee, NJ, whose population is 43,728. Is Wilkes-Barre even a city, regardless of its governmental structure? No, it's just a town, or a borough, or whatever. Granted, Luzerne County has a population of 311,983- nothing impressive, and I'll stretch things to say that you have a potential of 500,000 living in neighboring areas, including Scranton, which has a whopping population of 76,089! I mention these population figures to put things into perspective. What does the city of Wilkes-Barre and the surrounding area bring to the table for a developer to spend tens of millions of dollars to restore a neglected, dilapidated old hotel? Even CityVest did not mothball the Sterling. What were they thinking? That aside, a developer then has to deal

with Wilkes-Barre / Luzerne county politicians. Can anyone pronounce the word corruption? It's legendary in this area. Wilkes-Barre thinks it's a city, but it is just a little, dying town now. Sorry, but its days of greatness are long over- so sad. The coal is gone, the city is gone, and now it's just a little town that thinks it's a big city. It's not, not by a long shot. There's a blog at http://kleebversustheworld.wordpress.com/category/wilkes-barre/ that states: We were teenagers then, so naturally a 13-story abandoned hotel was heaven in a lackluster city devoid of any nightlife. I remember walking through the kitchen, with foreboding messages of REDRUM written all over the walls. The lobby, with its huge ceilings and ornate winding staircase, was cluttered with the spoils of past voyagers. The pile of clothing and furniture had been plundered from each room and left in the center of the musty ballroom. This large chamber was even the site of a small campfire one cold night. This is how Wilkes-Barre cares for its icons? The Sterling became a playground, and hosted a campfire in it! Here's the Sterling's Crystal Ballroom in 2005. Indeed; low ceiling height, but it was once a beautiful room, but never a true grand ballroom (note the mirrored support columns; grand ballrooms don't have those in the middle of the room). Sadly, it is a dilapidated junk yard today, but so was the ballroom of Detroit's Book-Cadillac hotel just a few years ago, but it was much higher and bereft of the columns in the middle of the room.

The grand ballroom of New York's Waldorf Astoria: Indeed, this would have been a bit much for Wilkes-Barre, but I just want to make the comparison. Granted, this room was built in the 1930s, not in 1897.

Speaking of New York City; the legendary 1906 Plaza Hotel, sitting on one of the best pieces of land extant, and overlooking Central Park, currently represents an investment of around one billion dollars, since her purchase and renovation several years ago. Here, an 800+ room hotel was converted into condos, retail and hotel. The retail is dying, the condos did sell, and the hotel suffers under some serious competition, along with having room rates that will take your breath away. The grand ballroom at The Plaza Hotel at New York: The Plaza was built in 1906, 9 years after the Sterling. Again, overkill for Wilkes-Barre, but this room is perhaps three times the height of the Crystal Ballroom at the Sterling.

So, we have a former hotel in a former city-now-town that has been greatly neglected. How do you save it? Well, WilkesBarre takes $3 million away from the Sterling project and gives it to some Intermodal transportation facility. It's just a bloated bus terminal and parking garage. Martz wins! Wilkes-Barre's mayor, Thomas Leighton says to tear the Sterling down. Hey, Tom, why don't you tear down the rest of the city? The best you folks could do was taking $3 million from the Sterling and put it into a glorified bus terminal? Razing buildings is always an easy answer. Is anyone paying attention? It appears their idea is: Let us give you a nice place from which to get the heck out of the area, as we're not giving you a nice place to stay. Artist's rendition of the Intermodal Transportation Facility: It's just a glorified bus terminal and parking garage, in my opinion. An attractive way to get out of town if you need to take Martz!

Wilkes-Barre had a chance to save the Sterling, and they took a pass. Utica, New York, saved their name-sake hotel, the 1912, the 250 room, 14 story Hotel Utica. Detroit, Michigan, (talk about dying cities!) saved the 1924, 1136 room, 31 story Book-Cadillac and the 1917 1,000+ room Fort Shelby hotels, and both of them make the Sterling look like a cottage in size comparison and grandeur. Mineral Wells, Texas, a city of less than 18,000 is putting together a plan to spend some $54 million to restore the legendary 450 room Baker Hotel (see photos and descriptions above). All that Wilkes-Barre politicians can say is to tear down the Sterling. Well, maybe the powers that be are correct. They have no clue how to save a city-now-town, and this is the best they can come up with. Again, who elects these officials into office? Why do you good people elect these officials, and how can you expect these folks to help you save the Sterling? Can any of you vote them out of office? Frankly, I think they are smart people, as they get themselves elected; but who elects them? I no longer live in the area, so my opinion is what it is. Otherwise, the die is cast as to the Sterling's fate. She's coming down, save for a miracle. You can't save the Sterling; deal with it, get over it. The architects and engineers are likely correct. Aside from the fact that the building was neglected (the interior looks like garbage), and probably contains more structural issues than any developer would wish to deal with (what might one find when tearing down walls?), you then have all the building code issues (think government regulations) that need to be complied with in 2011. You're dealing with stairway issues, elevator issues, ADA compliance issues- the list goes on and on. Nothing will get grand fathered in. As to ceiling heights, I have

no idea why that is an issue, but it could be, as the ballroom heights are not impressive. I am not an engineer or architect. If you renovate you have to do it to 21st century standards, code requirements, etc. This means new heating, air conditioning, electrical, plumbing and, yes, WIFI. This building is too old, and the town (there, I said it) and the local economy cannot support the investment necessary to save the ol' gal. Sure, theoretically, she can be saved, but who in their right mind would put the money into it, when considering the local economy and often corrupt political environment? Have you seen those columns that hold up the lobby ceiling at the Sterling? They're not real, just as they are not in most hotels. They are hollow structures, with support columns in them and usually not made of or covered in marble. One of them, at least, has some serious issues too, and the rest you cannot just polish up, as the marble is a faux, painted finish. You will need an artist to clean and restore them, if not entirely repaint them! This level of work does not come cheap these days. Of course, there might be a cheaper way to do it with graphic imprinted paper or vinyl, or something similar. Otherwise, the rest of the place looks like garbage. If you don't mothball it early on, this is what you end with; gorgeous garbage. Note the lower portion of the first column from the left. Also, where did the graffiti come from? Oh, that's right; the Sterling was a neglected playground for many years!

I enjoyed watching a short YouTube video that showed the Hotel Sterling as a casino. Maybe gambling could save the Sterling. Even then, gambling did not save most of the much larger, grand hotels in Atlantic City, such as the Traymore and the Marlborough-Blenheim (though some were saved and exist today), and they have certainly torn down much newer and larger hotels in Las Vegas. The former Traymore Hotel, Atlantic City: You could easily stuff the Sterling into a corner of it.

A developer could probably tear down the Sterling (and foot the cost of doing so if they paid a token $1 for the building and land) and build a better replica, replete with that gorgeous lobby for not much more money; maybe even the same or less than it might cost to do a proper renovation of the current structure. The time to save the Sterling was 10 years ago, or at least properly mothball her for the future. Now, and when one considers the area she is in, it is not economically viable to revive her from her current, neglected state. Next door to the Sterling is the Sterling Annex, once a part of the hotel, and once physically connected to it. She is another beauty now owned by the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry. They mothballed the building, but the

interior is in very poor condition; again, gorgeous garbage. Even plans for turning it into a museum have failed in the past, and her future is uncertain. Perhaps when they bring the wrecking ball in for the Hotel Sterling, officials can point to the Sterling Annex and say: Well, while you're at it... A part of the Sterling Annex interior: The rest is no better looking. This wreck is mothballed? I can't imagine what it would look like if it were not!

The Sterling's survival would not only require a great deal of money (I say far more than even $50 million), but some very creative thinking and marketing. I believe she would need to become a destination unto herself, and would need to attract patrons not just from the surrounding area but from outside the area. I'm certain the condo / retail idea will not work. Gambling sounds tempting, but would require an even greater investment. We're in the midst of a terrible economy at present, and I do not feel that Wilkes-Barre, and its political structure is the town that can pull off such a minor miracle. I have ideas for the Sterling, but the cost of accomplishing them would make $35 million look cheap. I say, shame on Wilkes-Barre because of decades of political corruption, and not realizing a good thing, the Sterling, when they had it and could save it. As to CityVest: I feel they had minimal clue, though I truly think they meant well, but they were just out of their league when it came to the Sterling. Why I knew that and not CityVest makes me wonder. I'm not that smart, but apparently they are less so. The original Sterling had to be mothballed post-haste years ago, and they did not do that. Now, she's done, and waits for her repose. Please, let's put her to rest and say a fond farewell. Please, take her down and be done with it. Raze her and have another empty lot to go with the small town legacy that has become WilkesBarre. While they raze the Sterling, raze this building also, and replace it with a few trailers. This is far too much building considering the purpose it serves. We don't even have a city hall this size in Fort Lee, NJ, and we have a greater population, and are also home to the New Jersey side of the George Washington Bridge, the world's most heavily traveled bridge! I doubt this building even contains a record of when Walter G. Sterling died!

Save the Sterling? This isn't going to work, when you have a city hall the size of the one shown above. However, let's have some fun and move to part II of my ramblings about how the Sterling might be saved. This part is titled:

Let's visit Fantasy Island and save the Sterling

Do you remember that TV show from years ago, featuring the late Ricardo Montalban and Herv Villechaize? Whether you do or not; let's go to Fantasy Island and attempt to save the Sterling. Here are my thoughts: First: Let's again dispel a myth. The Hotel Sterling was not built by or named after Walter G. Sterling. The man would have had a tough time building it, as he died eight years before construction began. It was named after his wife, Emma, who inherited his share of the Music Hall that previously existed at the site, and was a driving force behind the building of the hotel, along with other Music Hall partners who were involved. Yes, it was Walter's surname but, otherwise, let's set the historical record straight. Can't Wilkes-Barre even get history straight? Apparently not! Second, and last: $35 million will not be enough; you need to double or triple the amount. $100 million is a nice, round number; maybe that will work, maybe. You will also need the local politicians to keep their hands out of your pockets and you will want tax abatements and federal tax credits, and God only knows what else too, such as a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Imagine the monthly debt service for a developer who manages to get a $100 million loan with 10% down. I figure they'll be lucky to get a 7% interest rate on such a risky loan for only 15 years, and the monthly payment will be over $800 thousand per month. They will need to bring in around $4 million per month in gross revenue to service the debt and maybe make a good profit. Getting the loan may prove to be next to impossible and bringing in the revenue to service the debt and turn a profit a true miracle! As I said previously: You will need to make the Sterling a destination unto itself, and Wilkes-Barre alone is not a destination these days. So, what do you do with it? Well, gambling could be an option, but I do not see that being viable, but it could be, but let's leave it out for now. Let's try another route, something I would call an urban resort. Hey, we're on Fantasy Island, I'm allowed to fantasize! You will need a multi-level parking garage, as most of your patrons will be driving in. Who pays for parking might depend on their reason for being there. You would then build another building, where the connector building and tower once existed. This building, at least as high as the original hotel, and while very likely containing additional hotel rooms, restaurants, ballroom, etc. (we'd be greatly reducing the room count in the original hotel in order to make them larger), would contain a state-of-the-art health club and spa, along with a top floor swimming pool which features a Magrodome, or sliding glass roof. Thus, the pool works in summer or winter. This facility would also be available for area residents who wish to purchase a membership. This would be a full service facility, and would include hair salon, nails, spa, you name it! Of course, retail shops could be included. The old Sterling gets renovated and becomes an hotel, retail, catering / meeting facility. The Sterling Annex is purchased by the developer (a $1 purchase price sounds about right for that wreck) and becomes mostly catering and perhaps some office / retail space. Catering is essential, and the hotel used to do that. The catering rooms need to not just be restored, but brought to a state where they are the best in the area, bar none. The Sterling would need to become THE place to go for a wedding or other function. The Woodlands Inn, or Genetti, or other venues might not be happy with that, but who cares?

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You will need major F&B (food and beverage) business to make the Sterling succeed. I cannot stress how important this is. That aside, the Sterling will need to make money from every other entity contained within it. The hotel rooms and suites, whether in the old or new building will need to be very spacious and luxurious; in other words; the biggest and best in the area. You want people to go out of their way to come to the Sterling. Can you say, marble, bidet, mini-bar, free WIFI, and large, flat screen TV? I would even suggest that rooms in the original hotel be more old-world as to dcor. Crown moldings, frame / dado moldings on the wall- very ornate. More than they were in 1897. Other rooms, in the new building, could be more modern, but all rooms would be on par as to space and amenities. There should be no venue in the area to compare to the Sterling. The former General Sullivan room in the original hotel is restored, if not enhanced, and you attempt to get a celebrity chef to put his/her name behind it, along with their menu / cuisine. Names like Todd English, Gordon Ramsay, David Burke (I know David); the list goes on. A proper bar / lounge with music and dancing is also essential, as that is another profit center. You will need another restaurant, not as upscale, and maybe even a third, coffee shop or bistro type venue. There should be at least three restaurants to dine at and at least two to drink / party at. You will definitely need additional structure to accomplish this. The catering kitchens should be Kosher, but with the ability to produce nonKosher dishes as required. That won't be so cheap to accomplish. The idea is to make the Sterling THE place to go to for various reasons, even if you live out of the area. If you want a weekend escape from New York City, or anywhere within a couple of hours drive; go to the Sterling and indulge in the spa, health club, pool, the beautiful rooms and restaurants for a couple of nights. If you live in the area, join the health club / spa and pamper yourself, or just get your nails or hair done. If you want a catered function, the Sterling should be your first choice. For a memorable dinner, the celebrity chef restaurant at the Sterling should be the choice. Drinks and dancing? Make it the Sterling. Even if you live in the area, the Sterling should provide a great escape for the weekend. Business functions should also be handled, but do not expect huge conventions to go there, as they do in New York, Las Vegas, etc. However, smaller conventions, meetings and seminars could be accommodated. Management and staff training will need to be of the highest order. It's not likely you will get Fairmont Hotels to run the place (as they do the London Savoy and New York Plaza), but if you have a name like Fairmont behind it, all the better. To save the Sterling you will need to create a very, very expensive magnet that will not just attract business from within the area, but outside the area. Have I repeated that enough- hello? You will need to provide covers for many pots. It would need to have just about the best of everything available. It would need to be a venue where a couple could check in on a Friday and depart on a Sunday, and never have to leave the facility, if they so desire; and that's just the start. Remember, this will probably be a $100+ million project, and the facility will need to generate easily $1 million a week in revenues. It will have utilities, taxes (like those will be abated?) payroll, food and beverage costs, political payoffs, building maintenance, etc. to pay for. Then, it has to write that $800 thousand loan check every month! You're going to need some serious investment and revenues to make a revised Sterling survive. Can Wilkes-Barre pull this type of development off? I have my answer when I see that they take $3 million from the Sterling and put it into a bus terminal. They couldn't save the Sterling 10 years ago. It's not happening now! No, this isn't going to work. Sorry! Please, let the 'ol gal go, and let's move on. Also, when you take her down, I will tell you what part to save (see below), perhaps for inclusion into a future structure built on the site (like that's going to happen anytime soon). Otherwise, spend the money and implode her. Get a company like CDI in and have the Loizeaux family do it. If you cannot save all of the Sterling, at least save this part below: Can Wilkes-Barre or CityVest do such? I doubt it. Saving this might just cost a little extra money!

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Otherwise, they can implode her early on a Sunday morning, and it might close traffic on Market and River Streets for a day but, then, the tax payers might just start to pay attention to what they have lost, and whom they elect into office. I dare say that WNEP will televise the implosion. That's the last thing Wilkes-Barre / Luzerne County politicians want to see! Do the residents of Wilkes-Barre and the surrounding area really want to see that?

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