Call it Allentown's NIZ, or J.B. Reilly's City Center Real Estate, by either name it's subsidized by the tax payers of Pennsylvania. That $70 plus Million Dollars a year would be going into education or infrastructure, instead of into the arena and Reilly's debt service.
On Saturday, I visited our business district both in the afternoon and evening. For the afternoon excursion, I can report that there was absolutely more foot traffic and activity before the revitalization. Although, there is some more activity during the weekend evenings, the return on the taxpayer investment is meager by any standard. I guess my best image on Saturday night was Don Saylor standing in front of Roar, explaining to some street person that the restaurant has valet parking. That's a sight you would have never seen when he operated the Shanty on 19th Street.
If we already spent a $Billion for the little we got, what would it cost to duplicate all those people walking around in the artist renderings approved by the ANIZDA, and promoted by the Morning Call?
Shown above waa a time when people came to Hamilton Street on their own, without our taxes subsidizing private business interests.
Other than being good exercise on a nice day, a walk from 10th to 6th on the north side of Hamilton, then crossing the street and walking back up to 10th on the south side serves little purpose.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing there of any interest, than perhaps a pizza shop or Vince's to stop at.
Certainly nothing like what is illustrated in the above photo
I took a rare drive down Hamilton St today and noticed how little foot traffic there was at 12:15p.m. in the heart of lunch hour.
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