The Wright Center for Community Health plans to start in spring a $4.1 million project to construct a health center in North Scranton to replace its existing one on North Main Avenue.
The Scranton Zoning Board on Wednesday approved variances regarding parking, buffers and impervious surface for the Wright Center’s proposal to construct a new clinic in the 1700 block of North Main Avenue.
The plan calls for demolishing a building at 1727-1729 N. Main Ave. and building a new structure there — next to the Wright Center for Community Health North Scranton health center at 1721 N. Main Ave., which opened in July 2023 — and then razing the 1721 building, after completion of the new building, according to a statement issued Monday by Dr. Jignesh Y. Sheth, senior vice president and enterprise chief operations and strategy officer at the Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education.
The Wright Center filed an application for zoning variances late last year but then temporarily withdrew it in January for revision to the design and layout. The revision reduced a $5 million project with construction of an 8,000-square-foot building to a $4.1 million project with a 4,400-square-foot structure, Sheth said. The health care organization plans to use a state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant of $984,585 to fund part of the project, which has a groundbreaking planned for spring and a completion date of fall/winter 2026, weather permitting, Sheth said.
“Additionally, the Wright Center will continue serving patients at the existing building while construction is underway next door. Once construction of the new building is complete, the current clinic will be moved into the new, expanded space, and the current clinic at 1721 N. Main Ave. will be demolished,” Sheth said.
The variances sought for the project included: an increase in impervious surface coverage from 70% to 75%; a reduction in parking spaces from 60 to 30; reductions in curb-to-shrub distance and landscape buffer along the public right of way, both from 3 feet to 1 foot; and a reduction in the landscape buffer next to residential districts from 10 feet to 5 feet, according to public notices of the zoning board agenda for the March 11 hearing published in The Times-Tribune on Feb. 27 and March 4.
At Wednesday’s hearing, the zoning board voted 4-0 — with Chairman Bob Gattens, Bob Morris, Shawn Walsh and Paul Welby all in favor — to approve the variances with a condition of adding fencing as a visual screen in certain areas.
Regarding a 50% reduction in parking spaces required, Sheth, project engineer Patrick McLaine of KSG Engineers and Jennifer Kalinowski, the medical director of the North Scranton center, spoke of the center already having foot traffic and expected to gain more. Most patients walk to the clinic or arrive by bus, and the 30 parking spaces would be more than enough for the eight to 10 employees and patients driving there, Sheth and Kalinowski said. Kalinowski has been with the Wright Center for six years and director of the North Scranton clinic the past six months.
“The community is so tightknit. This clinic is so super important and I feel since I’ve been there for the past six months that we’re doing a great thing, but we don’t have all of the services there that these patients need,” Kalinowski said. “I have noticed there’s a lot of patients that walk daily. They feel very comfortable at a smaller facility, where they get to know me and the staff.”
Walsh said of the project, “It looks like a great addition to the neighborhood,” while Gattens added, “I think it’s a great operation that you’re going to have there. It’s needed throughout the city.”
Sheth said, “I promise you we will make the community proud and we’ll provide a very good service.”
Dr. Jignesh Y. Sheth, senior vice president and enterprise chief operations and strategy officer at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education: (PHOTO PROVIDED / COURTESY OF THE WRIGHT CENTER)
The Wright Center for Community Health plans to demolish its North Scranton health center at 1721 N. Main Ave., shown here on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, and an apartment building next door at 1727-29 N. Main Ave. and replace them with a new, two-story health center on the footprint of the apartment building and a parking lot on the footprint of the current clinic. The center hopes to start the $5 million project in spring of 2026 and complete it by the end of that year. The apartment building would get demolished first, followed by construction of a new center. After the clinic moves into the new building next door, the vacated clinic at 1721 N. Main Ave would be demolished and become a parking area. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO)
The Wright Center for Community Health plans to demolish its North Scranton health center at 1721 N. Main Ave. and an apartment building next door at 1727-29 N. Main Ave., shown here on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, and replace them with a new, two-story health center on the footprint of the apartment building and a parking lot on the footprint of the current clinic. The center hopes to start the $5 million project in spring of 2026 and complete it by the end of that year. The apartment building would get demolished first, followed by construction of a new center. After the clinic moves into the new building next door, the vacated clinic at 1721 N. Main Ave would be demolished and become a parking area. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO)
The Wright Center for Community Health plans to demolish its North Scranton health center at 1721 N. Main Ave., at left, as well as the apartment building next door at 1727-29 N. Main Ave., at right, shown here on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, and replace them with a new, two-story health center on the footprint of the apartment building and a parking lot on the footprint of the current clinic. The center hopes to start the $5 million project in spring of 2026 and complete it by the end of that year. The apartment building would get demolished first, followed by construction of a new center. After the clinic moves into the new building next door, the vacated clinic at 1721 N. Main Ave would be demolished and become a parking area. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO)
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Dr. Jignesh Y. Sheth, senior vice president and enterprise chief operations and strategy officer at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education: (PHOTO PROVIDED / COURTESY OF THE WRIGHT CENTER)