By Denise Allabaugh, Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice
New developments are coming to Midtown Village in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
Geisinger has signed a long-term lease agreement to construct a clinic for seniors at the site of the closed Katana restaurant and other vacant space in Midtown Village in downtown Wilkes-Barre, the property owner said.
Sandy Insalaco Jr., partner with the Insalaco Development Group, said construction is expected to begin immediately of Geisinger’s new 10,000-square-foot clinic.
Ron Beer, chief administrative officer for Geisinger Northeast, said they have been on the lookout for ways to make health easier for “our neighbors” in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
He said Friday that plans are in motion to bring a Geisinger 65 Forward Health Center to 41 S. Main St. in Midtown Village.
The center will be similar to Geisinger 65 Forward Health Center that opened in Kingston in August and it will have the same amenities and features, he said.
Geisinger 65 Forward Health Centers are geared toward older adults and Beer said, “We feel having a health center like this in downtown Wilkes-Barre is a perfect fit to support the health and well-being of those who live in that section of the city.”
“The location is within walking distance of bus stops and will have dedicated parking spots nearby,” he said.
The center is tentatively expected to open by the end of the year, he said.
In addition to the former Katana, Insalaco said the clinic also will extend into the building in Midtown Village formerly occupied by Swift Kennedy Associates, Kevin & Kacy’s Ice Cream Shoppe and Oddball Goods.
Boozy B’s, which features alcohol-infused ice cream and was formerly located in West Pittston, also is opening a new location in Midtown Village where a popcorn shop was formerly located.
Co-owners Bianca Lupio and Autumn Eckert posted a photo on Facebook of the Boozy B’s sign put up on the building.
Lupio said they don’t have a date yet when they can open.
When they moved to Wilkes-Barre, she said their liquor license was being transferred but the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board closed down amid the COVID-19 outbreak before they could get it.
“We are waiting for them to reopen so we can get our license,” she said.
