Can anyone explain why the Allentown Parking Authority should be a landlord? It is apparently not to make money, because the rent is far below the cost to construct the square footage. It is not to serve a local neighborhood need or the need of the bus riders, few of them purchase private vineyard wine or natural fiber designer clothes. Here's the answer; because Linda Kauffman, former director of the Allentown Parking Authority, thought it was a good idea. She also wanted stores in the new deck at 4th and Hamilton, but City Council decided not to compete with local investors. So now we have a parking deck which is mostly empty, a Lanta Transfer Station which is putting the Hamilton Street merchants out of business, and a new subsidized yuppie who will fail anyway because she is in the wrong location for her product. Ms. Kauffman retired and moved to the Maryland beach.
I hope the clothing designer fails at 6th & Linden too so Mike Molovinsky can say "I told you so."
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yesterday, although not reported in the Morning Call, Lanta received testimony concerning the hardship of the merchants and the inconvenience of the bus riders, to which they made despising remarks after the "nay-sayers" left the room. I do not hope the designer fails, but on the other hand, i also want the hamilton street merchants to survive.
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