SCRANTON, Pa. — Heavy equipment in action is a welcome sight on the corner of Linden Street and Wyoming Avenue. The property in downtown Scranton will soon be a pocket park.
Scranton Tomorrow president and CEO Leslie Collins says they've partnered with the city and Lackawanna County to bring new life to this site.
"A pocket park really is a downsized version of a neighborhood, and downtown Scranton is becoming more of a neighborhood with increased residential development," Collins said.
David Herbert walks by this area often and was curious as to what was being done.
"I didn't really know much about it until just the other day when someone told me it was going up because I was thinking, hey, what's all this construction? But it's great. It'll be nice to have a place to sit," Herbert said.
The building that used to stand on this site was torn down several years ago, and plans for this park have been underway for quite some time. Scranton Tomorrow received $400,000 in state funding for this park, and Collins says there's no better time to get this project completed.
"It's really changing the quality of life for our region, and we're also addressing a need which is revitalizing a long-standing dilapidated site," Collins said.
The park will be mostly green space for people to sit and relax, with other areas designed to encourage community gatherings.
"A beautiful gazebo in the far back corner, and we're hoping that will open up the opportunity for First Friday events, music events, maybe a small farmers market," said Collins.
As long as everything goes according to plan, officials hope to have the park open later this summer.
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