Back in the day before the FBI raid on Allentown City Hall, those interested in corruption in Allentown were pretty much limited to myself and O'Hare. Missing in action was the Morning Call. Although they would occasionally use this blog as an unattributed source, they avoided my most controversial exposés. Among them was my revelations about the Neuweiler Brewery.
Although the FBI and Justice Department decided to prosecute Pawlowski and Company on nine deals, I suspect that the menu actually had many more choices. Among them may have been the current Neuweiler Brewery deal. When Ruckus Brewing was introduced as an applicant for the Neuweiler Brewery, I wrote about it here, way back in 2013. My research revealed that Ruckus had no experience at the time in either actual beer brewing or real estate. What they did have was a business consultant very connected to the administration in Allentown, Mike Fleck.
Although Pawlowski and Fleck were indicted and convicted, the Allentown Commercial Industrial Development Authority proceeded with handing over the brewery to Ruckus. Ruckus received numerous deadline extensions on their application, and represented the brewery as a done deal to raise cash. All these irregularities were previously reported on this blog, and ignored by the local press. They are currently permitted to rent out space as is, in a building in which the previous owner was arrested and jailed for not correcting code violations.
When shenanigans occur in Allentown, this blog is often the first source to chronicle the questionable activity.
For the full story on the Neuweiler Brewery, please follow the links provided below.
Post on Neuweiler Brewery from May 29, 2008
Post on Neuweiler Brewery July 11, 2012
Sequel to July 11, Post (July 16, 2012)
Post on Neuweiler Brewery May 2, 2013
Post on Neuweiler Brewery Jan. 31, 2013
The Neuweiler Brewery, A Pawlowski/Fleck Shenanigan, July 8, 2015
Morning Call Catches Up To Molovinsky On Neuweiler Sept. 30, 2015
above reprinted from August of 2019
ADDENDUM FEBRUARY 27, 2020: The Morning Call reports today that the project has applied for a loan from the NIZ board, and will use the distribution portion for their own offices. The iconic brewery section has been allowed to deteriorate beyond practical salvation. However, being that it is really our tax money being used for private gain, I expect that down the road, we will pay to restore it anyway. Scott Unger, director of the ACIDA states that “Self-occupancy is the highest level of commitment." What that really means is that the boys haven't found a real tenant, but let that slide, like everything else about this project.
Stupid is as stupid does, this is the real city motto.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't Unger sit on the zoning board the entity that is allowing these deficient buildings to possess a certificates of occupancy under some sort of conflict of interest?
ReplyDeleteThis is disgusting, MM.
ReplyDelete