We could write a book about Hazleton’s “Broad Street Business Exchange” mentioned in a Sunday article. Luzerne County Council is looking to sell the county-owned property, but Councilman Jimmy Sabatino is asking other members “to explore other options.”

The four story structure is a textbook example of the tribulations cities face in revitalizing decaying downtowns. Once home to busy McCrory’s and Deisroth department stores, it stood as a gleaming anchor in a thriving center city. Mall culture took over the retail world, hollowing out downtown buildings everywhere, and Hazleton struggled to find a way to keep this particular structure from going derelict.

Hazleton’s then-mayor John Quigley set up a redevelopment venture through the nonprofit Alliance to Revitalize Center City Hazleton (A

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