May 29, 2008

No Investors Need Apply


Mayor Pawlowski can't stand private investors, if he didn't give you a grant, your not worth crap. In the early 70's the City and Redevelopment Authority gave control of the Neuweiler Brewery to a friend. Under the City's watch, windows were removed and exterior walls broken through to remove the brewing tanks and piping for scrap. All metal, wires and any object of value were crudely ripped out in an orgy of demolition. With a large opening in the back wall smashed out, the basement was used as a free landfill by a roofer. Still the building remained iconic, because of it's rich industrial architecture. In 2003 a New Jersey investor bought the building for over $200,000 in the condition shown in the photograph. The building has been in that condition since the late 70's. HIs hope was at some point the City would appreciate the landmark and cooperate in its revival. He must have found the building citations from the Pawlowski administration mind-numbing; can you image being held responsible for carnage committed by a previous owner under the City's watch. Also this week the City punished the owners of the Livingston Apartments for their stubbornness about keeping magnificent heavy metal doors not listed in their Home Depot code book. Mayor Pawlowski, afraid someone might want to invest private money in Allentown and pay real estate taxes, had the Neuweiler owner jailed when he came to Allentown this week to discuss the property. Our new Mayor, along with our new Director of Codes, and our new Redevelopment Director plan to steal, excuse me, i mean seize the brewery.

9 comments:

  1. You are an amazing man,Mr. Molovinsky and i liked the picture you took on May 4th!

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  2. Oh, Karen Pooley, huh, I turn my head for a second and the tool known as Mike Rosenfeld is gone. Hmm, what's her connection? Her and her husband fixed up a house in Allentown - wonder if that was a legitimate buy or was it through ABC? Nice job all the same. Huh, husband is a professor at Muhlenberg (?) (got to keep that institution in the loop). Hey, what's this - did KP graduate from ABC too? Something smells.

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  3. Same song at 645 Hamilton Street also. Private investors seem to be locked out of the City. The owner is at his wits end! I keep hearing that the City wants private investors but they must really mean that they want private investors that play their game....

    Alfonso

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  4. I'd really like to hear the owner's side of the story. Throwing him in jail for two days appears to be a bit extreme, not an incentive to investment.

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  5. Recently there was a "Green Man" (that theatre group from Emmaus who are now calling Allentown their home) festival held inside the vacant brewery. I read that they might use the building for future events. If it is unsafe then how did they get permission to use it?

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  6. they were at bucky boyle park...not in the building at all

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  7. Anon:I remember reading in the paper when the event was advertised, that the building was being used, for artwork, a mural I believe, and would be used in the future. I'll find the article, I know I read that. Did you go to the event? It was $35 a ticket.

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