READING, Pa. – For more than 20 years, Carlos Salguero has stood behind the counter at Russo’s Pizza on Penn Street.
Through the ups, through the slow days and through the uncertainty, he has stayed with hope.
“I think if I leave, you know, everybody leave, and then what’s gonna happen?” Salguero said.
He believed in downtown Reading. And now, he says, it finally feels like others do, too.
“It’s going be good,” Salguero said. “That’s what we want, and we want more people to come here to invest, to open cafeterias, to open more restaurants, if possible. Like people attract more people…good stores.”
When he steps outside, he now sees change taking shape.
On Wednesday morning, Alvernia University and its partners held a ceremonial wall-breaking at the 45,000-square-foot American House building at Fourth and Penn streets.
“Today’s wall-breaking marks a visible step in the transformation of this historic building into a community-centered hub that expands access to health care, strengthens workforce development and creates experiential learning opportunities,” said Tom Minick, Alvernia’s chief advancement, government affairs and athletics officer.
City leaders say the project is part of a broader downtown renaissance.
That includes a redevelopment project at Fifth and Penn featuring residential and retail space. Plans have also been unveiled for 60 apartments and retail and restaurant space at Third and Penn, as well as the redevelopment of the former Santander building at 450 Penn St.
“Momentum is definitely ongoing in the city of Reading,” Mayor Eddie Moran said. “When one good project starts, it’s just a ripple effect.”