Contractor leaves developer in lurch after stripping site of steel and copper.
The city Code Enforcement Office has begun a process of fining property developer Daniel Siniawa $1,000 per day for alleged code violations at a complex near downtown Wilkes-Barre.
On 2 February, the city notified Siniawa of conditions on the site that were determined by the code office to be hazardous and unsafe, according to Drew McLaughlin, assistant to Leighton.
McLaughlin said the condition of the property has not improved since the violation notices were sent, so the fine process began on Monday. He said the fine process is not impacted by the scheduled meeting with Siniawa.
“There is a meeting about the status of the project under development,” McLaughlin said. “It is standard practice for the mayor and city officials to meet periodically with any developer of an ongoing project in the city.”
The complex is owned by Siniawa 16 LP, according to Luzerne County property records. Siniawa Investment Group, of which Daniel Siniawa is president, is a partner in the limited partnership, according to the state corporation bureau.
“I guess my reaction to the citations and fines is that the city should be informed of our plans,” Siniawa said. “Basically, the contractor we hired to demolish the building took off after he removed all of the steel and copper from the site. We are trying to get him back on the job to continue the cleanup, but I really don’t expect that to happen.”
Siniawa wouldn’t identify the contractor (although local newspaper archives suggest the building was demolished by L&S Recycling), but he did say he plans to clean up the site in the spring when the weather is better.
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