Mayor Says University To Get OK To Begin Commons Project, 1980

Scranton Times article regarding the beginning of the transformation of a portion of Linden Street into the University of Scranton Commons.

1980-05-16

Staff, Thomas K.

Newspaper clippings

University Commons

Linden Street

Construction

Hill Neighborhood Association

Scranton City Council

University of Scranton Archives

univscrapbook-b053_0193c

Archival Records

St. Thomas Hall and University Commons

Times Shamrock Communications

[Please note that computer-generated transcripts include formatting, spelling, and grammatical irregularities and errors.]
Mayor Says University to Get OK to Begin Commons Project
By THOMAS K. STAFF
Times Staff Writer
The University of Scranton
apparently will be given the
go-ahead to close two blocks
of Linden Street and begin
construction of its Commons
project by city officials next
week.
Mayor Eugene Hickey said
today he sees no reason not to
allow the university to begin
the project that it hopes will
help it attract students.
"There is nothing 1 have
heard to deter us from telling
them to go ahead," Hicky
said.
University and city officials are expected to meet
next week with representatives of the Hill Neighborhood
Association to discuss the
closing of the SOO and 1000
blocks of Linden Street.
I The HNA, the main oppo-
nent of the scheme when proposed back in 1978, expressed
fears that the closing of the
two blocks would cause major traffic problems in thet
area of the city.
The university was ultimately given approval to
close the street but not until it
met certain conditions, including replacing legal parking places that would be lost
. and making street alterations
to improve the flow of traffic. .
The most crucial stipulation, however, was that the
school could not begin the actual construction of the
Cmmons until June 1980, and
only after the city had implemented a state plan for the
reversal of one-way traffic on
Spruce and Linden Streets in
the downtown.
Although the traffic has not
yet been reversed and apparently will not be for several
years, Hickey said he has
been told the university has
done all of the things
specified in the ordinance
adopted by council.
"Brazil (Solicitor Jack)
feels we could go ahead and I
think (Community Development Director Anthony) Car-
' uso feels the same way," Hickey said. "I don't know of any
reason to tell them (the university) differently."
— The actual reversal of traff
ic on Spruce and Linden
Streets is at least a year and a
half away, Hickey said. Before the traffic can be reversed the widening of Jefferson
Avenue must be completed
and new traffic signals must
be installed.
Jefferson Avenue must be
widened, according to the
Pennsylvania Department of
Transporttion plan known as
TOPICS, to handle a heavier
traffic flow that will be
created by the reversal of
traffic on Spruce and Linden
Streets. New traffic nights
are to be installed to coordinate the flow of traffic
throughout the downtown.
Brazil told The Times he
believes the university has
complied with all of the prerequisites of the ordinance,
that the city has taken sufficient steps on the TOPICS
program for it to be considered implemented, and that
he "sees no need to postpone
it any further."
The ordinance, Brazil said,
could have stated that the
Commons work could not begin until the TOPICS program is begun or ended. "But
it doesn't say that," he said.
"They (council) chose the
middle."
Brazil said his dictionary
defines the word "implement" as "ongoing," but he
apparently is looking at a different dictionary than attorney David Fallk, who represents the HNA.
Informed pf the city's position on the closing, Fallk said
he is disappointed that Hickey made a decision prior to
the meeting expected to be
conducted next week.

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