Easton luxury apartments get planners’ OK
A 32-unit luxury apartment complex with a rooftop restaurant overlooking Easton’s waterfront got a step closer to construction Wednesday when the city’s Planning Commission approved land development plans for the project.
The eight-story Commodore would involve adding a fivestory addition to the former Kaplan Awning building at 100 Northampton St. Plans also call for adding 15,000 square feet of commercial and office space.
Easton Planning Commission members Bill Carr, Charles Elliott, William Heilman, Ronald Shipman and Robert Sun approved the plans. Members Bonnie Winfield and Jamie Kulick were absent.
All that remains is for developer Garrett Vassel, president of Optima Durant Group in New York, to get recommended approval from the Historic District Commission on Monday, with final approval from Easton City Council, which meets Wednesday.
If Vassel gets the approvals, he hopes to start construction in the fall.
Planners on Wednesday had questions about parking and building in the flood plain, and there was some back-and-forth between Sun and Vassel about a single affordable apartment unit proposed as part of $225,000 grant Vassel got from the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund.
The building will include 14 on-site parking spaces plus 32 spaces Vassel plans to lease near Genesis Bicycles. The project is required to provide up to 43 parking spaces.
Vassel said he is is leasing the 32 spaces for a three-year term from Genesis owner Tomias Hinchcliff and Clay Mitman. If for some reason the lease is not renewed, Vassel will have to go before city zoners for a variance or find another area to lease spaces, said Chief Planner Carl Manges.
There are several areas where spaces are available, including at the Governor Wolf building, said Stephen Nowroski, Easton’s director of planning and codes.
As for the project being located in a flood plain, Nowroski said construction will have to comply with certain standards, which include raising utilities above flood level.
“Construction along the waterfront isn’t a bad thing if it’s done correctly,” Nowroski said, noting other buildings in the area.
“It’s already a developed area. It’s not like you’re taking green space and converting it to impervious service.”
Sun had questions about the affordable apartment unit, which Vassel plans to subsidize for a deserving family through the Third Street Alliance for Women and Children.
To be considered affordable, the rate for a one-bedroom apartment unit is about $887 per month and $778 per month for an efficiency, Vassel said.
The grant money from PHARE requires that Vassel keep an affordable unit available for a minimum of 10 years. After 10 years, Vassel can go back to leasing the unit at market rate.
Although Vassel has yet to finalize rents, he estimated Wednesday that he could get at least $1,500 per month, if not more, for the unit.
Sun said that $225,000 divided over 10 years amounts to $22,500 a year, or $1,875.
“The only thing out of pocket for you is the difference in the subsidy and the rent,” Sun said. “You could provide three units at that kind of subsidy,” he added.
Vassel said it will cost $400,000 to construct a single unit and doing more affordable housing as part of the $15 million project wouldn’t be feasible, especially since rents are likely to rise over the next 10 years. Vassel said he’s open to discussing it further, however.
In addition to the PHARE money, the project also received a $3 million boost from the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program last week. The money is used for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational and historical improvement projects.
The Commodore’s $3 million award was the highest amount allotted among the Northampton County projects, which also included $2 million for various projects in Bethlehem.
Vassel said the project will generate $700,000 annually in state and local taxes.
The building, which faces Northampton Street, stands at the gateway between the city and Phillipsburg. Built in 1880, it was once a chocolate factory, and later became the Louis Ralph Furniture Store, then a liquor store and clothing store before Kaplan’s awning company moved into the building in 1984.
Kaplan’s moved earlier this year to the former Ealer Electric building at 1298 Spruce St. in the city’s West Ward.
Morning Call reporter Christina Tatu can be reached at 610-820-6583 or ctatu@mcall .com