Latest Dixie Cup Proposal

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.

Retail and Community Space (Red Circle): The development team has proposed to activate the old boiler room for the site as a retail and community space open to the public. The idea is that people could access this space from either the bike path (which currently runs along the building) or from a newly activated roadway on the southern side. Reactivated Roadway (Blue Rectangle): The gray line on the map represents a roadway that has not been in use but would be reopened to allow for the public to access the retail and community space. Fire Lane Around the Building (Orange Line): The orange line is a poor approximation but is meant to convey that there will be a fire lane all around the building, allowing for emergency vehicles to access the building from any side. I believe this would also allow for greater pedestrian and bicycle flow off of Washington Blvd and the bike path.   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: Market-Rate Residential Units: There are 405 units proposed for the building, 76% will be 1 bedroom, 24% will be 2 bedrooms (August unit count was 422). All units are expected to be market rate. Target demographic is still "young professionals". Resident-Only Amenities: Amenities for residents include a rooftop lounge, co-working rooms, club rooms, pool on the western side of the building, and courtyards that will be between the "fingers" of each building.   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