During their meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 16, Northampton Borough Council voted 6-2 to reject a resolution that would allow Imperial Realty, owners of the former Cement Bank at the corner of Main and 21st streets, to apply for a Main Street Matters grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development. This vote was later amended 7-0 in favor of tabling the decision until council’s Nov. 7 meeting.
The decision came after several members of council voiced apprehension about the borough signing on to the grant as a public applicant, adding that they want more information on the residential and commercial space Imperial Realty plans to develop.
“The people that sit up here care about this borough and want to represent both our borough and our residents fairly,” said Councilwoman Judith Haldeman.
“We’re not really trying to stop anything…obviously, we want our borough to be a place to live that people can be proud of,” she continued. “[We are] just looking for assurances that we’re going to have good opportunities here.”
On Oct. 3, Vito Gallo, principal consultant at VGG Consulting, appeared before council on behalf of the developer. He said plans, while still in the works, include first-floor retail and commercial space, along with upper-level residential units, including ADA apartments.
The Main Street Matters grant would provide roughly $3.5 million in funding for upgrades to the building. However, the developers need a public applicant to submit the grant.
Before the vote, Mayor Tony Pristash urged council to approve the resolution. Doing so would require no funding from the borough.
State Representative Zach Mako and State Senator Nick Miller already voiced support for this application.
“This vote will send a message [to business owners],” he said. “This is a great opportunity for us to help build and start a foundation.”
He hoped this grant would be the start of many to help business owners revitalize Main Street.
The deadline to apply for this funding is Nov. 12, however, developers still hope that council can still approve the resolution on Nov. 7. They said they are happy to meet with council and answer any questions. They also agreed to a hold-harmless clause and stressed they have no intention to “flip” on the borough by changing their plans, should the grant be awarded.
“We fully intend to go through your zoning and planning committees,” Gallo said.
