About Us

 
 

fresh food grocery in the heart of easton 

 

Courtesy of Steven Glickman, architect of record, this is a project animation of the proposed nine-story Dutchtown Commons in the 600 block of Northampton Street in Easton, designed with a first-floor grocery store and seven residential floors comprising 39 apartments. (Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com)

It all started when…

We at Dutchtown Commons happened upon the idyllic, quaint and culturally rich city of Easton, PA. Easton is a bustling and well-planned city, featuring every aspect of city life, barring one thing, there is no local urban market. How did such a historically important, as well as up-and-coming city exist without easy access to fresh food?! Upon researching the issue, it did not take long to find out that the area had been declared a ‘Food Desert’ by the USDA and Easton had been struggling with this issue for some time.

Dutchtown Commons has big plans for Easton. Since our first visit, we have become well acquainted with Lehigh Valley non-profits, city hall, community activists and local business owners. We are proud to partner with local resident and exemplary architect, Steven Glickman to help bring this project to reality.

Our focus is three-fold; fresh affordable food, local infrastructure renewal and community enrichment. Due to the underserved nature of the West Ward, local infrastructure has been decaying because of blight. It was necessary for properties to be torn down to ensure resident safety, which has lead to a loss of revenue for the city. This has had a snowball effect, touching upon employment, housing, revenue and an overall aesthetic of the area. We would like to address these issues and in effect increase the value of the neighborhood.

Problem: The USDA has declared the surrounding area a food desert. The closest fresh grocery is 2.5 miles away. Most local residents do not own a car.

Dutchtown Commons has an answer.

Solution: Building a local urban market. Having fresh fruits and vegetables readily available will help promote nutrition and overall health in the area. We also couldn’t help but notice that Easton has a great local “foodie” scene. We love the idea of having fresh ingredients nearby to replicate your favorite local dish!

We are excited to be a part of such a warm community. We have been in touch with Northampton County non-profits brainstorming on how to maximize our impact on those who need it the most. We’ll keep you posted on what we come up with. Having an urban market will create more jobs and the remainder of the building will offer much needed housing in the area. We have come to know Easton as a city with strong family values and we would like to keep inline with those values as well as overall well-being. Easton is a great place to walk around, and our site will increase pedestrian traffic, bringing more potential business to the local area. Although Easton is an attractive city, which we are happy to add to, and make Easton even more beautiful working towards a new and attractive infrastructure. We are proud to be joining such a wonderful and caring city!

 

We’re all about

Easy access grocery

  • Ending the USDA declared food desert

  • Supplying a fresh grocery closer than 2.5 miles away

  • Accommodating local residents who do not own a car

  • Promoting nutrition and overall health

  • Contributing to the local “foodie” scene

InfraStructure

  • Increasing revenue for Easton

  • Increasing value of neighborhood

  • Having a positive impact on employment, housing and aesthetic

Community

  • Working with local non-profits

  • Creating more jobs and housing

  • Promoting community values and well-being

  • Increasing pedestrian traffic

  • Making Easton more beautiful!