Crews from Moscow-based RLE Enterprises on Wednesday were wrapping up demolition of the former West Side Hotel at 129 S. Main Ave. in Scranton, which was the scene of a fire on Dec. 10. The fire displaced 26 residents and heavily damaged the building, which housed Kilcoyne’s tavern on the first floor and rooming houses above it. Scranton fire and police investigators determined the blaze originated on the second floor on the north side of the structure, but the cause is undetermined due to the fire damage. The fire broke out around 2 a.m., and firefighters rescued five people from the building. Three residents, a firefighter and a police officer were injured.
Crews work on the demolition of the West Side Hotel in West Scranton Wednesday, January 21, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)