Northampton County Grant Will Buy Trolley For Downtown Easton

English: Skyline of Easton, PA from Lafayette College (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Easton officials hope to ease the city’s rising parking problems by introducing a trolley to the Downtown area purchased through a Northampton County grant.

Mayor Sal Panto Jr. said today that the city plans to buy a used trolley sometime this month and have it up and running through the Downtown area this summer. With the city’s new parking garage not due for completion until autumn, the city will rely on the trolley to connect distant parking lots to popular tourist spots, Panto said.

“We can’t invent parking, so I think it’s the next best idea,” Panto said.

County Executive John Brown said the $42,000 grant from the Northampton County Gaming and Economic Redevelopment Authority is part of the county’s outreach to regional partners. The county will also allow the city to use the Northampton County Courthouse’s parking lots for the Easton Farmers’ Market and other large events, he said.

Read more: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf/2014/05/northampton_county_grant_will.html

Easton’s Northampton Street To Become Classic Car Cruising Strip On Designated Summer Nights

English: Skyline of Easton, PA from Lafayette College (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. recalls, Northampton Street at one point was the most popular cruising strip in the Lehigh Valley, but that changed in the 1980s when the city banned the practice.

Nearly 30 years later, Panto says it’s time to bring back cruising, albeit on a limited basis.

Easton will be hosting cruise nights on one Saturday per month between May and August this summer, Panto announced this afternoon at a news conference.

Classic car owners are invited to drive the strip from 6 to 9 p.m. on the designated nights. The Mayor’s Office of Special Events is teaming with WGPA Sunny 1100, which will broadcast cruising music during the nights — think the Beach Boys, The Four Seasons and Motown groups — over the AM airwaves.

Read more: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf/2014/04/cruise_nights_to_hit_city_of_e.html

Easton Reviewing Bids For Sale Of Alpha Building

English: Skyline of Easton, PA from Lafayette College (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Easton‘s iconic brick and stone skyscraper is on target to be in new hands by the end of the year.

Mayor Sal Panto Jr. confirmed that the city is talking to a pair of finalists who want to buy the 91/2 -story city-owned Alpha Building, which anchors the southwest corner of Centre Square.  The city agreed earlier this year to list the building for sale and solicit proposals from developers.

Officials declined to name the two finalists, or to say how many proposals were received — although Panto did say it was more than two.

“We are working more with one (developer) because they offered more,” Panto said of the ongoing negotiations.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-easton-alpha-building-sale-close-20130802,0,7783825.story#ixzz2aqcrj1xa
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