‘IT’S A BEAUTIFUL THING’
Late owner of silk mill site had a dream; revitalization helps see it through
Gov. Tom Wolf visited Easton on Friday to highlight revitalization efforts in the city, boosted with public funding, by stopping at an affordable housing project nearing completion on the South Side.
Wolf, making his first visit to the city during his two terms in office, joined local officials and other dignitaries at The Mill at Easton, a housing development built at the site of the former Stewart Silk Mill at 620 Coal St.
Arriving about 20 minutes early, he toured one of two buildings — still a work in progress — with exposed insulation, ducts and pipes.
The Mill at Easton will bring 55 one- to three-bedroom homes, with the first building expected to be ready in three months, said Lara Schwager, a senior vice president with developer PIRHL Developers LLC of Hamilton, New Jersey.
The rents are tied between 20% and 80% of area median income as well as to the number of people in a household, Schwager said. Those percentages mean the range of occupancy includes someone on Social Security or other disability aid, to police, teachers and others making full-time money, according to Schwager.
The city is working with PIRHL Developers LLC, Stewart Silk Mill Redevelopment Partners and Easton Area Neighborhood Center, on the project, which also includes a community center and playground.
A second phase, being developed by Stewart Silk Mill Redevelopment Partners Tim Harrison and family members of the late John Robinson, is planned for mixed uses, including a grocery store and other retail, and medical offices. Harrison is the New York developer behind the upscale Hamilton Crossings shopping complex in Lower Macungie Township.
Robinson, who died Oct. 13, 2020, formerly ran Black Diamond Enterprises on the site, making stainless-steel tabletops, sinks and accessories for the food service industry and restaurants, including McDonald’s. But for at least two decades, residents and children in the neighborhood (Cheston Elementary School is across Coal Street from The Mill) had lived with the blighted Stewart Silk Mill owned by Robinson. A fire in 2016 destroyed some of the property.
Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure remembered Robinson for the dream the late business owner had for the site — a dream that took years to bring to fruition.
“He wouldn’t be defeated in the search for today,” McClure said looking at Robinson’s son
Joshua, who is part of the partnership.
Afterward, Joshua Robinson sounded gratified.
“This means everything to me,” Robinson said. “My father, he died for this. He held on to this for more than 25 years and to see this now without him is a big thing.
“It kind of chokes me up, but it’s a beautiful thing, what is going on right here.”
The state has awarded either Easton or the project developers nearly $16.2 million in grants or tax credits on the nearly 4-acre former Black Diamond site, according to Wolf ’s office. The money has gone toward cleanup and remediating the site, and building the housing complex. This second phase for The Mill was awarded a $2 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant.
McClure said included in that figure is a $2.5 million first mortgage and a “significant” rebate for energy-efficiency initiatives. The county also awarded a $25,000 loan toward the project from its affordable housing program, which McClure said has since been forgiven.
Wolf, who has had to coexist with a Republican-controlled legislature, noted the state financing incentives on affordable housing has drawn support from both parties. Spokespeople representing GOP leadership in Harrisburg did not return messages seeking comment.
“It’s right to point out that bipartisanship works where it means something,” he said.
The Mill is within a state-designated zone that was eligible for grants and tax assistance, according to the state. And the city is also benefiting from millions of publicly funded dollars for other major projects, including two parking decks downtown and the former Easton Iron & Metal site in the 1100 block of Bushkill Drive.
Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. called Wolf ’s visit a “momentous” day for the city. He recalled how the city was plagued by violence and crime, and facing stifling budget deficits, but said Easton is on the move with projects for new housing and more, and with more than $800 million in public and private investment.
“Today, just 13 years later,” Panto said, “our city is experiencing a revitalization and resurgence that few people thought would be possible.”
Panto, who became mayor in 2008 (he previously served two terms earlier) also said struggling communities like Easton can’t sustain growth without help from government and the private sector, using the initials “OPM,” or “other people’s money,” during his remarks.
Affordable housing has become a major issue in the Lehigh Valley and beyond; McClure said “workforce housing” is the most pressing need in the county. Panto believes city officials are doing what they can to leverage developers with public dollars to overcome the shortage.
Schwager said afterward that plans are in the works to build about 50 more apartments next to Greater Shiloh Church, also on South Side.
Friday’s event marked the third time Wolf has visited the Easton area since becoming governor in 2015. He attended an event in April 2017 at the Fanatics sportswear facility in Palmer Township., and he visited Forks Elementary School in Forks Township as part of the administration’s “Schools That Teach” statewide tour. He is barred by law from seeking a third term in 2022.
Later Friday, Wolf toured a new processing facility at Clemens Food Group in Hatfield, Montgomery County. The tour was also held to highlight the state’s investment at the facility, which is expected to keep 2,600 jobs.