We have seen an explosion of warehousing (sorry, fulfillment centers) and other large buildings in the outskirts of many population centers, with more on the way. Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services, for example, is developing 1,740 acres near Hazleton that would provide a total of 14.6 million square feet in 36 buildings.
Make no mistake, this and many other similar projects around the county by several developers are a welcome addition to a region that wallowed for decades in the aftermath of King Coal’s demise and the long shadow of the “rust belt,” our past industries gone but their scars ever present.
And in many (though not all) cases the land being used sat for a long time as ugly remnants of a pollution-laden past, replaced with modern businesses and industries.
But we feel some wariness is warranted for two reasons: First, the large scale projects like those in the Hazleton Area risk putting a heavy burden on public services such as adequate clean water, sewage treatment capacity, and fire and police protection, as well as creating pressure on school districts to expand available space and staffing.
“Wary” also because one wonders how long some of these buildings and the businesses they lure will prove successful in a rapidly shifting economy. Several decades ago our region and much of the state saw a boom in shopping malls (at the cost of once-prosperous downtowns). And while some continue to survive (often with many vacant spaces and light customer traffic), others have been abandoned and even torn down. Online convenience has surely contributed to that, a competitor no one saw coming when the malls were built and bustling.
That’s not necessarily a precursor to what will happen to all these new buildings, though it may be a cautionary tale.
But there is a second boom, or at least boomlet, in our area that holds tremendous promise for a long-term future, one we were reminded of when U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Moosic, joined Nebula Enterprise CEO Michael Bloxton and others Monday in the Luzerne Bank Building on Wilkes-Barre’s Public Square to announce a first-of-its-kind Quantum & Space Collaboration designed to accelerate the development of quantum technologies.
Done right, this is true cutting edge stuff, and any involvement by regional entities should be a huge economic plus, possibly for decades to come.
Forward-thinking people from many fields have been trying many years to build a local infrastructure inviting to innovators and tech-start ups: K-12 schools, colleges and universities, businesses and governments have steadily improved education and business opportunities for new tech. Most institutions of higher education have invested heavily in new, state-of-the-art science and engineering centers. Collaborations have created several small business and technology incubators.
We have manufacturers like Schott Glass making critical components for innovative labs and military uses. In May, Penn State Wilkes-Barre touted its participation in a new national effort to spur domestic semi-conductor production. Luzerne County has an ever-growing list of new tech start-ups that succeeded.
There are other examples of how the effort to move from coal and manufacturing to technology and innovation has begun to bear fruit, the Quantum & Space Collaboration is just the latest. And despite the concerns noted above, the expansion of new business and industry parks has contributed to this transformation.
We may never be the “Silicon Valley of the East,” but we have come along way in shedding, once and for all, that favorite description of big media companies when they bother to look our way.
“Hardscrabble coal country?” We don’t think so.
— Times Leader
