Town officials are renewing efforts on an old idea: Returning the municipal offices downtown.
The effort to return Phillipsburg's town offices downtown is new, even if the idea isn't.
Officials on Tuesday renewed calls to move the municipal building, saying a central location would be a boon for business in the town.
"I believe ... that that's the key to revitalizing the downtown," Council President Todd Tersigni said, citing a 2014 Express-Times story in which he made a similar call to action. The offices moved from the downtown when the Lovell Building was demolished in the 1970s.
No formal action was taken, but the sentiment was largely met with agreement from councilmen present at Tuesday's meeting -- Councilman Randy Piazza was absent -- and a few residents who spoke, though some worried about potential parking problems.
"Just a note: (Easton Mayor Sal) Panto's office is in a parking garage," Phillipsburg Mayor Stephen Ellis quipped to laughter. The neighboring city's new offices opened last October on the second and third floors of the Easton Intermodal Transportation Center.
Still, officials said that any move is likely years away and requires a significant amount of study, not to mention selling off the current municipal offices at 675 Corliss Ave.
What to do with damaged Union Square site?
Councilman Mark Lutz, recalling the difficulties of a similar proposal to move during his previous stint on council in the 1990s, suggested relocating the town library to the Corliss Avenue site.
Town hall "has to be moved downtown," he said. "It just has to be."
Some potential locations were floated at Tuesday's council meeting, including Tersigni's previous proposal of the 400 block of South Main Street -- an idea he conceded could require use of eminent domain.
"I really believe it doesn't matter where it is," Tersigni said, "as long as it gets done."
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.