Jay Haines with NAI Summit, a commercial real estate company, addressed Catasauqua Council at its May 19 meeting.

Haines outlined the services his company could provide to help market the property the borough owns on Pearl Street.

Council members discussed the potential advantages of using a professional to market the property.

"The last time we offered the property for sale, we spent $1,000 advertising and received one bid," Councilman Brian McKittrick said.

Hiring someone to help market the property is a way to avoid a low sales price.

Borough Manager Eugene Goldfeder explained regulations require that the property be sold at a public auction.

Realtors, who generally work on commission, are not familiar with the concept of receiving a flat fee for marketing.

"If there is any payment for the sale, that would need to be arranged with the buyer," said Goldfeder.

The borough is under no obligation to accept any bid offered. The council has rejected bids in the past that it deemed too low.

According to information the council received earlier in the day, two other commercial realtors were interested in offering their services.

Although the council had nominated NAI Summit in an earlier session, the consensus of opinion was to send out a request for proposal to see alternative offers.

Haines emphasized the breadth and scope of his company's contacts. No other company addressed the board.

The council decided to prepare the proposal request and send it to various vendors, with responses expected by the end of June.

Holding to the schedule would allow the marketing consultant two months to actively show the property to potential buyers. Bids could be opened at a public session in September. The fall bid opening would give a potential developer time to prepare plans and present options before a hoped-for spring construction start.

As Goldfeder pointed out, the property on Pearl Street is zoned residential and it is expected that the zoning would not change.

"There are seven parcels, but the developer may want to combine the parcels and make a proposal for the whole property," he said.

By combining all the parcels, a developer would not be restricted to seven units.

Initially council proposed offering the parcels in two subsets.

"We should let the marketing consultant advise us on the best way to proceed," Goldfeder said.

In a related matter, Goldfeder gave the council feedback on the recent Spillman Farmer Architects presentation on the borough's property along Front Street.

"They [Spillman Farmer] came up with a brand. They want to use The Ironworks. We need to check if there are any conflicts before we accept it," he said.

When the property was owned by Kane Corporation, the area was called the Iron Works. The solicitor will investigate.

The idea of a presentation at a council session is designed to bring in more residents to look at the plans and generate more comments.

"Even when they make their final proposal, we aren't wedded to the concept," Goldfeder said. "A developer might come in here with something better or we might want to make changes.".