Council Wants Info Before Alpha Building Sale

Earlier this week, Mayor Sal Panto announced a plan by his administration to move the city's offices to the planned intermodal building, and then sell the Alpha Building, which has been city headquarters since 1996.

At the time, Panto said he would offer more details about the plan at Wednesday night's City Council meeting.

And although the mayor did explain more about how the sale would work, council members say they need more time and information -- and want to hear more from residents -- before taking a vote next month.

“To really make a good decision, we need a more detailed financial prop of what’s going to happen, including what revenue we lose, what revenue we gain, all of that," said Councilman Roger Ruggles.

Councilman Michael Fleck said the move "seems to be a good decision, but let’s confirm all that." His colleague, Councilman Ken Brown, added that he'd like to hear from members of the public. 

The plan is to move the offices the city has in the Alpha building into the intermodal, a $26 million facility on S. Third Street that will include a parking deck for 370 vehicles as well as a three-story office building.

The city has taken a $10 million bond to help pay for the intermodal, and the mayor has argued that it makes more sense for the city to use the building rather than turn it over to a developer. The rest of the project is paid for by federal grant money and -- the city hopes -- the sale of the Alpha building. 

Panto told council the nine-story Alpha building is too much for the city to handle, in need of repairs and lacking security.

The move would save Easton about $160,000 a year in operating costs, officials said, while a private tenant using the Alpha Building would generate twice the local tax revenue than what the building currently generates.

(Panto also used his presentation to respond to the criticism that the city would be moving soon after an expensive renovation of council chambers, noting that most of the chambers -- furniture, city sign, sound system -- would be going with them.)

The vote next month doesn't even have to be a vote to move from the Alpha building, Panto said, but could simply be to approve the intermodal project as designed.