Beyond the Byline: NEPA is great; Wawa can’t be wrong

So what is so wrong about being an optimist?

Especially when we are talking about our hometown.

This is where we live, people. It’s where we work and play and raise our families.

We have it all, whether you choose to believe it or not — four glorious seasons, great educational institutions at all levels, relatively and comparably speaking low crime rate, breathtaking outdoor destinations, top restaurants, great sports and entertainment venues, delicious pizza, plenty of shopping outlets, a casino with a racetrack, an international airport and, finally, Wawa is coming to town. https://www.timesleader.com/news/1653505/newly-placed-sign-announces-wawa-coming-to-area

Can it get any better than that?

Yes, it can and it will.

Last week the Times Leader published our Innovation tab, and it was filled with story after story that detailed all that is good that’s happening in good old NEPA.

Let’s start with Downtown Wilkes-Barre where Mayor George Brown is at the helm.

As we look at Downtown Wilkes-Barre, we see marked improvements and more events. We asked Mayor Brown where he feels the Diamond City is headed.

Here is what Mayor Brown said:

• A rebirth of new Downtown neighborhoods new residential units and further investments in office building conversion of multi-unit apartments.

• The city has an immediate need for hotels and convention centers to accommodate the increase in the popularity of the city with events such as the Fine Arts Fiesta, Rockin’ the River, and Concerts on Public Square. (Did you say Starship, Mr. Mayor!)

There also is a large market for the two colleges, students and parents. Wilkes University and King’s College have been great partners.

• The mayor said his vision is to continue strong support for a Downton rebirth of new businesses, arts & entertainment districts, and family friendly programs on Public Square.

• A focus on arts & entertainment, apartment living, and the creation of businesses through the SPARK program are all factors in the rebirth of Downtown.

“We are continually supporting new business investments as witnessed by 93 new businesses, as a result of the Wilkes-Barre SPARK program,” Mayor Brown said. “My administration has continued to assist various interested developers in their plans and proposals.”

Then we turn to John Augustine, president and CEO of Penn’s Northeast, who says whether it’s logistics or production, those in the know are choosing Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Inland Triangle to serve the East Coast’s booming markets.

“Northeastern Pennsylvania’s ‘Inland Triangle’ is the new Inland Empire,” Augustine said in the Innovation tab..

That’s correct, Augustine said, the 7-county triangle formed by the intersections of Interstates 80, 81, 84, 380, 476, and 78 is the heart of the East Coast’s fastest growing distribution and manufacturing hub.

And, Augustine contends, it’s easy to understand why.

“First, there’s location — Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Inland Triangle is within one day’s drive of one-third of the U.S. population and half of Canada’s’s population,” Augustine said. “The most important ports in the Northeastern U.S. (by the end of 2022, the Port of Elizabeth in New Jersey had more traffic than the Port of LA) sit just a short drive to the east.”

Augustine says Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Inland Triangle has the infrastructure, providing easy transportation by truck, rail or air — it’s buzzing with 3PL activity, and Fedex, UPS, and XPO all have added major hubs.

Augustine adds that in Northeastern Pennsylvania, natural gas doesn’t come from hundreds of miles away. He said the Inland Triangle directly adjoins Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale reserve — and that means competitive, and stable natural gas prices and lower overall operating costs for manufacturers.

“The Inland Triangle has the ingredients for success — unbeatable and reliable utility costs, a competitive and a productive labor force of more than 530,000 people, with more than 19 higher-educational institutions that are producing real world results for Northeastern Pennsylvania’s employers and residents,” Augustine said.

And Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Inland Triangle is a great place to live.

“Our nine counties’ residential options range from bustling live/work downtowns to beautiful small towns,” Augustine said. “Our mountains, lakes, and rivers offer four seasons of incredible outdoor recreation — in fact, our Pocono Mountains have been a vacation destination for generations of Americans, so it’s no surprise that growing numbers of people want to live here year-round.”

And on average, Augustine said the cost of living in Northeastern Pennsylvania is 5% lower than living in the rest of the country.

Augustine added, “It’s clear that the word is out about the benefit of locating in Northeastern Pennsylvania’s ‘Inland Triangle.’”

Lindsay Griffin-Boylan, president and CEO of the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce and Chamber of Business & Industry, said innovation has been at the helm of the Chamber’s strategy moving forward.

She said this can be seen through many aspects of the community and the ways the Wyoming Valley and NEPA region are moving into the future.

““Our Chamber remains dedicated to local businesses and organizations of all sizes, to the diversity of our workforce and industrial base, and to the vitality and quality of life in our community,” she said.

So be optimistic. Look around, see the good that surrounds us.

Be optimistic, but be proud as well.

Wawa can’t be wrong.