The headline in the paper said that infamous developer, Abe Atiyeh, might monkey wench Pawlowski's Palace of Sport with a lawsuit. It says that he has been a tenant in the building since 2004. That's not exactly true, he's been a tenant on the building* since then. Nobody has used the inside of the building for many years. Regardless of Atiyeh's weak case as a displaced tenant, his other points are right on target. The threat and passage of eminent domain was, as he claims, a misuse of that law. Also, as he claims, the building is not blighted. Matter of fact, this blog reported on a luncheon given by Pawlowski and Realtors several years ago to promote the building.
While Pawlowski and crew were serving lunch in a winterized building with no running water, a coffee shop across the street, in the Monument building, was being cited for multiple code violations. I suppose the status of a building in Allentown depends on the Mayor's agenda.*Atiyeh has a small sign advertising his nursing home in Whitehall painted on the side of the building. Atiyeh has a long term lease for that sign which has been conveyed to several owners. Because the sign will be covered up by the adjoining Arena, he seeks compensation.
Mike, I have left a comment on the MCALL comments section praising you. I wanted to do it here too. As you and I dont see eye to eye on many things, I will tip my hat for the research on this.
ReplyDeleteI thought he had a floor or room leased, but when it comes to light that it is only a sign/billboard my disgust for this mans tactics have increased. Thanks again for the picture and research.
MM: any decent lawyer can poke holes in almost any project of this magnitude. The city has taken numerous actions each of which can and should be challenged as to process and procedure. I am confident they did not dot every eye and cross every t. There should be a legal defense fund set up to challenge the arena for the toothless foreign jocks.
ReplyDeleteThank god someone has the means to legally challenge this arena. I don't know Atiyeh, so I cannot possibly judge the man, but I am very pleased he is bringing suit against the city. Even if it is over a sign. And let's face it - advertising space has value, so he should be compensated.
ReplyDelete"I suppose the status of a building in Allentown depends on the Mayor's agenda." - Truer words were never said! It's all about the mayor's agenda these days. Whatever happened to the invisible hand of the market and capitalism? Pawlowski seems to have adopted an almost mafioso persona throughout the years, deservedly so. This crazy arena shenanigan is just a another symptom of an out-of-control, unchecked mayor.
Anyways, unless I learn something new about Atiyeh's motives or methods here, I hope he wins in court. But...haven't the existing tenants already moved and incurred the expense in moving? Aren't their lives already extremely distrupted? (Well, temporarily - I trust they can eventually rebuild their businesses elsewhere.) What happens to the old tenants if Abe succeeds, hpyothetically?
sign me up to contribute to the legal defense fund.
ReplyDeletemonkey momma, you're correct, the merchants have moved on with their plans. some have made significant investments elsewhere. furthermore, we would own about 31 properties, which now would be off the tax roll. i don't see atiyeh taking this to the mat, but far enough so he gets well compensated for the sign. because of the gray area concerning eminent domain, the city has gone the extra mile (expense) to avoid a court case; i suspect they will again.
ReplyDeleteMy prediction that is that this will be thrown out of court. Why? Because he was a tenant and not the owner of the building. I am sure some where in the contract with the owner of the building a clause is stated in regards to sale of the building. So since the owner of the building is not suing the case with be thrown out. Atiyeh is grasping for straws on this and is gone to lose.
ReplyDeleteif the city pays of Atiyeh then there is a hole in the process. If there is an error in the legal procedure then the who f___g thing can crash. Raise the money to hire a lawyer. Fight this monster!
ReplyDeletefuture, in real estate, the new owner assumes all existing leases. actually atiyeh purchased the building about ten years ago from a fellow from new jersey for 112k. that fellow's brother had an antique store in the first floor; that's the last time the building had an inside tenant. atiyeh sold it (350k +/-) to a woman from philadelphia with the long term lease for his sign. she sold it (550k +/-) to a nyc investor who was legally bound to honor the lease. he just sold it (850k +/-) to the city agency who likewise must assume the lease.
ReplyDeleteGo get em Abe!
ReplyDeleteThis unholy project needs to crash and burn - before weare ALL broke.
go Abe!
ReplyDeleteMore than any single individual, it seems Abe enjoys destroying more than building. The drug center feet from a high school; the townhouses feet from a cemetery; the list is endless.
ReplyDelete"I don't know Atiyeh, so I cannot possibly judge the man, but I am very pleased he is bringing suit against the city." No one's more pleased than his lawyers.
ReplyDeleteAlso will contribute to legal defense fund. Please keep us informed.
ReplyDelete"Toothless foreign jocks"
ReplyDeleteWow!
I thought things were Progressing Liberally here in America for such a naked Jingoist to be so bold, not to mention allowed, to attack a very core concept dear to the Collective.
Meanwhile, it's too bad for Abe Atiyeh that Pawlowski's Palace of Sport will not be hosting a European team, who all disdain team logos on the front of the hockey sweater in lieu of generating lots of advertising revenue.
Then, much like the late Libyan Colonel Mohammar Qaddafi did with his famous Boy Scout manual for Terrorists, "THE GREEN BOOK", and West German Bundesliga club ECD Iserlohn in the late 80s ...
... Atiyeh could have his Alzheimer's Care logo splashed across the front of the Phantoms' game jerseys!
VIKTOR TIKHONOV
Nice view of the building though. Since the Newest Office Building in Allentown fell into that sink hole on that same location a few years ago you really can see the other building clearly now.
ReplyDeleteI remember filling the hole was like trying to fill the mind of a politician, it had no bottom. It as a deep empty dark hole.