The owner of a property that once housed a longtime Clarks Summit auto parts business wants to add something to the site that will benefit the community.
Crews demolished Miles Auto Parts in the 300 block of Bedford Street last week. Property owner Ron Parasole, who purchased the building in the fall from its longtime owner, Thomas Miles, said this week he wanted to keep the building but structural issues meant it had to come down. Parasole, a real estate broker, property manager and general contractor who lives in South Abington Twp. and works in West Scranton, said the repairs would have been costly.
“I would love to keep the building up but it was collapsing in on itself. It was beyond saving,” he said. “It was one snowstorm away from being collapsed.”
Even with several contractors going through the building, Parasole said he couldn’t find an economically feasible way to save it.
The business had operated since 1932, owned by the Miles family. Thomas Miles took over operations in the 1950s and the business closed in fall 2024.
The family also operated Miles Foundry, which made iron castings, such as manholes and grates, on the same street. The foundry was established in 1954, closed in 1998 and has since been demolished.
Clarks Summit Borough Council President Gerrie Carey recalls visiting the business with her family growing up, when Thomas Miles’ father, Chet Miles, would oil her roller skates. The Miles family also gave candy to children at the shop and helped anyone in need, she added.
“They did a lot of good things,” Carey said. “They were just real good human beings.”
Contacted this week about selling the building and its demolition, Thomas Miles said it was time for him to quit.
Gail Rees, president of the Abington Business & Professional Association, admires Miles for staying in business for so long, given the fact that many auto stores are owned by retail chains.
A backhoe demolishes the former Miles Auto Parts store. Ron Parasole purchased the building and demolished it last week. He is still figuring out what he will build on the site. (Submitted)
A backhoe demolishes the former Miles Auto Parts store. Ron Parasole purchased the building and demolished it last week. He is still figuring out what he will build on the site. (Submitted)
The lot where Miles Auto Parts stood pictured Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Christine Lee/Staff Photo)
The lot where Miles Auto Parts stood pictured Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Christine Lee/Staff Photo)
The sign for Miles Auto Parts sits on the site of the former auto store Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Christine Lee/Staff Photo)
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A backhoe demolishes the former Miles Auto Parts store. Ron Parasole purchased the building and demolished it last week. He is still figuring out what he will build on the site. (Submitted)
“What he offered in terms of services, auto parts and just his knowledge of automobiles and other vehicles was certainly priceless,” she said.
Parasole acknowledged that Miles has a wealth of knowledge and stories and would help anyone in the community.
Parasole is still determining what to do with the site and has to consider that the property and surrounding area have had issues with flooding.
He hopes to put something accessible to the community on the site, such as a community center.
“We’re very, very, very fluid on exploring all ideas for what we could do with it,” Parasole said.
Parasole said whatever he builds there will fill a need for space in the community.
“I always hear a need for people wanting a place to use for banquet halls or just a space to have parties or trunk-or-treats, maybe ice festivals,” he said. “Just another space for people to use.”
However, Parasole is focusing on his plans for a three-story building with 25 apartments at 423 Center St., less than a mile from the Bedford Street lot .
Those plans call for the current two-story building, totaling 10,000 square feet, to be demolished and a nearly 14,000-square-foot building constructed on the current lot. Parasole has an agreement to purchase the property, which has housed the United Cerebral Palsy of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Children’s Center since the mid-1980s.
Borough Manager Jennifer Basalyga said the planning commission approved recommending the plans for the apartment building to the borough council with conditions that Parasole must meet.
Carey and Rees are optimistic about what Parasole will build where Miles Auto Parts once stood. They said its location on a well-traveled borough street makes it an ideal location.
“No matter what would go in there, it definitely would be a real asset to Clarks Summit,” Carey said.
Rees said the open land and its location present many opportunities, including for green space, recreation or another business. She said while it’s sad to see a business close, she is hopeful whatever is built will benefit the community.
“It’s a loss, but it’s also hopefully a win for the community,” Rees said.