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Mayor Brown, Administration, and Councilman Barrett Meet with Sherman Hills Complex Representatives

Posted on: March 17, 2022 - 4:24pm

Mayor Brown, Wilkes-Barre City Councilman Bill Barrett and members of the Mayor’s Senior Staff including Police Chief Joe Coffay and Fire Chief Jay Delaney, met with Matt Kassel and Viki Nelson, representatives of the new owners of the Sherman Hills Complex, Matt Kassel and Property Reconstruction Manager, Viki Nelson along with their Counsel at City Hall on 3/17/22. The one and ½ hour meeting was detailed and involved significant input from all parties as to the present issues at the Sherman Hills Complex and the future reconstruction plans which have already begun on site.

            The Mayor, Councilman Bill Barrett and Owners strongly agreed that SECURITY and clean, livable, and inviting apartments for the residents are the two primary objectives of the city and the new ownership.

            There was significant dialogue and ideas expressed by all the participants as to how, most effectively and quickly these goals could be met. The new ownership reiterated their strong financial vested interest in the property, which was purchased for approximately $27 million dollars.  Further, they have earmarked over $16 million dollars for Reconstruction and Security upgrades.  These include:

  1. Complete fencing, gating, and limitation as to access to residents.
  2. Additional cameras, upgrades, license recognition capability and coordination with the City Police Department software.
  3. Significant upgrades in quality and quantity of lighting.
  4. Alarms on common area doors and apartment doors to guard and limit unauthorized access by leaving doors open.
  5. Annual inspections of all residential units by the management of the complex.
  6. Coordination of any additional inspections by the city pursuant to City Codes.
  7. A Wilkes-Barre Police substation to be established.
  8. Extensive use of daily, on site, police details to provide SECURITY.
  9. Continual follow-up, coordination, and cooperation with the City during the reconstruction and thereafter.

            The Mayor and City Councilman Bill Barrett wish to thank Mr. Kassel and Ms. Nelson for their time, responsiveness and commitment to establishing a rebirth of the Sherman Hills Complex as a safe, secure, clean and comfortable residence for Wilkes-Barre citizens.