Blogger's Note: Armando Moritz-Chapelliquen is a Wilson Borough resident very interested in the redevelopment of the blighted Dixie Cup factory located between S 24th and S 25th Sts. He attended a presentation on Monday night that describe the project in detail. You can post your thoughts in the comments.
Good Morning Neighbor,
[Monday] night, two representatives from the prospective buyer of the Dixie Cup site presented updated plans to Wilson Borough Council. While some things remain the same, there were some substantive changes that I want to highlight.
What's New The biggest differences since the August presentation were in the details provided. Below is an image I drafted up to try and convey some of the new details that were shared. |
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In addition to these changes, the developer is not (yet) requesting a tax benefit in the form of a LERTA or TIF. This is different from August's presentation, where a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) was floated as a potential request. |
Unchanged Proposal Elements Several elements of the proposal remain (largely) the same. A quick rundown is below:
According to a traffic study done by the development team, impact on traffic could be mitigated with updated timing on the signal lights at 25th and Butler. Additionally, with the reactivated roadway, parking around the building and use of the adjacent lot for resident parking, there is minimal concern for increased competition for on-street parking. |
What About The Cup? The development team indicated that the existing cup is not safe to stay in its current location. They are proposing bringing the cup down to the proposed community and retail space and building a replica cup with new materials to put in the original's place. |
What's Still Unclear In August, I indicated that the developer was considering a contribution into Northampton County's Affordable Housing Fund. Whether that is happening (and how much would be contributed) is still unclear. Additionally, there are still questions as to who exactly the developers of this site are. |
What Do You Think? The development team is looking to start work on the project in April of this year and completing work by 2025 or early 2026. There is a lot to digest from this update, but I'd love to know what you think about what's changed and what's remained the same. This is a massive development that could fundamentally transform our community. Do you think it will change it for the better?
As always, thanks for the collaboration! Armando |
10 comments:
No LERTA, so don't ask!
The whole plan sucks--Go back to the drawing board
The Wilson Community should make a deal to purchase the site, come up with a development plan,
and getaway from these developer's "get rich quick schemes". Anything you do there will be a nightmare for the near by residents.
No tax money. Please and thank you. I can wait another 50 years for a privately financed solution. No need to rush at this point.
No dog park? No LVH or St. Lukes offices? No low income housing?
This is an excellent use for this building, a way better concept than building new apartment buildings on green fields in the suburbs. I love that the Palmer/Bethlehem Twp. bikeway joins up with the site allowing residents convenient biking/walking access to nearby pharmacies, a grocery store, a gym and restaurants etc. Residents of this complex will be a 10 minute bike ride from the 13th Street Silk Mill complex and just a 20 minute bike ride to downtown.
I saw some bullshit about them seeking some sort of historical significance for the cup? Developers are poisoned by tax incentives!
I like this plan and hope they get help to build it.
This is what the LERTA program was invented for blighted commercial industrial abandoned properties.
Thanks for sharing Bernie. Some caveats and responses I wanted to share really quick:
1. I mentioned that the developer is not currently requesting any sort of tax benefit. While this is true, it does not mean the developer will not be requesting a tax benefit in the future. This is an important distinction because it requires us to consider what kind of plan is deserving of a tax benefit, whether its LERTA, TIF, or something else. The fact that the community has time to consider this question, rather than be forced to quickly answer it when a tax benefit is being voted on, is inherently a good thing.
2. Historic preservation: The development team *is* still seeking recognition from the National Register of Historic Places, if that's what 8:57am is referring to.
3. Amenities: I don't recall if the dog park has been scrapped entirely or if some version of it will live on in the community/retail space presented Monday night. There was no mention of LVHN or St Lukes offices. All the residential units will be market rate.
I'd love to see the pump house include a craft beer/dog bar where tenants (and other locals) can enter, sign their dog in, let their dogs run free within the bar's compound and then order a local craft beer to socialize with friends (and dogs!). I was at one of these recently in St. Petersburg, FL and it was such a fun experience for the patrons and the dogs. The tenants wouldn't need to drive at all and it would provide a place for them to socialize and have fun!
I think a building conversion like this one can be ripe for trying new ideas like this and the younger, professional market rate tenants would be likely to support this kind of venture.
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