Between working to save Wehr's Dam, and trying to be the first independent in Harrisburg for 85 years, downtown Allentown has been spared my scrutiny for months. Although the paint hasn't completely dried on the arena district, the first cracks are beginning to appear. While the godfathers Reilly and Topper need a wheelbarrow for their profits, PPl has announced layoffs. Topper's Lehigh Gas, propped up by the unprecedented use of Pennsylvania's cigarette tax, created windfall profits for it's new parent company. The glut of new restaurants, subsidized by their landlord's NIZ, known formally as our state taxes, will become even slower as less workers lunch on Hamilton Street. Add the NIZ new employees, subtract the 300 PPL workers to be laid off, and we're probably in negative territory. Thank goodness that the taxpayers of Slatington and Danielsville are indirectly footing the bill. Thank goodness for local truth seekers that I'm back on duty.
Some one has to tell it, and there's no better person to do that than you!
ReplyDeleteI wondered if anyone was going to link the PPL layoffs with the gloss and glib glitz of the celebrated NIZ. I looked through the Morning Know-It-All, and strangely didnt see a single line.
*Things That Make You Go Hmmm*
dreaming@8:32, it's even more ironic, the arena is named after sponsor PPL. apparently it's more about public relations than commitment. if the new power spinoff, Talen Energy, locates elsewhere than center city, allentown will really suffer a blow
ReplyDeleteMichael, I believe we are in a race - will the money run out before the surge of new residents move into the area? Will the restaurants make it 'til then? ...or will they close just like Sangria and Johnny Mananas? I have been telling our local media the last two weeks - they don't want to print this - that the NIZ is upside down. They are building the luxury items before having the foundation to support it - housing in and around the zone and jobs near by for local residents to work at.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your valiant effort. Keep working and in two years run again.
-Steven Ramos
steven@10:50, on every occasion that i have recently passed the hamilton kitchen, it has been virtually empty. in the real economic world, such as the lehigh valley mall or the promenade, it would have never opened at 7th and hamilton. but the NIZ is not the real world. it is being subsidized by reilly, who in turn is being subsidized by the taxpayers.
ReplyDeletePPL is doing what every corp does when a business is spun off. 100% nothing to do with the NIZ.
ReplyDeleteAir Products doing exactly the same trimming of back office work. Air Products will eventually cut a lot more the 450 positions.
Sangria is now Billies, a much better venue.
Wait six months before saying the NIZ is not a success. It really is premature to say anything.
MM,
ReplyDeletethanx for all the unbiases effort you put in your trying to go up against the imovable object locally¿ but I am glad that us the readers will no longer suffer the locally edit out advertismental news wortley ommisions¿
redd
patent pending
"Wait six months before saying the NIZ is not a success. It is really premature to say anything."
ReplyDeleteAll Lehigh Valley Phantoms radio announcer Bob Rotruck does is declare the NIZ a massive success roughly 43 times per broadcast.
And then, of course, there has been the faithful and reliable The Morning Cheerleader, who have already published countless articles declaring the NIZ to be the greatest thing that has ever happened in World History.
"It is really premature to say anything."
One set of rules for me, one set of rules for others who promote the Free Money Train?