The last remnant of the Rodale publishing family moved out of its former headquarters in Emmaus last week.
The Hearst Magazines Enthusiast Group, which includes staff of ex-Rodale brands Runner’s World and Bicycling, is temporarily working in a Center Valley office space and announced Thursday that it has signed a multiyear lease for the redeveloped Heritage Lanes bowling alley in Easton. It will move in next year.
Ashley Development is transforming the bowling alley, which closed in the late 1990s, across from Easton City Hall into 40,000 square feet of office space, with construction expected to begin in October.
About 75 Hearst employees will occupy 20,000 square feet on the first floor of the building at 132 S. Third St. In addition to the Enthusiast Group, a group of product developers and a technology team will be based in the location, according to a Hearst news release. The office will be outfitted with multimedia studios and a mechanical testing lab for product and gear reviews. The space also will be designed as a hub for the production of story, photo, video and social content.
“We’re very focused on delivering content and products that both serve a purpose and satisfy a need in our readers’ lives,” Hearst Magazines President Troy Young said in a statement. “For true enthusiasts, their passion point lies at the center of their lives — it’s not what they do, but who they are — and this new space in the vibrant town of Easton will provide a backdrop that inspires innovation and creativity.”
An added second floor to the Heritage Lanes building will accommodate another three or four offices. Lou Pektor, president of Ashley Development, told the Easton Historic District Commission last week that he expects to complete construction this spring.
“This project was able to come to fruition through close collaboration with the city of Easton,” Pektor said Thursday in a statement. “It is very satisfying to be able to bring such a pre-eminent tenant to the city as Easton continues its downtown revitalization.”
Until next spring, the Hearst Enthusiast Group is working out of an office at 3939 West Drive in the Stabler Corporate Center in Upper Saucon Township.
Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. on Thursday thanked Pektor and the New York publishing company for their announcement. He said a city presentation on the building’s close proximity to the trail system along the Lehigh and Delaware rivers was “one of the major factors for their decision.”
The redeveloped Heritage Lanes building will support Easton’s goals of increasing the daytime economy of its central business district, increasing business tax revenue and eliminating blighted and vacant properties, Panto said.
“It is also great to see another high-tech artistic company come to Easton,” Panto said of Hearst.
Andrew Randolph of ALT Realty represented the owner and Jeff Williams of Cushman & Wakefield represented Hearst in the deal.
Back in Emmaus, Phoebe Ministries is progressing with its plans to transform the former Rodale corporate campus on South 10th Street into a senior living community.
The nonprofit has secured a special exception from the Emmaus Zoning Hearing Board to convert the 38-acre property to residential use, clearing the way for it to submit official land development plans.
Phoebe said in March that the first phase of the redevelopment project will include renovating the 166,000-square-foot Rodale office building into 78 apartments for people ages 62 and older.
Borough Manager Shane Pepe said Phoebe plans to create a courtyard in the middle of the main building, level an existing side building and construct additional residential buildings around the property.
Phoebe remains in the due diligence phase of the acquisition but hopes to close on the property by the end of October, said Brynn Buskirk, Phoebe vice president of marketing and external relations. Financial terms have not been disclosed.
“We are thankful for both the borough and the Rodale family for sharing with us a vision of senior living that echoes Rodale’s legacy of health and wellness,” Buskirk said.
Rodale’s main campus spans 38 acres and seven parcels at the base of South Mountain along South 10th Street. That includes the Rodale General Store at 1002 Pennsylvania Ave. and a warehouse at 375 S. 10th St., both owned by Rodale subsidiary South Mountain Real Estate Holdings. The parcels have a combined assessed value of $18.82 million, and Rodale pays about $500,000 in annual property tax, according to county records.
A Phoebe representative said in March it is acquiring the entire campus, including the Rodale General Store and the warehouse.
Rodale still owns a former silk mill converted to office space at 554 North St., plus four small nearby parcels for parking. It put the 57,000-square-foot building up for sale more than a year ago and dropped the asking price in July to $1.6 million from $2.2 million.
Real estate broker Wesley Barrett said Wednesday that the building remains on the market but has attracted “a number of unique prospects and numerous interested parties.”
Rodale was the publisher of lifestyle and wellness brands such as Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Runner’s World, Bicycling, Prevention and Organic Life magazines. It was based in Emmaus for nearly 90 years before its board of directors announced in June 2017 that it would put the company up for sale.
In January, Hearst bought Rodale’s entire magazine and book businesses, the latter of which it resold to Penguin Random House.
Hearst consolidated the staffs of Men’s Health, Women’s Health and Prevention in New York and eliminated nearly 200 positions in the Lehigh Valley.
Morning Call reporter Christina Tatu contributed to this report.
