I'll try to address the four comments received on Noel's post as of tonight.
I have also heard this rumour; my info being fourth hand but through a reliable chain that I'd think lends credibility to the story.
PARKING AND PERP WALKS:
The current police station is in a parking deck, of course, but also doesn't seem to have issues with perps seeing as they border Crayola and no one complains. I'm not saying I aprove of the current (or Armory) location - just that these issues are not primary concerns. The Armory's grade drop from Northampton Street to Church is over a story and most commercial buildings on that block have one or two basements entered from the alley that accomodate parking. The side lot is also available though that was once continuous mixed-use buildings right up to and around the corner at Seventh.
GRANT USAGE:
If this is a grant through the police department or another city office on their behalf it will not be available for any other "economic" activity so funding the Armory's acquisition for a grocery store use is out.
JACOB'S PRODUCE BUILDING:
An eyesore...I agree. Plastic sheeting has been covering the windows since the turn of the millenium and the constant stream of 55 gallon drums, broken vehicles and truck trailers littering the sidelot and curbcuts is outrageous to me. I tried to have the vacant lot next to the Armory cleaned up five years ago but gave up after numerous fruitless conversations with the code office.
KOZ PROSPECTS:
The KOZ program in Pa. is a sham and should be done away with (if it hasn't been already) or replaced with something that does what it's supposed to - create permanent jobs in locally owned businesses. In any event, the reason for this KOZ's failure to attract buyers has more to do with the current owner than the process. He has been - and continues to be - an obstruction to anyone with a vision to develop it. His price has been unrealistic and non-negotiable. There are currently local entreprenuers who have interest and can't get to first base.
For those that don't know, Jacobs Produce Building and the Armory share ownership among closely related individuals. The Produce Building is a diamond in the rough in it's own right, having once been a Packard Automobile showroom...the upper floor is poured concrete capable of supporting vehicles (off-street parking anyone?).
ADJACENT PARKING DECKS:
As someone who has researched this topic to death over the last five years I can say without hesitation that every urbanist/parking expert in this country will tell you the same thing: do not, under any circumstances, build any more parking structures in any city with public money.
ACCREDITATION:
It is obviously timely and convenient to move the police out of the parking garage now...the proposed Third Street transit center will provide alternate parking options until a plan to deal with the current deck is formulated. What most of the public still doesn't know is that a report was generated years ago by Gannet Fleming Engineers of Harrisburg. LANTA paid for it to see if the current structure could be saved and it was G-F's professional opinion that it could be retrofitted safely if a number of steps were taken. One was moving the police station out of the building as that would lower the building's earthquake resistance rating (public safety facilities have higher standards). I used this report to fight the construction of the Riverwalk transit project by showing we could provide parking expansion and upgraded bus service at the current site for less money than Riverwalk. But the report was never shown to the public and continues to be illusive to this day. All of this is just to make the point that the station is sub-standard and it is my understanding that one of the negative aspects of the police department's review process for accreditation was the physical condition and configuration of this make-shift station.
POLICE ON SEVENTH & NORTHAMPTON?
No. Police stations are "back of the house" operations. They should be placed in ancillary locations where they function stealthily, without attracting attention and get the job done. Northampton Street already has too many non-revenue producing and/or non-profit entities occupying key sites. The 300 block has Crayola/Canal Museum (closed evenings, partially non-profit), Weller Center (non-profit but now closed and being replaced with microbrewery IF financing comes through), Bank Street Annex (nice business but doesn't have a street entry or public presence and only open for private events), new County Historical Museum (non-profit and probably closed evenings), Lafayette Bank (closed evenings and weekends). For a very long time now (and for the foreseeable future - at least until Victory Brewing and the new Pomeroy's owners get moving) the entire block has been a dead zone after five o'clock.
Public housing, which I do not object to, occupies much of the 600 block, but because of its internally focused physical arrangement (aka prison camp aesthetic), does nothing to reinforce the street's vitality. We need to realize what Northampton Street was designed for and treat it as such: the MAIN business thouroughfare in Easton. It should be packed with as many publically accessible, full-time, for-profit enterprises as possible. The police station in that location won't accomplish that.
PS...I need to get clearances first but hope to follow up this post at some point with further news about the brighter possibilities for the 600 block.
DRL
PORTAL TO THE ALL NEW NEIGHBORS OF EASTON
Click the door to enter!
Good Links
Subscribe To Neighbors of Easton
Posts
33 comments:
Dennis,
thanks for your further input. Jacobs produce is a real problem and a direct concern for me since it's just down the block form me.
I wonder how the Porter brothers feel about this? Besides Porter's Pub, don't they own a nicely restored building up S 7th St? It would seem they have an even more vested interest in cleaning up the N'hampton/7Th intersection.
wouldn't the city have the option of condemning the Armory if they really wanted it? I can't imagine it is actually up to code (as I'm sure there are non-compliance issues in Jacobs's building).
As for parking, there are ways it could be done with the right creative vision. regardless, something needs to be done with that lot (and the anti-terrorist style concrete blocks surrounding it).
Thanks for the very informative post, Dennis.
What I wonder is this--so the City can only apply for grants to buy buildings for a municipal (non-tax-paying) purpose, right? Are there grants available out there that local developers or someone who wants to start a business could apply for, to try to buy those buildings for something that will attract commerce to Northampton and bring money into Easton?
When it comes to the argument that nothing commercial has been done with the building in the past several years, so why not put up a police station, I wonder if any effort has been made to reach out to local entrepreneurs/small business owners to let them know what's available and propose the possibility of the building being devloped for commerce, rather than a municipal function.
I agree that our police department badly needs a real police station, but I would like to see it on a less visible street, and save the larger, more visible properties for business owners who will attract commerce and pay property taxes into our tax base.
Under the banner of Economic Development, it is important that the City do everything it can to get the grant information out there to those in the community (and outside the community) who might be interested in buying the armory, rather than letting it sit, and then saying that no one has none anything with it, so we're going to make it a police station.
The mayor has promised that the project will only go forward with public input, so whether yea or nay, all those who care about the development of our neighborhood and what goes into that huge building will need to stay on top of this and attend the public meetings when they're held to make their opinions known.
EHB,
Why these buildings - along a major, high visibility intersection - escape the city's wrath is beyond me. The Jersey barriers and non-existant sidewalks along Seventh Street alone would be enough for me to be knocking on their door daily.
Condemnation can be done as part of eminent domain or in an emergency to protect public safety if building collapse is iminent...not helpful in this case. If money were no object there could be a lot more eminent domain but you have to pay for the buildings somehow.
Noel,
The grant angle is something that is like a leopard with a thousand spots. There's a different one for every day. I wouldn't place a lot of blame on the city here. Each situation is unique. Beyond creating a ombudsman position to handle everyone who comes into town with a scheme, I don't know what else to do. LVEDC serves this function now...along with the Industrial Development Authority of the county and the GEDP in Easton. Another city position could be called redundent.
People need to do it the old fashioned way I guess: earn it. Get an idea, find a building site, research the possibilities, hopefully find someone in the governemnt food chain to point you in the right direction and go do your homework.
DRL
"hopefully find someone in the governemnt food chain to point you in the right direction"
This is the part I'm concerned about. If a community has been publicly and vocally asking for a real grocery store in the neighborhood, wouldn't it make sense that someone in Economic Development would seek out developers or entrepreneurs and advise them of possible grants they could leverage to buy the property? I would happily post them to the blog so that anyone interested could apply.
In our poll at the bottom of this homepage, residents voted that the businesses they would like to see most in the neighborhood are 1. a grocery store (by a terrific majority), 2. a cafe/bookstore and 3. a theater. Knowing this, would it make sense to reach out to the community through the newspapers and blogs to say, "anyone interested in opening one of these business should contact X about applying for grant Y" so that as many good ideas and willing investors as possible would come forward?
Again, I agree that our police department needs a real station, I just would rather it not be such a large and prominent property on our main street in the neighborhood, when it could a) be a source of commerce, b) provide a needed service in the neighborhood, and c) pay taxes into our tax base.
It just seems like the City should be doing whatever is in their power to be encouraging that to happen. I've already talked to one business owner that was interested in the property, but wasn't aware that there were grants that could be applied for, for leverage on a private business venture. I had no idea what to tell this person, except to contact the Economic Development office. But that department is in the process of trying to secure a grant to purchase the property themselves, what are the chances that that person will get a helpful answer?
The mayor says that this is just one of five sites under consideration, so I'm just putting it out there--please use a different site for the station, but have the Economic Development department actively seek entrepreneurs to buy the armory and give them all of the information that would be of help to them.
That building could be used for a business that would bring some positive activity to Northampton day and night, and we really need that.
The Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative
(FFFI) is a statewide financing program designed to
attract supermarkets and grocery stores to underserved
urban and rural communities.
We missed our opportunity all the funding went in 2009. The program was run out of Philadelphia but the bulk of loans went throughout the state.
I mentioned this before, the idea of cutting Northampton from the Main Street program probably has cost us in missed opportunities.
I heard that the King's Farmers Market is now open. They are located at 132 South Third Street in Downtown Easton.
I was in the new market -- I wonder how many people from the west ward stopped by. It is great to say we want a grocery store. Businesses don't decide on moving to an area if they don't think they can make. All of my neighbors go where the bargains are not just because they are in the area. And the armmory would be a really dumb place for a grocery store.
The Armory would be good for a green market. They use such kinds of places in New York and in Philadelphia.
Easton is a diverse community and has diverse cultural preferences as to where they want to shop. Economy is important to me - but I dont buy things in cans or that are frozen. I grow alot in my garden and now, more than the summer we are harvesting califlower, turnips, collards, mustard greens, radishes and until the snow we still had tomatos. We shop at Giant at 25th but are headed over to the new place today to check it out. Remarkable that until now the City did have a grocery store! How does that situaltion attract residents? One of the most successful businesses in Easton, one that we patronize alot is Nature's Way - it been there forever while other businesses have come and gone. How is that? Can say there isn't a market for that kind of product in Easton.
Jacob's Produce has been selling for years across the street from the Armory and their prices are dirt cheap. They supply most independent grocers in the area and have always offered their produce to local residents. You do have to purchase a big bag, but the price is a bargain.
I did not mean to offend Zingales Produce further up the street. They have the best produce in the area. You need to look at your neighborhood. Buy your produce at Zingales, baked goods at Easton Bakery and meats at Rand R. You got better food than any supermarket in the area and you need a food market?
Until recently the poor were the ones that kept green alive - growing their own gardens and keeping chickens. One of the horrors of now is how the corporations have come between the people and their food. My neighbors dont have transport to Giant or Aldys etc - they WALK to West Ward cornerstores and pay premium prices using Food Stamps that are then gone way before the end of the month. West Warders with cars will go to the new store. But we need something in the West Ward. Whats great here - there are yards, there can be gardens. In this life if you bother yourself to plant a seed you'll get something. And in some cases without doing anything else the next year you will get alot of it.
Yeah we need a market.
Why isn't LANTA used more often? For $2.50, you can ride LANTA all day. Does LANTA have a stop in the West Ward?
Alan - You have to try shopping via Lanta with three small children, shopping bags and then still doing a walk in snow or rain for the blocks to your house. That is an average situation in the West Ward.
As to whether we even need a grocery store - for reference:
visit some other towns who have...grocery stores. Try asking the folks there: Why to you need this? To me it would be strange that other towns would have grocery stores if people really dont need them.
I lived in Arlington, Virginia this summer and walked .5 miles from the supermarket to my apartment. It was not easy, and I can't imagine what it would be like with children.
I have never been to Zingales, Easton Bakery, or R and R, but it would be nice to see where the three are located within the West Ward. The West Ward is a large area. What area of the West Ward needs a grocery store most?
The Armory is located at 7th and Northampton Street. Is that truly the best location when the West Ward goes out to 15th Street? People need to look at the hills people will need to walk and the distances people will need to travel when deciding where the best location will be. 7th Street is equidistant between the Free Bridge and Wilson Borough, but it is not equidistant between both ends of the West Ward.
You've never been to Easton Baking. Go in and ask for glazed and jelly doughnuts. You will never taste a better pastry and you will never go to Dunkin Donuts again. Zingales-every reputable caterer uses Zingales. They have the best produce if you are in the catering business. R and R sells canned goods, bread, lunch meats. R and R also provides meats to most Lehigh Valley restaurants. They are all top quality. If you like Jimmy Hot Dogs, R and R is the supplier and you can buy the hot dog directly. Jacobs Produce-they have bargains all year around. Need potatoes and onions-they keep forever. A giant bag costs 3.50 about a third of the supermarket price. Giacomos-they use to be in the West Ward and consolidated to College hill. Sell some of the best italian sausage in the area. Easton is loaded with undiscovered opportunities
yes, the WW has what you need for those willing to look. I don't know the proper name, but the Mexican place next to Northampton glass has great prices and is open all the time. we buy tortillas and mexican soda there (no HFCS!)
haven't been to zingales but I know where they are.
jacobs produce offends me because they own the armory and they keep their property in shambles, so I won't shop there.
the only thing I like from Easton Baking is tomato pie. the baked goods taste like baking soda and the selection is minimal. the only reason they survive is there isn't any real competition. they also could do more with the appearance of their building.
This is a great conversation--interesting points being made on all sides. I love the idea of old-style specialty stores, as opposed to big supermarkets, but I also think it's possible to strike a happy medium. If the prices of these local specialty stores really are competitive with giant, then perhaps awareness just needs to be raised about these local stores.
On the other hand, to continue Cathy's analogy, a mother walking with three kids in the winter might have a hard time walking to three different stores and carrying bags in a hilly neighborhood to get the family's groceries.
Growing up in Alaska, we grew our own food and had a root cellar where we kept potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, and onions all winter. We also had a large freezer the size of our refrigerator in which we kept the moose my dad shot, and usually a half-beef that we bought at a local rancher/meat locker. But that was in an extremely rural setting (our nearest neighbor was 10 miles away, and the nearest grocery store was 30 miles away). In the West Ward, we are the densest neighborhood in Easton, and I think most people don't have large freezers. I suppose they could use their basements as root cellars though...
As for location, Alan is right, the armory is not perfectly in the center of the neighborhood--the center would be 10th & Northampton, but when there is such a demand for a mid-sized grocery store, I think the most important question is how close to that perfect center is something big enough available, and can we find an investor to develop it?
Anon 10:18 makes perhaps the most important point of all--that when we have the highest percentage in Easton of poor families in our neighborhood--many of whom use food stamps--those same families often do not have working cars with which to drive Downtown or to Giant. So we end up with the poorest people using food stamps to pay the highest prices for the lowest quality produce at corner stores that they can walk to. This also contributes to the problem of obesity among the poor, as high-fat packaged goods sweetened with corn syrup have been directly linked to America's obesity problem among the poor, which then makes them even more depressed and low energy. It is a downward spiral. A good grocery store within walking distance (combined with some restrictions on the kinds of foods that stamps can be used for) might go a long way to help low-income families improve their lives.
Does anyone know of other suitable properties for sale that are closer to 10th & Northampton?
you could always do more with your store front, but then you have to charge more and lose your competitive edge. I am not jewish, but I love Rabbi Kushner. He found meaning in life after losing a child. He discovered that when we feel down, we need to take an inventory of what we have. Celebrate what we have. When I brought doughnuts to work from Easton Baking, whether it was New Jersey or Allentown, my fellow employees raved about the doughnuts. I think they cost between 3.00 and 4.00 per dozen. That works for most Eastonians. For that price you probably can get one and a half pieces of fried cardboard from Dunkin Donuts. My point is patronize what you have. If you did, maybe Jacobs would have that extra money to make the corrections that you speak of. I think too many of us west warders fall into the same trap. We don't look at what is going on inside the building, we only see the color of paint on the outside. Problem is that most people see the west wards as that, the color of the paint and not the fantastic people who live here. Jacobs sells food at below supermarket prices and that fact can help people on the edge. Use Rabbi Kushner and jump for joy over that fact and maybe, just maybe the west ward will be a better place to live. Home and community are about people. They are never about buildings.
I got cut off because the internet went down. Maybe instead of a blog dedicated to "ugly easton", how bout featuring some of the well kept properties in the West Wards. All your website does it perpetuate negative perceptions
another anonymous poster,
there is a history of using satire and critical analysis of a situation to draw attention to things that need attention. my blog hardly gets enough attention to actually have an impact anyway.
it's because I care about my neighborhood is why I am drawing attention to it's deficiencies. what's the point of photographing the pretty stuff? those already get recognition. just because it's 'ugly' doesn't mean it isn't there. Allentown has a landlord hall of shame to draw attention to deficient properties.
I care about my neighborhood by contributing to the nice properties; in fact, Noel asked for and featured a picture of my home on this blog, for which I was honored.
as for Jacobs Produce, please. they are a thriving business that just doesn't care about the neighborhood. doesn't matter if everyone bought their potatoes there, they still would have broken trucks in the lot and plastic blowing in the windows for a few more decades.
anyway, time to go home. see ya.
I read between the lines-too much negativity
I appreciate your comments, thanks.
in regards to the police station armory thing, Dennis has adjusted my thinking. I guess I've been watching too much CSI:Miami; I thought a police station could look cool. but then again, no one in the EPD looks like Horatio Caine.
(I need to pitch this idea to CBS- CSI:Easton! wait, I better stop before I get too snarky).
I won't try to address all the points of view...just to touch on a few though:
Easton Baking...good stuff, good price, located in the first block of N 7th. Used to be more convenient before they started closing Monday AND Tuesday...but that's their right.
Crappy buidling and they should improve it as well as maintian some level of cleanliness around the outside. Businesses aren't islands in a stormy sea. They are anchors for neighborhoods and should take the responsibility seriously.
Could we use another bakery in Easton? Sure...for more upscale items and especially bread, which most good restaurants now import from out of town. Import replacement is the first step to succesful local economies...anyone want to start baking?
R&R...similar issues. Not set up for retail street trade. I am extremely disappointed in the way their new storefront was allowed to be built. The zoning for Northampton Street clearly states large areas of open glass for viewing products and creating a lively streetscape. They totally ignored it. As for the meat... I've had it at many catered functions and its nothing special.
Zingales and Jacobs may both have quality products and be close to residents. They are both also obstructionists to getting things done on the block. I know for a fact because I've tried. I choose to support locals first and independents over chains always...but if you are going to act like the town owes you something or just ignore reality like these guys I won't shop there.
The independent row of shopkeepers idea (bakery, butcher shop, cafe, green grocer, fish market, etc) is a great model. Anyone who has been to Paris knows these shopping districts are spread throughout every neighborhood. Cathy is right though...convenience of shopping with kids and no car in an environment like ours makes the supermarket model attractive...unless we can come up with a bunch of people, all at once, to open a half dozen specialty places next to each other (slim chance)I see no other option.
DRL
As an owner of Porters' Pub on the corner of 7th and Northampton I can tell you that I definitely don't want a police station across the street from my restaurant, mostly for reasons already expressed in this blog. It would be a poor use of such a unique property.
I have owned property and a business in the west ward for 20 years, have lived in the west ward for over 10 and have also lived downtown and I can tell you it would be very nice if we had a grocery store within walking distance.
There is already a Facebook group called "Bring Trader Joe's to downtown Easton, PA" that has over 1500 members. At last ranking Easton was in the top 10 cities in the US of Bring Trader Joe's groups and number 1 by percentage of population. The people of Easton want a grocery store...specifically a Trader Joe's.
Easton's officials should be doing everything in their power to woo a grocery store to Easton. I think the old armory would make a great location. Perhaps they are already working on it? I don't know.
Larry Porter
The point is if the right kind of business goes in there, thanks to the success Larry has already had at Porters, that corner would jump to life, where it has long been blighted, and where Larry's pub and the rare plant store have been anchors for years.
How about a good brainstorm about alternatives for that site? We've already heard a lot of pros and cons for the police station and the grocery store ideas. What else do we think would succeed there?
One idea that comes to mind for me is from when I lived in Portland, OR. There was a very popular place there that was an old church, then union hall, then it was bought by pub owners. Because of the big, vaulted space, they decided to show 2nd-run movies for cheap, and serve micro-brews, pizza and burgers. They made there money on the food and beer, the cheap movies ($3 at the time) were simply a draw for the food sales, and a treat for the community. The downstairs had tables and chairs, and the balcony seats had a thin wooden bar that ran the length of each row, so that movie-goers had a place to set their food and drinks.
Easton does not have a movie theater within its city limits--the closest are in Phillipsburg and Palmer, which is a shame! Everybody loves movies, and places that show movies do well in down economies (as do places that serve alcohol). The cheap movies within walking distance would be a really special draw for those in walking distance, and it would be bound to draw watchers from all over Easton and even outside Easton, depending on the movies showing. And a movie theater would mean a business that is also open at night, lighting up the street a bit and brining more positive walking traffic to that block. And with Porters across the street with live music, the two businesses would play off each other nicely...
What do you think? Other ideas?
meant "their money" not "there money" -- argh! typing too fast...
I hope Gary Bertsch doesn't mind my quoting his answer to my question to him today about what happened to the Amish businessmen who were considering a market in the Armory. He said they thought it was too small.
Elias's in Allentown and Bethlehem are great economical places to shop for both fresh fruits and vegtables and more exotic things hummus, and pita breads. Couldn't believe how many bags of stuff we walk out with for $25. This is a family that probably have members living in Easton. Could they do something in Eastons West Ward? New place - King's - bought persimmons, mango, avocado and turnips - very good - wish they were closer.
When I had more money for beer, a good friend and I would sit outside at Porter's and pontificate on the various schemes for the Armory (both being lifelong Easton residents and amatuer urban designers, the empty and blighted buildings along Northampton drove us nuts and were easy fodder for our future dreams).
We eventually settled on the idea that it would best serve the neighborhood and the region by becoming a series of smaller themed venues within the larger building. These would include a Viennese coffeehouse, French wine bar, Irish pub, German beer hall, small ethnic bistros and bakeries, etc. All would be related to eating or drinking of some kind and represent as many cultures as possible.
Parking would be subterranean...under the vacant lot or in the basement off of Church Street. An outdoor balcony could be appended to the west wall for summer dining and a pedestrian walk along that side of the building could serve to access small businesses that would eventually be built on the vacant lot, with new buildings arranged to address Seventh and Northamton and the new walking alley.
Just throwing it out there.
DRL
interesting comments
40+ year old businesses survive
-customer support comes from outside WW
-building conditions are unimportant to customer loyalty
-offer price advantages on product
Hear you anon 12:43.
Why not friendly to West Ward residents? Have gone in to buy but appeared to be from Mars and was shunned.
Could have customer loyalty from neighborhood too - then these comments might be more kind.
Anon@12:43,
I'm going to be as kind as possible (while biting my lip)...Certainly businesses can survive without catering to local clientel. Customers may come from outside town but the businesses are here - in my neighborhood. If price is all you care about go to freaking WalMart and continue contributing to the disintegration of local economies. Building conditions may be unimportant to customers but they are important to me...I live here and have to put up with dumps like Jacobs and other hellholes every day.
Nothing personal, but off-hand comments about things like this piss me off. I take the condition of my town seriously...it reflects on all of us. The bottom line isn't the most important thing on earth.
PS...I cleaned up all the profanity that laced the first version of this before posting it.
DRL
THe west ward does not epitomize the boutique economy. You need to travel outside of Easton where you can find successful businesses charging higher prices for specialty goods. Easton's per capita and family income levels are far below national medians and cannot support boutiques. To be a successful retail business you have to be price competitive to survive in Easton. All those businesses that are not price attractive don't survive forty plus years. Let's start getting businesses that survive and support our population. This town does not need another upscale restaurant; it just needs a diner so people in my class can go and eat out once in a while. One more thing, we have to get out of this Disneyland mentality. Communities survive because they can offer a better quality of life. Easton is too obsessed with designs for projects like the silk mill. It needs to be obsessed with job creation. I am unemployed and thank god for Walmart.
Post a Comment