With purchase of former Easton Iron & Metal completed, city ponders best use for site

With the purchase of the shuttered Easton Iron & Metal Co. in Easton finalized, the Easton Redevelopment Authority is focusing attention on what to do with the 15-acre property it bought on Bushkill Drive.

The first step will be establishing an environmental cleanup plan for the site, said John Kingsley, director of community and economic development for Easton. The cleanup is expected to continue through 2020 as the city works on a development strategy.

“There are several potential uses for the site, none of them have been decided upon,” Kingsley said. “We fully expect this to be an important development project for the Bushkill corridor. A number of possibilities are being discussed.”

The site is in close proximity to the Karl Stirner Arts Trail. Potential uses could include an arts park with integration to the trail and an environmental education component.

Easton Iron & Metal vacated the site in 2015 before the death of owner Jacob Stein in 2016, according to a news release. Sarah Finney-Miller of NAI Summit represented the seller, Stein Revocable Living Trust, in the sale of the property, covering more than 15 acres along Bushkill Drive.

Finney-Miller facilitated a direct sale with the Easton Redevelopment Authority to buy the three-parcel site for $700,000.

The project could help connect Easton’s West Ward and College Hill neighborhoods, particularly with the arts trail in close proximity.