Easton Historic District Commission Okays Crayola Plans



This image, submitted to Easton's Historic District Commission
Monday evening, shows how The Crayola Experience
plans to look by spring of 2013.

By Christina Georgiou

The City of Easton's Historic District Commission (HDC) unanimously approved Crayola's colorful plans for expansion Monday evening, which will change the look of the southwest quadrant of Easton's Centre Square.

An agreement with McDonald's to vacate their mini-location on Northampton Street--a done deal just over a week ago with the restaurant's closure on Sept. 3--and the takeover of space formerly occupied by the National Canal Musuem, which relocated to the Emrick Center in Hugh Moore Park earlier this year, paved the way for the expansion, something Crayola has pressed for for some time. 

The granting of a certificate of appropriateness from the city means The Crayola Experience's plans now only need approval from the city zoning board for a variance for signage, which is expected to be granted  perhaps as early as next month.



The bridge as it appears now



Crayola's submitted plans for
changes to the bridge



HDC members praised the plan, though some members, along with historic architecture consultant Christine Uhler, did ask that the iconic crayon making company reconsider its plans to paint the connecting second-story bridge a bright green to another color.

"Everything else, I think is great," said HDC member William Dohe. "It's just that one element stuck out."

However, the commission has no official say in the matters of structural paint colors in the city's Downtown Historic District. Architect David Drake, of W2A Design Group in Allentown, who presented the Crayola Experience's plans to the HDC, said the company would consider the possibility of a change.

But, Two Rivers Landing itself is not a historic structure, having been erected less than 20 years ago, in 1996, as Crayola Experience General Manager Dan Aylward pointed out. 

 

The matter of the bridge does not seem likely to be a point of contention either, with HDC member Gary Ringhoff saying, "I'm very happy with the bridge the way it is (presented on the plans)."

Above, plans show how The Crayola
Experience will look in the spring, while below is
today's view.

 A colorful new paint job is also planned for The Crayola Experience's Pine Street entrance, which will also feature company mascots, an updated and spruced up version of the box of tumbling crayons that currently exists over that entrance.

The hues all appear to be recognizably "Crayola colors," ostensibly to help the attraction be recognized for what it is from a distance.

Crayola representatives said that despite their efforts to visually "brand" their musuem, it is sometimes overlooked by visitors not familiar with Easton.

The southwest quadrant outside the Centre Square entrance is also due for changes, most notably the addition of a number of playfully placed sculptures of Crayola art products, such as markers and crayons. Their placement will also be designed to further encourage  the tens of thousands of visitors each year who are already moved to record their visit with keepsake pictures.

The Crayola mascot figures are planned to grace the upper windows on the southwest quadrant as well.

If all goes as planned, the expansion should be complete by spring of 2013, Aylward said.

A grand re-opening celebration to mark the occasion is definitely planned, but no date has been set, he added.

Plan photos courtesy of The Crayola Experience.

Click on any image for a better view.

The view of the Two Rivers Landing site on Centre Square after the "urban renewal",
in the infancy of Easton's efforts toward Downtown revitalization.