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Developers present preliminary North Essex Avenue mixed-use plan; panel raises design, loading and material concerns
Summary
Developers Tim Rubin and Aaron Miller presented a preliminary schematic for a PLCB storefront with four apartments above; the panel praised streetscape-sensitive elements but raised repeated concerns about the proposed corrugated metal siding, the handling of the historic bank entrance, truck loading geometry, and long-term bicycle parking. Presenters agreed to provide revised materials and engineering diagrams.
Tim Rubin and architect Aaron Miller presented a preliminary proposal for a mixed-use redevelopment at North Essex Avenue, explaining that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) had interest in a ground-floor retail prototype and that the scheme would combine an existing two-story bank building with a new two-story addition to provide one retail/PLCB space and four apartments above.
Miller walked panelists through façade renderings that use brick pilasters, awnings and a set-back second floor. He said the design follows storefront proportions (30-inch sills, roughly 7-foot head heights) and uses pitched roof forms to articulate living spaces on the second floor. Presenters described a constraint that the store’s back-of-house shelving and racking require higher ceilings in some portions of the building; to meet PLCB prototype requirements the team is proposing approximately a 2,600-square-foot addition and a reconfiguration that fuses the one-story and two-story portions.
Panel concerns and cues to change: multiple panelists said the proposed vertical corrugated metal siding for the second floor appears inappropriate for the downtown streetscape and urged the team to present alternatives (fibercement/Hardie board, differentiated materials or terraces to 'domesticate' the upper story). Several members emphasized preserving the visual reading of the historic bank pediment and suggested the pediment remain visible even if the original opening is made nonfunctional; presenters said PLCB operational constraints and prototype requirements (including doorway width requirements discussed in the meeting) limit flexibility but that reversibility should be preserved where possible.
Operational questions: panelists pressed for engineering diagrams about truck circulation and the loading dock; the scheme was designed to allow larger trucks (an optional 43-foot trailer/50-foot wheelbase was discussed) and members recommended confirming backup/maneuvering geometry and curb-cut design to avoid conflicts with customer parking. Panelists also asked that covered long-term bicycle parking be clearly shown (zoning requires weather-protected long-term bike storage) and requested stronger streetscaping along the parking edge.
Schedule and next steps: presenters said they hope to begin construction within the calendar year to deliver units by late 2027 but acknowledged market and financing uncertainty. The panel asked for electronic copies of the drawings, engineering loading diagrams and alternate material studies; presenters agreed to revise the drawings and return for further review.
Representative quotes from the meeting included Aaron Miller’s presentation of facade intent: "we followed the language of existing one-story buildings with the window heights the 30in sill..." and a panelist noting PLCB prototype constraints: "They need a 10 foot 10 foot wide parting door; we have a 5 foot opening." The transcript does not show a final decision or vote; the session was advisory and the applicants will return with revised materials.
