Scranton redevelopment director pitches "blight-to-housing" plan, cites ARPA seed and need for new revenue

Andrew Cutillo, executive director of the Scranton Redevelopment Authority, outlined the authority’s strategy to convert blighted lots into affordable housing and said the core project identified through a competitive RFP is being formalized.

"Blight is interesting — it's in the eye of the beholder," Cutillo told the caucus, using the comment to stress that the SRA will prioritize projects that address residents’ day-to-day quality-of-life concerns. He said the authority’s RFP targeted parcels that are vacant or publicly owned and that can realistically be developed into affordable housing.

Cutillo said the RFP-winning proposal is being negotiated and that the work will be largely funded by the SRA’s initial ARPA seed money. "That project is a little more hands-on for us," he said, adding that the ARPA funds are mostly allocated to pre-development tasks such as environmental studies and site preparation so nonprofit developers can move projects forward.

The SRA was seeded with $900,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds, Cutillo said, and he confirmed the current RFP project is being financed from that allocation. He emphasized the authority is looking for additional revenue sources and partnerships to sustain activity after the ARPA funds are exhausted: "We are definitely looking at other revenue sources," he said.

Council members pressed for more detail about property inventories and the SRA’s disposition plans. Cutillo estimated the authority holds roughly 40 parcels while staff reconcile deeds and assessor records and said an unpaid intern from the University of Scranton is assisting with that work. He pledged to share a draft list of SRA-owned parcels and to post it publicly as it is finalized.

Examples of near-term dispositions include a recently closed sale of a mixed-use project at 1506 Vine Street and an impending closing on a small parking-lot parcel near Sterner’s, Cutillo said. He described the SRA’s approach as seeking to match parcels with developers or community organizations and to use dispositions and pre-development support to increase housing supply.

Council members also raised reuse ideas for non-buildable lots, including rain gardens, permeable parking and community gardens. Cutillo noted that some reuse options could generate municipal benefits (for example, potential MS4 stormwater credits) and said the SRA will pursue partnerships with nonprofits and neighborhood groups where feasible.

Cutillo described the SRA’s financial constraints candidly: municipal budget support and grant administration are common revenue models for redevelopment authorities, but both have limits. He said the city currently funds a $300,000 blight-abatement line item that helps support the authority’s conservatorship pilot (discussed in a separate article) and other remediation work, but that long-term sustainability will require creative partnerships and additional revenue sources.

Next steps: Cutillo said he will provide the council with the SRA’s draft property list and an accounting of the original $900,000 ARPA allocation and expenditures to date. He invited council and neighborhood input on prioritization and performance metrics for future reporting.