Press Release

ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania – Marshall & Friends Daycare, a trusted childcare provider in the region, has successfully relocated to a new facility at 2304 South 5th St. Allentown, after overcoming unexpected challenges at its previous location. Owners Fabian Moriah and Matilda Moriah have completed extensive renovations to bring the facility up to code, ensuring a safe and enriching environment for children.

The relocation was made possible with the support of Lehigh Financial Group LLC, where Jeff Barber facilitated financing for the acquisition. “Jeff played a key role in helping us navigate the complexities of this transition, including resolving title issues during the closing process,” said Matilda Moriah.

The new facility, formerly owned by Roger Twining and operated for 50+ years as Twining's Day Nursery, has undergone significant renovations, including electrical and plumbing upgrades, window replacement, painting, new siding, and dedicated diaper-changing areas. These improvements enhance the daycare’s ability to provide high-quality care while meeting state regulations. “The process wasn’t easy, but we are proud to have overcome these challenges and to once again provide quality childcare in a space we own,” said Fabian Moriah.

Currently, Marshall & Friends Daycare serves 87 children at the new location, fewer than its previous capacity of 122. However, the Moriahs are focusing on rebuilding enrollment, expanding hours to accommodate working parents and are exploring further expansion by converting office space into additional childcare areas to accommodate more families.

Staff retention is a top priority as the daycare grows into its new space. Several original employees have returned, and the Moriahs are committed to rehiring as many former staff members as possible to meet their new capacity needs.

“Our staff has always been a vital part of what makes Marshall & Friends special,” said Matilda Moriah. “We’re working hard to bring back as many of our former team members as we can while continuing to provide the nurturing, high-quality care families expect.”

Marshall & Friends Daycare continues its participation in Pennsylvania’s Keystone STARS program, a state initiative recognizing childcare providers for their commitment to continuous improvement and high-quality early education.

Looking ahead, the Moriahs are considering developing an indoor training facility on the property to enhance physical activity opportunities for children. Their long-term vision includes expanding the daycare’s footprint and possibly opening additional locations in the future.

Reflecting on the journey, Matilda Moriah expressed gratitude for the support of Roger Twining, the previous owner, and contrasted that with the challenges of their former location. “This transition has been challenging, but we are excited about the future and dedicated to maintaining the high standards of care that families have come to trust. Our goal is not just to reopen, but to be better than ever”

The Realtor that represented the buyers was Bryant Walton of Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate Cassidon and attorney, Loren Speziale, Esq. from Gross McGinley LLP handled the closing for the buyers.

BLAKESLEE, Pennsylvania _ Javier Egipciaco and his wife Kim recently purchased

McGinley’s Pocono Trail Lodge on Route 115 and have plans to reopen it as a 16-room

hotel and gastro pub. Egipciaco hopes the remodeling will be complete and the hotel and

restaurant be ready to reopen in the late summer 2025 as the Blakeslee House.

Antonia Trigiani of Lehigh Financial Group in Allentown arranged the financing for

Egipciaco to purchase the 5.62-acre property and building and to complete the makeover.

The property had been for sale since 2019. The purchase price was not disclosed.

Javier Egipciaco, of Maplewood, N.J., has an extensive background in hospitality projects

having started in the hotel field as a bellmen when he was 18 and working his way up to

senior executive with various hotel brands including Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. “However,

this is my first project that I am developing by myself,” Egipciaco said excitedly.

Egipciaco and his wife own a home in the Poconos where they vacation and rent for short

stays. When they saw McGinley’s was for sale, they knew they wanted it because it is in an

ideal location just off I-80 near the major attractions in the Poconos. “It was actually the

perfect opportunity for us to acquire and develop,” Egipciaco said.

Their plans for the 9,000-square-foot building include a 16-room hotel each with a private

bath on the upper floors and a 50-seat restaurant that serves higher quality pub food on

the first-floor.

The Dutch Colonial building has been a local icon since 1902. Egipciaco’s goal is to restore

it to a perfect balance of its history, comfort and easy access to all the Poconos have to

offer. “I’d like to embrace the original design while giving it a complete refresh,” he said.

Trigiani said, “We are so happy to have completed this purchase with Javier. His experience

in the hospitality industry is extraordinary and all but guarantees success. We look forward

to the opening!”

The listing and selling agent was Daniel Lichty of TACM Commercial Realty in Sciota. The

attorney who represented the buyer was Mark Primrose, Esq. of Stroudsburg.

 BETHLEHEM _ Alexandra Fly has purchased the 3-story Victorian home at 146 W. Broad Street and will relocate her business, Designer Consigner, to its first floor when renovations are complete in early fall. The building offers her space to expand and offer antiques and furniture as well as clothing, luxury handbags and other items. The deal closed Aug. 27. The purchase price was not disclosed.

Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group LLC in Allentown helped arrange the financing so that Fly could purchase the building and make the necessary renovations.

Fly said she had been looking for new space for some time and that this location is ideal because it has nine parking spaces for customers and it is off of Main Street “so it still keeps us in the Downtown area.” Also, the Victorian building is perfect for a consignment shop. In addition, she said, the new building will give her more than double the space she has now at 77 W. Broad Street. 

Fly plans to rent the second and third floors of the building. The building is solid and does not need too many renovations for her shop, she said. “We will put in new flooring and paint,” she said.

Fly said Barber was very helpful and he made the deal happen. Barber said he is excited to see her success at the new location. She opened her original consignment shop on Main Street in 2011. This will be her third move and expansion. 

Bob Dandi of RE/MAX Center Valley was the listing agent. The buyer was represented by Yarrow Wilkins of RE/MAX Crossroads in East Stroudsburg. Sunrise Abstract & Settlement, LLC of East Stroudsburg, handled the closing. 

 ALLENTOWN, PA. _ Ryan and Mirelle Hadeed of Allentown plan to convert a former factory at 401 North Second Street that has been in the family for three generations into an apartment building. Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group, LLC, arranged the $1.3 million construction loan that will allow the Hadeeds to pursue plans for the more than 100-year-old building that Ryan’s grandfather bought in the 1970s.

The loan closed at the beginning of June. The Hadeeds plan to start construction soon and hope to complete the project by early next year if not sooner. Plans call for 10 apartments: six one-bedroom and four two-bedroom units. The building also will have five storage units for the tenants.

The apartments will have high-end finishes such as granite countertops and maintain its commercial feel with exposed duct work and 14-foot ceilings, Ryan said. The building had been rented as a commercial property but is now vacant. Ryan didn’t want to push any tenants out, he said. 

Ryan said the building was originally an ice cream factory. He inherited the property from his father, Joseph, after he died in 2014. Joseph had inherited the property from his father, Ryan’s grandfather, Jamil. 

Ryan said his father had drawn up plans to convert the building into apartments more than 20 years ago but for whatever reason never completed the project. 

The building, on the border of Allentown’s First and Sixth wards, is two blocks from Allentown’s Waterfront that is being revitalized, and Ryan believes his timing ideal. “The neighborhood will definitely be booming in the next few years,” he said.

Barber said he is excited for Ryan and Mirelle and is certain their apartments will be in demand as the neighborhood is undergoing great improvements. 

YORK, Pennsylvania _ Alicea and Jason Poff have acquired the building at 1501 Mount Rose Avenue that houses their record store, Mothership, and seven other storefronts and offices. They plan to make some cosmetic upgrades to the nearly 4,700-square-foot building and keep it pretty much as is, Alicea said. The purchase price was not disclosed.

Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group LLC in Allentown arranged the financing for the Poffs to purchase the building. They closed on the property April 29.

The Poffs plan to have the building power washed and to make some cosmetic and safety improvements such as painting the front doors and adding some lighting and security systems, Alicea said.

The Poffs opened their record store in 2018. Jason Poff runs the record store, which has been quite successful, Alicea said. Last year, she said, sales were up 12 times what they were when they opened six years ago. “Mothership existed a few years before its name, starting online as a hobby and love for music,” Alicea said. The Poffs started the storefront business when their sons, now teens, were younger and “it is a family affair,” Alicia said.

Alicea runs a companion online business, Mothership York, on eBay, which sells records and other items. The bricks-and-mortar Mothership not only sells records but also buys them.

The owners are grateful to Barber and his work getting the loan to close.

Barber is happy for the Poffs and glad they will be able to expand their family business interests. Barber said it was a pleasure working with them throughout the process.

The listing agent for the property was Abe Khan of Bennet Williams Commercial and the title company that arranged the closing was White Rose Settlement Services Inc. 

BETHLEHEM, Pennsylvania _ Aiden Henninger, 24, a lifelong resident of Bethlehem, has purchased 546 Main Street in Historic Downtown Bethlehem for $1 million. The 4-story building is home to Mama Nina’s Italian restaurant and has three two-bedroom apartments on its upper floors. The restaurant will remain and Henninger plans to renovate the apartments and lease them. 

The real estate acquisition was announced by Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group, LLC, in Allentown, who arranged the conventional financing for the sale and the renovations. Henninger also has a business partner. 

A graduate of Lehigh University, Henninger has been investing in real estate in Bethlehem for the last three years and has bought and renovated several homes, some of which he resold and some of which he rents. 

Henninger is excited to own 546 Main Street, which was built in 1880, because it is in the heart of most desirable Historic Bethlehem. Henninger said properties in this coveted section of Main Street rarely become available, and he is thrilled to be able to own it. The sale was private.

“I have done a lot of deals already in my three years as a real estate investor,” Henninger said. “But this is my biggest deal yet. And I’m excited to be able to add it to my portfolio.” 

Barber was impressed by Henninger’s business savvy at such a young age and is looking forward to what he will do in the future. 

The building is a little less than 5,000 square feet. The restaurant occupies the basement and first-floor. The second floor is one apartment, and the third and fourth floors are divided into two, 2-story apartments. Henninger plans to upgrade them into luxury apartments with new paint, tiling, flooring, lighting and appliances. He expects it to take a couple of months. 

Henninger also said that when Mama Nina’s opened on Main Street in Bethlehem about 20 years ago, it began the renaissance of the Historic Downtown. “It changed the restaurant scene down there,” he said. 

 SLATINGTON, Pennsylvania _ Garet Conrad of Franklin Township has purchased a nearly 10,000 square foot building 535 W. Church Street to use as a warehouse for his general contracting business, Conrad General Contracting. The purchase also includes a building with two apartments that Conrad plans to remodel and continue to rent. 

Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group LLC arranged the financing for the acquisition. 

“The new location needs some love, but it isn’t anything we can’t do,” said Conrad who had been looking for a site to consolidate his storage locations for his contracting business. “The apartment building was a bonus,” he said. 

The warehouse location is ideal, Conrad said. It is “pretty much in the middle of everything we do.” Conrad, who started the business 11 years ago, has done roofing, concrete, kitchens, bathrooms, basements and other projects throughout the Lehigh Valley. 

Conrad said he’s excited about the move because “I love what I do.” The business has 11 employees and a secretary and may expand in the future. 

Working with Barber to arrange financing was “awesome,” Conrad said. “All the good things I heard about him turned out to be true.”

Barber said he was happy to help Conrad and knows the move will be helpful for his business. Conrad had been leasing space in three different locations. 

Dave Feinberg of REMAX Central in Center Valley was Conrad’s real estate agent. First United Land Transfer of Allentown arranged the closing.

Conrad also owns Big Drip Jewelers on McArthur Road in Whitehall.  His contracting business has an office in the jewelry store. He is not sure whether he will move it to the warehouse. 

WILSON, Pennsylvania _ Paula Rodriguez-Restrepo recently acquired the 2,100-plus square foot commercial building at 1600 Northampton Street to house her business, Cell Express LLC, which provides international wire transfers and other financial services.  Rodriguez-Restrepo, who is a native of Colombia, also will offer phone, notary, translation and other services at her new business location.

Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group LLC in Allentown arranged the financing so Rodriquez-Restrepo could buy the building and move her exsistng business. The business is expected to open at the new location at the end of July, beginning of August. 

Rodriguez-Restrepo of Palmer Township had been renting across the street and is excited to own her new space. “The business has been growing and this move will allow us to continue to expand and help people stay in touch with their families in Latin America,” she said. 

Rodriguez-Restrepo has two employees. 

The building had been a health center operated by the state of Pennsylvania. 

Barber said he is happy to be able to help Rodriguez-Restrepo expand her business and is certain that she will be most successful in her new location. 

Rodriguez-Restrepo’s Realtor Annette Gallego of IronValley Real Estate represented the buyer and Mike Seitz of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox and Roach represented the seller. The Settlement Company of Allentown was the closing agent. 

BETHLEHEM, Pennsylvania _ Lehigh graduate Yongkang Gao and his business partner, Bill Geddes, recently purchased the iconic south side eatery, Pete’s Hot Dog Shop, and an adjacent three-story building that houses two residential units. They plan to reopen a restaurant in the Pete’s building at 400 Broadway after renovations to it are complete. They also plan to renovate the two residences each of which has its own entrance. 

Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group, LLC, in Allentown, arranged the commercial financing so that the partners could purchase the restaurant and residental building which were sold together and make renovations to them. The purchase price was not disclosed. 

Gao hopes the residential units at 406 Carlton Avenue will be ready for occupancy by late summer and the restaurant at the end of August, beginning of September. “We need to do a lot of renovations,” Gao said.

An electrical engineer, Gao, who earned his PhD at Lehigh, had eaten at the hot dog shop a few times while a student. Pete’s which had been at that location since 1937 closed in March. John Mamounas bought Pete’s in 1988 from Teddy Kourpas, whose uncle, Pete Kourpas, opened the business. Generations of Lehigh Valley residents, including Bethlehem Steel workers and Lehigh students, feasted on hot dogs, cheesesteaks, burgers and perogies at Pete’s over its many years. 

Gao, who lives in the Bay Area of California where he works for Apple, owns several other residential properties on the south side and was eager to purchase Pete’s and the residential building when he learned they were for sale. Giddes, who is known as Excecutive Chef Billy G, has restaurant experience (including a hot dog truck) and will oversee the renovations and opening of both. Giddes, who lives in South Jersey, is moving to Bethlehem to oversee the project. 

Gao said they had some idea of what they want to do in the Pete’s space, which is small, but haven’t made any decisions yet other than it will be a restaurant.  Geddes said a hot dog will be on the menu “because that’s what people want,” but he expects the menu to be “a little bit of everything.” Geddes is also a contractor and has experience in renovations. 

Barber said he is happy that Gao and his business partner will be able to keep the site a restaurant and is confident their new venture will succeed whatever way they go. 

Jackie Vasko of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Benjamin Real Estate of Schnecksville was the listing agent and represented both buyers and sellers. 

Lori Lewis and Sonya Bieber of Lighthouse Abstract in Bethlehem assisted with the closing.