Wilkes-Barre, PA – Today, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Deputy Secretary of Community Affairs and Development Rick Vilello announced the Shapiro Administration’s $2 million investment in downtown Wilkes-Barre during a tour of the former Murray-Smith Furniture Company, which is being redeveloped by DDC Wilkes, LLC. The combination commercial and residential building at 116 South Main Street will benefit from a recently announced Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) award.

The project is converting the site into a mixed-use development that restores and integrates the historic building into the surrounding community. The building’s ground floor will be the home of Building Blocks Early Learning Center (BBELC) and the upper floors will be converted into 34 residential apartments. Childhood education operator BBECL will hire 25 new employees to provide much needed additional daycare services in the city’s downtown.

“The Neighborhood Assistance Program promotes the development of public-private partnerships and demonstrates the value these collaborations have in communities across the Commonwealth,” said Deputy Secretary Vilello. “The tax credits DDC Wilkes LLC received through this innovative program helped it attract a new business that will provide a vital service, create jobs, and boost efforts to bring more people to live and work in downtown Wilkes-Barre.”

The NAP encourages private sector investment in non-profit community projects by providing tax credits to businesses that donate capital to address neighborhood and community initiatives. The program also awards an Enterprise Zone Program (EZP) credit to private companies, like DDC Wilkes LLC, located within an Enterprise Zone to rehabilitate, expand, or make physical improvements to a building which result in jobs being created or retained.

“We continue to see high demand for quality market-rate housing in downtown Wilkes-Barre and believe the development of 116 South Main enhances the surrounding neighborhood and contributes to the collective vision for the community,” said Nicholas Dye, Developer for the DDC Wilkes LLC project. “The Neighborhood Assistance Program EZ Tax Credit bolstered our budget to construct the facility for Building Blocks Early Learning Center. The importance of quality daycare in the post-pandemic environment is greater than ever, as companies look to attract remote workers back to the office, which in turn supports local street level business.”

Of the 261 organizations and developers receiving awards through NAP, 33 community investments are being made in the Northeast region.

The NAP has five main components: The Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), Special Program Priorities (SPP), the Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP), Charitable Food Program (CFP), and the Enterprise Zone Program (EZP). More information is available on the NAP Fact Sheet.

For more information about the Neighborhood Assistance Program or the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Penny Ickes, dcedpress@pa.gov

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