More Details Announced about Planned City Hall Move, New Bus Terminal

By Christina Georgiou

Easton officials released a new drawing of the intermodal complex planned for South Third Street
on Wednesday afternoon.
Image courtesy of Spillman Farmer Architects

City of Easton officials, accompanied by LANTA representatives, announced more details of the new intermodal center planned for South Third Street on Wednesday afternoon. The new complex will house a bus terminal and the very-likely-to-be-relocated city hall.

While some details will still change, officials showed off completed new drawings of the intermodal building and parking deck. The plans will be up for approval later this month, and it's likely construction will begin by the beginning of April, said Mayor Sal Panto, adding that a groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for the third week of this month.

The three story building will be occupied by the LANTA bus terminal and the US High School Hall of Fame on the ground floor, and if approved, city hall will occupy about 30,000 square feet on the second and third floors, a similar amount of space the city currently uses, but laid out more efficiently, officials say.

Additionally, another commercial space will be located on the ground floor, though it's undetermined at this point what sort of business will occupy it. Mayor Sal Panto said a restaurant or coffee shop might be a good fit for the space.

If plans for the project are approved by the Easton Historic District Commission and City Council later this month, it's expected that the parking deck will start going up in July.

While more detailed drawings were unveiled at the Wednesday afternoon press conference, officials said there will still be "tweaks" to the plan as it progresses.

"This is the first LEEDS-certified building we've built in the city," said Panto.

Spillman Farmer architect Joseph Biondo talks about the new
complex, while LANTA treasurer Fred Williams, Armand Greco,
Easton Planning Director Becky Bradley, Easton Mayor Sal
Panto, left, and other city and project officials, right, look on, at
a press conference about the intermodal project on Wesnesday.

"Our team will look to significantly reduce the environmental impact through skillful and sensitive sustainable design," said project architect Joseph Biondo of Spillman Farmer, who is designing the space. "We intend to be conscience of the building’s environmental impact not just through construction but through the life cycle of the building."

One of the reasons to move city hall is to take advantage of potential energy and maintenance savings, City Administrator Glenn Steckman and Finacial Director Chris Heagele have said.

The Alpha Building, city hall's current location, has been the focus of several developers inquiring about buying the building, which would return it to the city tax rolls, city officials also said.

"We believe putting this building back on the tax rolls is the right thing to do. We're looking to put this building to hte highest and best use," Panto said.

Heagele offered no new details about the city's portion of funding the project nor it's projected cost savings or the expense of moving the municipal government offices, but  said the financial plan for the project will be forthcoming in detail at the city council next Wednesday. He of

Formerly officials have said the complex is budgeted at about $22 million, of which LANTA is contributing $7.2 million in federal grant funding.

City council formally approved leasing the space to LANTA at their meeting last week.

LANTA riders could be using the new location for transfers by the end of 2014, shortly before the new bus terminal officially opens, LANTA Director Armand Greco and LANTA treasurer Fred Williams said.

"Our riders will be under cover," said Williams. He added that the new terminal will allow up to eight buses to convene at once.

"It's an exciting time for LANTA. It's a wonderful project, and it will be wonderful for the city," he added.

"It will be a better space, with space to sit. There will be bathrooms as well," said Greco. "It will be an improved space."

City Planning Director Becky Bradley said having is mixed use transportation hub is a progressive move for the city, and pointed out that it's not only the only one in Pennsylvania, but usually found only in much larger cities like New York.

"This for us is a very historic moment in terms of growth and innovation, and I'm really proud of it," she said.

The building is currently planned have multiple entrances on the ground floor along South Third Street to accomodate each of the building's tenants. Additionally, the parking deck will be accessibly both from the street and from the second floor of the new building directly, planners say.