Easton approves sale agreement with private developer to build 70-unit apartment complex

For $1.1 million, Easton officials will sell land they own at 56 N. Third St. to be developed into a 70-unit apartment building.

City Council approved the purchase agreement with Peron Development of Bethlehem in a vote of 5-2 Wednesday.

Mayor Sal Panto Jr. and council members Kenneth Brown, James Edinger, Roger Ruggles and Sandra Vulcano voted in favor of the agreement. Peter Melan and David O’Connell voted against.

The $16 million development was recommended last month by a closed-door committee set up to study potential parking solutions on property the city owns at North Third Street and North Fourth Street, as well as a plan to replace the aging Pine Street Parking garage on South Third Street.

The 56 N. Third St. parcel is a 70-space parking lot, but it was determined the shape of the property wouldn’t be suitable for parking deck construction, city officials said.

It will be up to the developer to get approvals from the city’s Historic District Commission, Planning Commission and Zoning Hearing Board, said City Administrator Luis Campos.

If they cannot get the necessary approvals then the city will retain ownership of the property, Campos said.

The apartment building proposed by Peron would be five floors with 37 one-bedroom units and 33 two-bedroom units. It would also include first-floor retail, a community space and wellness center.

Former Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan, who now works for Peron, said the project would be similar to the luxury Five10Flats in Bethlehem — named for its location at 510 E. Third St., across from Northampton Community College.

Callahan told City Council last month that construction would take between 15 and 18 months.

O’Connell voted against the agreement because he felt he didn’t have enough information about the project.

“I’m not necessarily against the project, but I have a number of questions,” he said.

Zoning would allow the building to be up to 120 feet tall and it would extend from North Third Street to Bank Street.

Renderings showed the apartment complex about two stories taller than the buildings next door, O’Connell said.

City officials have said the project would fill a long-empty space once occupied by the 800-seat Boyd Theater.

In other news, council authorized city administrators to move forward with the development of a plan for a North Fourth Street garage.

Residents at Wednesday’s meeting asked the council to include the public in the process.

Resident Abigail Diaz-Crofts asked that city officials survey residents who specifically live in that part of the city. She also expressed concern that the size of the parking deck would block natural light to surrounding properties.

“The really bad thing here is rumors,” Ruggles said. “We are in the planning process. We have no idea what this is going to look like currently.”

Some residents have said they prefer to keep the tree-lined parking lot behind the Easton Public Market.

“I have relatives who come and visit and park there. They literally have gotten out of the car and said, ‘What a lovely neighborhood.'” said resident Jennifer Rittenhouse. “It feels like a welcome spot. Does a parking deck do that? Probably not,” she said.

Resident Laini Abraham submitted a change.org petition to City Council signed by more than 800 people, not all of whom are residents, asking the city to reconsider a parking deck for that location.

City officials will need to decide if the garage will be developed by a private developer, who would likely purchase the property and lease the garage back to the city.

Or city officials could decide to build the project in-house, which might give them more leeway on the design and could end up being less expensive. In that case, the city would request another set of bids for the work.

Campos said there could also be town hall-style meetings set up to gather input on the facility.

Meanwhile, council also introduced a proposal Wednesday to extend the deadline for a developer’s agreement with Da Vinci Science Center.

The original deadline for a finalized agreement was set for Dec. 31. The deadline would be extended to June 30.

There was no discussion about the extension. Melan voted against it.

The developer’s agreement is an extensive document that includes information about the timeline for construction, how things would be handled if there’s a significant delay, how Da Vinci will take ownership of the property from the city and how the project will be paid for, Mayor Sal Panto Jr. told The Morning Call last year.

Morning Call reporter Christina Tatu can be reached at 610-820-6583 or ctatu@mcall.com