May 30, 2011

Stealing Allentown's Treasures

                                                   click photograph to enlarge
The merchants who built Hamilton Street counted on architecture to attract shoppers into their emporiums. Large neon signs wouldn't appear for another fifty years. The soffit and fascia shown above, halfway between 7th and 8th on Hamilton, is the most elaborate facade in Allentown. One thing you can say about Allentown City Hall, they never let culture, art, or history get into the way of their plans. As successful cities come to value and profit from their history more and more, Allentown keeps using the standard catalog of proven failures. I know from other projects on Hamilton Street that Pawlowski isn't big on history. The Cityline Building in the 800 Block was permitted to stucco over beautiful brickwork. Sad that the puppies, who are directors at the Art Museum and Historical Society, remain silent on the planned destruction. It's hard to describe the magnificence of the skylight shown below, also in the targeted block. It's very large in three sections, in pristine condition. Should be quite a snack for Pawlowski's bulldozer.

21 comments:

  1. a message for my readers who receive direct feeds via email. i often do major editing after i publish a post. for instance, in this instance, i deleted a photo and copy. furthermore, the copy about the facade didn't appear because i had inadvertently combined it with some photographic code. please ignore feeds from this blog, and pay an actual visit. thanks, mm

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  2. The crass council of Allentown city with their miniscule mental capacity and bent for destruction keep repeating that this is free money!
    This "project" will benefit all Allentonians!
    These are complete lies.
    Our city council and the mayor are nothing more than shameless small time thugs.

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  3. Would the state tax money being directed to the City of Allentown through the creation of the Neighborhood Improvement Zone be considered state funding or local funding? An important distinction, because if they are state funds, then the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission - PHMC - would have to review the demolition of any structures pursuant to the Pennsylvania History Code.

    Curious

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  4. great pics and interesting info re architecture as advertising === thanks

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  5. Anonymous said...
    The crass council of Allentown city with their miniscule mental capacity and bent for destruction keep repeating that this is free money!
    This "project" will benefit all Allentonians!
    These are complete lies.
    Our city council and the mayor are nothing more than shameless small time thugs."

    True.

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  6. One would think the Dime Bank Building would be considered to have some historic nature.

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  7. The Dime Savings Bank Building is on the National Register of Historic Places. A list of all properties on the Register in Allentown is on the City's web site. The Second National Bank Building - directly across the street - is also on the Register and was converted by Pennrose Properties to subsidized apartments for the elderly and disabled.

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  8. The building converted by Pennrose Properties - Center Square Apartments - was formerly the Allentown National Bank Building, not the Second National Bank Building. As for other properties along Hamilton Street, the City's own website acknowledges that they may be eligible for inclusion on the National Register. See Hamilton Street Historic District.
    Beyond Curious

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  9. Pristine condition?

    Sounds nutritional, Michelle Obama will be pleased to regulate, er, hear that.

    I must say, this Chairman Pawlowski and his pocket-size Rubber Stamp Politburo feed me well. I can state no complaints at this time.

    Plus, this Palace of Sport project sounds like so much more fun than just devastating and destroying natural charm and beauty in the Park like last time.

    Too bad the Apparatchiks can't say "It's For The Children" or "Stop Racism" or whatever like last time, but that would be their misfortune and not mine.

    BLATANTLY EUPHORIC BULLYING BULLDOZER

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  10. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  11. The Judicial Reaction to Kelo

    http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1846751

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  12. Correct the Dime is on the National Register ... The three reasons we purchased the building a few years ago and have been spending precious capital on the renovation (with no public support) are: (1) the Mayor had been making a huge positive impact and we believed he had the capability to restart Allentown, (2) Penrose had done such a wonderful job in the adaptive/historic renovation of their property on Center Square, and (3) the large vacant lot next door gave the opportunity/catalyst for value creation if any significant development moved forward.

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  13. anon 5:51, would you please clarify if an offer was made by the city for the dime, or if that building will remain standing along with the farr building? thank you, michael molovinsky

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  14. Why projects fail.
    /
    http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/05/after_decades_of_prosperity_at.html

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  15. Mr. Molovinsky, Living down here in South Carolina I get alot of Atlanta news. The big news is that The Atlanta Thrashers a N.H.L. team is moving out of Atlanta back to Canada.It would seem there would be more people to support hockey in Atlanta than Allentown.

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  16. After decades of prosperity, Atlantic City now fights to survive.
    May 31, 2011
    http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/05/after_decades_of_prosperity_at.html
    It's all a little too familiar.
    But nobody else has a hokey rink, or a convention center.
    nope.
    No competition to speak of.
    Allentown, city of crime and parking tickets.
    That'll bring em in.

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  17. /after_decades_of_prosperity_at.html

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  18. A google search of: "Why is hockey a dying sport" brings up some interesting responses.
    The industry already knows this.

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  19. I wanna, know why that money isnt being applied to giving these kids who are our future a better education and instead the school system is being cut back of funding, teachers are losing their jobs and kids now how to go without music, art, foreign language and numerous other programs which have been axed!

    But instead they want to build a stadium where senseless idiots ram into each other on ice for fun!

    Yeah great cuz thats way more important than an education. Way to go @$$holes!

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  20. It is what will bring Palowski and Zahorchak the most political clout.

    That is what the tools think now.

    They will be seen for the party carpet baggers they are.

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  21. Those glass ceilings were above my desk when my office was above NEW YORK FASHION. Perfectly good space going to waste. SMH

    Alfonso Todd

    ALFONSO TODD AND ASSOCIATES / PROLIFICK MEDIA

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