Separate But Equal Housing For Allentown

When Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski gave his State Of The City speech the other day, he spoke the usual platitudes; He wants the lives of all Allentonians to be better. That sort of stock speech is not worthy of my analysis, but I would like to discuss where he gave the speech. Needless to say the lives of all Allentonians won't be better, considering one objective of the NIZ is to push the underclass out of the new nirvana. What should be a goal is improving the lot of all businesses, beside those few new chosen ones, subsidized by the NIZ. For decades the speech was given at the current Holiday Inn at 9th and Hamilton. With J.B. Reilly's brand new subsidized Renaissance Hotel, the future for the Holiday Inn looks bleak. Pawlowski had an opportunity to tell the owners that they're not forgotten, by once again using their facility to give the speech; Instead, he pontificated at the shiny new Renaissance.

above reprinted from February 2, 2015

UPDATE JULY 10, 2019. Ce-Ce Gerlach has been campaigning for Inclusionary Zoning. Under that proposal, a certain percentage of Reilly's new Strata Loft apartments would have been made available to people of less income for less rent. Although J.B. bulked at making his Lofts' mixed income, he has announced a separate domicile for the less fortunate. The former Holiday Inn at 9th and Hamilton is being converted for those of lesser means. Actually, Reilly's gentrification for millennials never made it west of 8th Street anyway.