Scranton council votes to move forward with historic building demo

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to reflect the vote made by Scranton City Council Tuesday night.

SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Tuesday afternoon, the Scranton City Council voted to move forward with the demolition of a historic carriage house built in the 1880s.

On April 30, the Historical Architectural Review Board asked the Scranton City Council to stop the University of Scranton from demolishing a historic carriage house located at 336 Moir Court.

At the end of the meeting, the council voted 4-1 to deny the Historical Architectural Review Board’s request. This means the University of Scranton will be allowed to demolish the historic building.

During their vote, councilmembers noted that the building, built in the 1880s, has not stood the test of time. Councilmembers said there are many deficiencies with the building and it is unsafe.

Councilman William King said the University of Scranton has no intention of repairing or renovating the building, so he voted to take down the building.

In place of the over century-old carriage house, the University of Scranton intends to build a parking lot for 27 cars.

Councilman Tom Schuster voted against the demolition stating he wanted more time to evaluate the building and speak with groups who may want to revitalize the property.

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