Construction to start on $16M addition to Easton Millionaires Row – lehighvalleylive.com

North Third Street in Downtown Easton was once home to the citys wealthiest families.

In the middle of Millionaires Row once stood the Seville Theater, and later the Boyd.

Now all thats left is a parking lot.

But after a groundbreaking Wednesday, a new apartment building will attempt to bring back the grandeur lost when the former theater was razed.

Called, The Seville, it will have 68 apartments, according to Peron Director of Development John Callahan. The $16 million project at 56 N. Third St. will stand five stories high, although youll only be able to see four stories from the front. There will be retail on the first floor, hopefully a restaurant, Callahan said.

Its faade will hearken back to the days when millionaires lived on Third Street in brownstone and brick mansions.

My goal has been to return Easton to the grandeur before urban renewal, said Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. Hes referring to the development style in the 1970s and 80s of tearing down historic buildings and replacing them with ones youd find in the suburbs.

We destroyed thousands of buildings. We displaced thousands of people. We need to bring them back, Panto said.

To that end, the city demolished the Days Inn at 185 S. Third St. A committee of stakeholders recommended The Confluence, a mixed-use project also being handled by Peron Development of Bethlehem.

Callahan hopes to get started soon on The Confluence. Work will start next week on the Seville and hopefully wrap up in 14 months.

Peron President Michael Perrucci said he is investing in Easton because residents from New York and New Jersey are heading west on Interstate 78 looking to stretch their dollars by moving to Pennsylvania.

This is going to be a great place to live, to work, to play, to eat. We want to be a part of that, Perrucci said.

The Lopatcong Township native once saw movies at the Boyd Theater that stood at the site of the Seville. Panto said hed also been to the theater.

The Boyd Theatre, North Third Street seen on May 14, 1972, which was the last day of its existence. It was previously the Seville Theatre.File photo

The Seville apartments will have Spanish tile and Spanish flair akin to the former theater, Callahan said.

Callahan considered canceling the groundbreaking due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The shovels were placed six feet apart. Attendees were checked for fevers and had to sign off on COVID-19 forms.

We thought a bit about whether it was appropriate to have a groundbreaking given the circumstances, but the reality is life moves on. This project moves on, Callahan said. I think having a groundbreaking is a good sign and a good message to send that Peron is moving forward.

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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.

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Construction to start on $16M addition to Easton Millionaires Row - lehighvalleylive.com