A divided Scranton City Council passed legislation approving the city\u2019s $1.88 million purchase of the Fidelity Bank building next to City Hall for a municipal annex.<\/p>\n
Council voted 3-2 Tuesday \u2014 with council President Gerald Smurl, Bill King and Jessica Rothchild voting yes, and Mark McAndrew and Tom Schuster voting no \u2014 to adopt a resolution from Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti to approve the purchase of the bank branch at 334-336 N. Washington Ave., according to an Electric City Television simulcast and video of the meeting posted on YouTube. Council voted the same way on advancing on second reading a companion ordinance regarding amending the 2025 capital budget toward funding the purchase.<\/p>\n
In recent years, as Fidelity Bank has embarked on making the Scranton Electric Building at 507 Linden St. its headquarters, the Cognetti administration has eyed the three-story bank branch next to City Hall at 340 N. Washington Ave. as a municipal annex. Fidelity expects to complete the renovation of the Scranton Electric Building in April, and then vacate the branch next to City Hall. The branch will remain open until Fidelity completes its headquarters at the eight-story landmark topped with the iconic \u201cScranton, The Electric City\u201d sign.<\/p>\n
During a council caucus Nov. 25, information from Cognetti and Police Chief Thomas Carroll about an annex included:<\/p>\n
\u2022 With a street-level first floor, the bank branch is more readily disabled-accessible than the historic, 1888 City Hall; and the branch would come with 35 parking spaces for use by city employees.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The city intends to make the bank branch into a public service facility for functions that require frequent transactions with the public, such as permits and code enforcement; as well as for a Police Department real-time crime center facility.<\/p>\n
\u2022 A real-time crime center would partly \u201cdecentralize\u201d Police Department facilities. Decentralization would involve moving administrative offices from police headquarters at 100 S. Washington Ave. to the annex, using the current police headquarters as an operations and investigations center, and using the Serrenti Center in the Hill Section for training.<\/p>\n
At council\u2019s meeting Tuesday during public comments, Councilman-elect Sean McAndrew asked if council has received from the administration a feasibility study or detailed plans for its use and full appraisal reports, and was told no. He called for slowing down the process for more review.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re being asked to approve a major real estate deal with no plans, no firm cost projections, no contract or architectural consultants on this idea they have and no long-term financial analysis tied to the upcoming budget,\u201d Sean McAndrew said.<\/p>\n
Mark McAndrew raised several concerns, including whether the city needs an annex and that the administration has not provided to council a comprehensive plan or costs.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo say it\u2019s been in the works, it\u2019s been a dream maybe of the administration, but it hasn\u2019t been in the works with us. This is another example of a rush job,\u201d McAndrew said.<\/p>\n
Saying a City Hall annex is not needed, Schuster also expressed concerns about future costs.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve seen projects like this that have had runaway costs. Everything always costs more than it was expected to cost in the beginning. Happens each and every time,\u201d Schuster said.<\/p>\n
King cited as positives of a purchase that the branch building is disabled accessible and could be used by the Police Department as a crime center.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just think it would add lot more accessibility and really provide some options for the city,\u201d King said.<\/p>\n
Rothchild agreed with King.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we do need to have an ADA-accessible building,\u201d Rothchild said. \u201cThis building would give us that and that\u2019s the biggest selling point for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smurl did not comment. Council then voted 3-2 to approve the purchase.<\/p>\n
*<\/p>\n
The Fideilty Bank building at 338 N. Washington Ave. in Scranton on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)<\/p>\n
*<\/p>\n
The Fideilty Bank building at 338 N. Washington Ave. in Scranton on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)<\/p>\n
Show Caption<\/p>\n
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The Fideilty Bank building at 338 N. Washington Ave. in Scranton on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)<\/p>\n
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