Scranton redevelopment authority launches conservatorship pilot, outlines ARPA-funded blight and North Scranton plans

Shakira Martindale, representative of the Scranton Redevelopment Authority, told City Council members during a public caucus that the authority is pursuing a conservatorship for a blighted house at 25 New York Avenue and is advancing several ARPA-funded programs to remediate blight citywide.

Martindale said the authority's solicitor "is presently drafting affidavits to present to Lackawanna County Court for that 25 New York Avenue parcel" and described the property as overgrown, difficult to access and potentially a fire hazard. She said title work showed the parcel has two active mortgages held by Wells Fargo, and the authority is seeking written confirmation from the bank that it will allow the Scranton Redevelopment Authority to serve as conservator; that consent, Martindale said, “strengthens our case.”

The conservatorship is being advanced as a pilot rather than using eminent domain, which Martindale and council members described as costly and legally risky. She said the authority is also preparing for a committee meeting to weigh conservatorship versus eminent domain; eminent-domain meetings would need public notice and an advertised process. Martindale proposed several Monday meeting dates through Oct. 9 for the vacant-property review committee to decide next steps.

Why it matters: conservatorship would give the authority legal site control to assess whether to rehabilitate or demolish and to direct remediation work. Martindale framed the pilot as a way to create a replicable process for other problematic parcels.

Most immediate funding and program details

Martindale reported that the redevelopment authority is holding about $625,000 in…