Real estate broker recommended for sale of Luzerne County-owned property in Wilkes-Barre

Luzerne County’s administration is recommending a real estate broker to sell an unused county-owned property in Wilkes-Barre, according to Tuesday’s County Council work session agenda.

County Council had concluded that a broker listing would reach more buyers for the county’s three-story brick structure at 54 W. Union St. in Wilkes-Barre, which previously housed county community development.

The county publicly sought proposals from brokers last December, and the administration selected Pittston-based Jonathan J. Nelson Real Estate because it offered the lowest commission price, the agenda said.

Three proposals were received, and Jonathan J. Nelson Real Estate submitted a proposal of 4% of the purchase price, with 2% of that commission going to the selling agent and 2% to the buyer’s agent, it said.

In addition to generating revenue, a sale will save the county on utility costs it continues to pay while the property is vacant, it said. Community Development relocated last year to a county-leased property on North State Street in the city.

The county owns the Union Street property because the Central Poor District of Luzerne County, a long-defunct entity focused on the indigent, purchased it in 1923, according to the deed. An attached brick structure, the property is approximately 6,324 square feet and sits on 0.06 acres.

A July 2025 appraisal concluded the property’s market value is $373,000.

Council would have to vote at a future meeting for the broker engagement to take effect.

Council’s Tuesday work session follows a voting meeting at 6 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Instructions for the remote attendance option will be posted in council’s online meeting section at luzernecounty.org.

White Haven Center

Council work session discussion is also scheduled for Tuesday at the White Haven Center.

The matter was removed from a March work session because council’s meeting ran too late.

A former residential care facility for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the 23-building White Haven Center on nearly 183 acres off Interstate 80 in Foster Township has been vacant since 2023. The state has no use for the property and must spend approximately $4 million annually to maintain the complex and prevent further deterioration until ownership is transferred to another entity.

State officials reached out and asked the county to assist in determining the property’s next use.

The county administration is asking County Council for permission to apply for expertise from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Philadelphia, a nonprofit research and education organization that works to solve community and real estate challenges.

The application process will cost $20,000, and County Manager Romilda Crocamo has said she is optimistic the county will receive reimbursement.

Opioid funds

Three potential opioid settlement fund earmarks are also on the work session for discussion, the agenda said:

• $60,000 to the Children’s Service Center of Wyoming Valley for an insurance copay and deductible assistance program designed to remove financial barriers for county residents who need treatment for substance use disorder and associated mental health services.

• $268,600 to the Clem-Mar House-Meridian Recovery House for the renovation and support of a licensed female recovery house at 415 N. Main St. in Wilkes-Barre that will serve up to 30 women.

• $2 million to True North of NEPA for its new substance use disorder treatment center on Courtright Avenue in Wilkes-Barre, which is near the county prison and emergency management properties on Water Street, and is expected to open in May.

While the county’s Commission on Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement is recommending the first two earmarks to council, it forwarded the True North request to council for review without a recommendation.

County Council had previously approved two earmarks totaling $1 million for the True North center, and commission members raised questions during their April 1 meeting about the request for additional funds.

Council has authorized approximately $7.7 million in opioid fund earmarks since 2023. The county is projected to receive approximately $30 million over 18 years from the state’s settlement against opioid manufacturers and wholesale distributors.

Opioid commission

A proposed ordinance to alter the structure of the Commission on Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement is also up for work session discussion on Tuesday.

The commission has seven members: a council-appointed citizen (Mary Butera), a County Council member (John Lombardo), the county district attorney, and four administrators — the manager, drug and alcohol director, and human services and correctional services division heads.

The proposed ordinance would add two more council members.

For the three council seats, one would be held by the council chair or his/her designee. The other two would be selected by council majority vote.

The terms of the two non-chair seats would be vacated and subject to reappointment when council reorganizes every two years, it said.

To pass, the ordinance would require introduction at a future voting meeting, followed by a public hearing and majority council approval at a subsequent voting session.

If the ordinance is enacted, the seat held by Lombardo would be vacated and subject to reappointment, it said.

The ordinance also requires all commission meetings to be held in public.

The commission had taken the position that its meetings were not public based on court case law because it is advisory and not a decision-making body. However, it agreed to meet publicly, starting with its April 1 meeting, after several council members challenged that interpretation.

“Protect Our Neighbors” ordinance

The work session agenda also includes a discussion on county Councilwoman Joanna Bryn Smith’s proposed ordinance addressing issues related to the immigrant community.

At least four of the 11 council members would have to introduce the proposal at a future meeting to keep it on the table and advance it for further consideration.

The suggested document is included in the work session agenda at luzernecounty.org.