EASTON, Pa. – Plans for a new seven-story hotel in Easton’s Centre Square have been approved by the city planning commission.
Located at 1-6 Centre Square, the hotel proposed by developer and restaurateur Mick Gjevukaj of the Enjoy with Gusto restaurant & hospitality group will overlook prime real estate Downtown.
- A new seven-story hotel appears set for Easton's Centre Square
- Plans include 49 rooms and space for two restaurants
- It is scheduled to open in the summer of 2024 on the square's southeast quadrant
The plan includes 49 rooms and space for two restaurants. It is slated to open in the summer of 2024 on the square's southeast quadrant, where the One Centre Square concert venue and dance club is now.
The planning commission voted 5-1 for approval. Planning board member Frank Pintabone, who issued concerns over parking, was the lone dissenter.
“The proposed hotel on Centre Square is transformative, and will make a lasting impact on Easton’s Downtown,” said Easton Zoning Director Steven Nowroski, who sits on the planning commission.
Nowroski said the project has not met with significant opposition. He noted that during the planners' meeting one person raised a concern about noise coming from the hotel that may affect its neighboring building.
As for parking, the hotel does not have its own lot or garage.
Guests will be able to use the Third and Fourth street parking garages, but the hotel itself has zero off-street parking spaces to claim as its own.
Project architect Jeff Martinson said the current building, once the Jacob Mayer fine men's clothing store, was reconstructed in 1933. The new hotel will require that the old building be demolished to install a new frame and foundation.
Martinson said the original steel supports and ferrous anchors attached to the terracotta blocks have worn down.
However, Martinson said the terracotta blocks will be preserved, taken off site, and once the new building is completed, will be incorporated into the exterior of the new building.
Martinson said that the two lower floors will appear similar to the 1933 style they currently have, while the upper stories will have windows and materials that flatter the original design.
"I think it's the right location for a hotel. That's why we got the approval from the city, zoning and planning commissions," Martinson said.
Gjevukaj, the owner, has several Downtown holdings, including Three Oak Steakhouse, Ocean and River Grille restaurants.
