Wolf Building, Dixie Cup Plant Get State Tax Breaks

Easton's Governor Wolf Building and Wilson's Dixie Cup plant are among 18 local properties eligible for tax breaks under the Keystone Opportunity Expansion Zone (KOEZ) program.

KOEZ exempts properties from certain state and local taxes for a 10-year period in the hopes of making them more attractive to developers.

The list of properties was announced Friday by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Nearly all of the properties are in the Easton area.

“Today’s KOEZ designation will pave the way for new growth and new jobs in the Lehigh Valley,” DCED Secretary C. Alan Walker said in a news release. “Across Pennsylvania, the KOZ program has spurred the creation of nearly 40,000 jobs since the program’s inception. As past designations expire, new tax revenues are being generated for the state and local communities."

Other properties on the list include the Simon Silk Mill, the Black Diamond property on the South Side (also known as the Stewart Silk Mill), and the Easton Intermodal and city hall project. 

Both the Wolf Building on N. Second Street and Simon Silk Mill on 13th Street are being rehabbed by developer Mark Mulligan, who also just bought Easton's Alpha Building. 

The Dixie Cup plant, vacant for decades, is slated to be turned into condos/commercial property as part of a $50 to $60 million renovation.