EASTON, Pa. — Business owners, investors and more got an inside look at some prime commercial real estate locations throughout Downtown Easton on Friday afternoon.
The 2025 Real Estate Open House and Walking Tour featured five locations — including such hallmarks of the city as the Karl Stirner building and the Alpha Building — ripe with opportunity for the right party.
“Together, we're creating real opportunities for entrepreneurs and developers to envision their place in Easton’s growing community. This event not only highlights key properties in our vibrant downtown, but it also showcases the collaborative spirit that makes Easton a destination for business and innovation."Easton Director of Community and Economic Development John Kingsley
Held by the Easton Area Chamber of Commerce, the tour welcomed entrepreneurs, owners, developers and members of the community to check out a series of leasable business spaces.
Experts were on hand to provide detailed information and field questions from interested parties.
“The Commercial Real Estate Open House and Walking Tour is a perfect example of what we can achieve through strong partnerships like the one we have with the Easton Area Chamber of Commerce,” city Director of Community and Economic Development John Kingsley said.
“Together, we're creating real opportunities for entrepreneurs and developers to envision their place in Easton’s growing community.
"This event not only highlights key properties in our vibrant downtown, but it also showcases the collaborative spirit that makes Easton a destination for business and innovation."
Fantastic, phenomenal properties
Joseph Paranee of Paranee Property Management showcased three buildings on the tour: 8 Centre Square, 223 Northampton St. and 411-419 Northampton St.
Paranee said 223 Northampton, which currently houses Lauter’s Fine Furniture, has plenty of potential for the right use, such as an entertainment venue or a residential spot.
“It is roughly 60,000 square feet" Paranee said. "I envision this as the next big redevelopment project in Downtown Easton. It is block to block and a lot of road frontage.
"It's a fantastic property and, as you know, Easton loves big multifamily [projects] so I envision something like that going on here, another big apartment project."
Perusing the property, which prospectively could take a few years of development, visitors admired the vast open space and all it could harbor.
Over at 58 Centre Square — a rare find in the heart of the community — sits a retail storefront with availability to build a few multi-family units above it.
Paranee said that site has been gutted and is ready for the right developer to step in and make something out of the 6,225 square feet of space.
“It’s a phenomenal property," Paranee said. "It's another open ticket to do what you want to do.
“I envision either a restaurant going there with apartments above it, or a retail space going there with apartments above it.
"The great thing about that building is it has two entrances — one for the storefront and one for the apartments, which a lot of these buildings in Easton don't have.”
Historic spots, modernized opportunities
The 411-419 Northampton St. property, the former site of Larry Holmes’s Round One restaurant and lounge, offers 10,000 square feet for a backer who is interested in joining the city’s burgeoning restaurant scene.
Paranee said the spot is ideal for “a grand restaurant, or maybe a restaurant that has the ability to do banquets and big events, because of the upstairs’ big open area.”
While that particular spot wasn’t open for touring, the close proximity to Centre Square — in addition to the improved safety of the area — make it a great, accessible location, Paranee said.
Walking throughout the Downtown district to the Karl Stirner building at 230 Ferry St., tour attendees were thrilled to see the growth in the area, and all the potential within the former artist’s studio space and abode. It covers 40,000 square feet.
Within the structure sit two three-bedroom apartments, an efficiency unit and a penthouse that rivals Manhattan hotspots, GHHS Paul Ford Easton’s Clay R. Mitman said.
“So the money is really generated on the first floor, the key anchor spaces that somebody could develop and rent out for a greater dollar per square foot," Mitman said as a tour group explored the upper floor.
"With the idea that up here might be converted into maybe more residential spaces, maybe again for artists to rent space, but all at a more market rate.”
With a secret outdoor space in the midst of the ground floor, the building’s options for the property are multiple, co-owner Mark Nutting said.
“The idea is residential on the second and third floor, commercial on the first floor, potentially a restaurant in the first floor, with the courtyard being sort of an outside facility,” Nutting said.
Rounding out the tour
Rounding out the tour, 18 Centre Square was presented as a great pick for those looking for a place that was redeveloped with new core systems, roof, mechanical systems and more.
While LehighValleyLive will continue its lease on part of the property, plans are to construct a wall to set off 5,300 square feet that will be available for a sublease.
As is always the case, location is key: VM Development’s Mark Mulligan said the spot would be perfect for an enterprise looking to capitalize on the family-friendly vibe of the area.
“It would be great to be something complementary to Crayola … something that brings foot traffic, and, you know, we're getting a lot of people living here, so now we need more amenities,” Mulligan said.
Paranee credited Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr., Easton officials and GUSTO Restaurant and Hospitality Group’s Mick Gjevukaj for transforming the city over the past two decades.
Paranee said it has become a vibrant scene that draws businesses and foot traffic from residents and visitors.
'Easton is thriving'
As development continues to grow across the Lehigh Valley, Paranee says the ideal spot for those looking for great properties is Easton.
“I mean, Easton is thriving," Paranee said. "The Lehigh Valley is top three in economic growth in the nation.
"What's driving that is the many rich apartment complexes, the big boxes. We're a shipping hub. We're in the center of Philadelphia, New York and Washington. We're all kind of close.
"So Easton, of all the different areas from Allentown to Bethlehem to Easton, probably has the best access from [Routes] 22 and 78 of any of them.”
With an assortment of commercial properties available for those looking to get in on the ground floor, the city seems like the place to be, according to those who joined the tour.
Todd Cernaglia, who does business development work with Floor Coverings International, said the tour was an opportunity to see all the city has to offer for the right developer.
“It’s great," Cernaglia said. "Obviously there’s a lot of growth in Easton and eastern Pennsylvania. It shows that there’s a lot of moving and shaking going on.”
He said the variety of buildings on the tour presented many opportunities.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming on this tour, because these are properties you don’t really get to see, from arts properties to historical buildings to even more modern structures,” he said.
