WILKES-BARRE — At a meeting of the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Association a few years ago at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, President John Maday offered a comment that has stayed with me since.
Maday waxed nostalgic about the Kirby Center building, recalling his youth when he attended movies shown in what was then the Paramount Theater.
“This is hallowed ground,” Maday said of the Kirby Center.
I remember leaning back in my chair and thinking, yeah, this is hallowed ground.
And it got me to thinking of how this crown jewel of the city’s downtown rose from the proverbial ashes to become the amazing venue it now is.
Hallowed ground, for sure.
I thought of Al Boscov and how he chaired the campaign to raise the money needed to renovate the former Paramount Theater — now the F. M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts. Mr. Boscov got the job down and when he passed in February 2017, we lost a true icon who genuinely cared about people and community.
When Mr. Boscov passed, the sign on the marquee at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts said it all:
“Rest in peace, Mr. Boscov. These lights shine because of you. Thank you!”
Mr. Boscov was beloved by everyone — from his customers, to his employees, to his business associates, to people he met for the first time and, mostly, by his family and friends.
Every time I was with Mr. Boscov, he talked about his employees. In 2014, we chatted in his office, and all he wanted to talk about were his thousands of “co-workers.”
“They’re the secret weapon,” Boscov said of his co-workers. “We make friends. We make sure they know how important they all are.”
I asked Mr. Boscov how he had been able to find and retain such good employees — faithful, hard-working, dedicated people.
“We find good people, and we keep them,” he told me.
And Albert Boscov loved Wilkes-Barre. That was evident every time he came to town. He always felt a special attachment to Wilkes-Barre, and he took great pride in knowing that his downtown store — one of the few still anchoring any city’s downtown — was so important to the success of the city. Boscov knew how crucial his store was to the city and to the region’s economic climate.
And when he was asked to lead the campaign to raise the funding to renovate the former Paramount Theater — now the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts — Boscov accepted and got the job done.
Since that effort 40-plus years ago, downtown Wilkes-Barre has gradually been coming back. More stores, more restaurants, more residential units have followed.
That’s why we should keep Boscoving. That’s why we should buy those tickets to the Kirby Center shows. That’s why we should be proud to say we are from Wilkes-Barre or Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Albert Boscov always believed in this area and its people. He showed us how to be nice to one another and to appreciate each other. His example is one that should be followed by everyone everywhere.
Now back to that meeting of the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Association, where Larry Newman, executive director of the Diamond City Partnership, said that in the early 1980s, the Kirby Center building nearly became a parking lot.
“Think of what this center has become,” Newman said. “Think of what the Kirby Center has returned to this community.”
Announced as the Paramount Civic Center on Dec. 21, 1985, the project was launched, designed, and completed in just under nine months. It was renamed the F. M. Kirby Center in honor of Fred M. Kirby I, the co-founder of the Woolworth’s chain and a native of the Wilkes-Barre area.
Doors to the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts opened on Friday, Sept. 19, 1986. In the 40-plus years since, the Kirby Center has hosted countless acts, shows, and events to earn it a top 100 ranking of venues in the U.S.
Joell Yarmel, executive director of the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, said when the water main break in October 2023 forced the facility to shut down, it could have been a major setback.
According to a recent study by The Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development, despite major disruptions caused by the water main break that resulted in significant damage and a year-long repair effort, the F.M. Kirby Center emerged stronger than ever — generating more than $14 million in total economic impact during the 2024–2025 fiscal year.
The study found that the Kirby Center’s operations, visitor spending, and final phase of renovations:
• Supported nearly 200 jobs.
• Contributed more than $7.9 million to regional GDP.
• Generated more than $2 million in tax revenue.
The Institute study also reported that the historic downtown venue hosted 110 performances and events — attracting nearly 80,000 visitors, with approximately 12% traveling from out of state, spending on local dining, lodging, and retail throughout the region.
The study underscored the F. M. Kirby Center’s role as a vital cultural and economic catalyst in Northeastern Pennsylvania, demonstrating how investment in the arts drives job creation, tourism, and local business growth.
Hallowed ground, indeed.
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