Allentown's Problem

On social media, someone wondered why Allentown wasn't a local destination,  like Bethlehem or Easton. Most of the answers centered on crime, or the perception of crime, and onerous parking.  I refrained from reminding the group that diverted state taxes were financing the privately owned urban office park that replaced the historic mercantile district.

Bethlehem and Easton present visitors with history, architecture and ambience.  Allentown lost all those attributes, as one developer leveled Hamilton Street for his office empire. In fairness to Allentown's situation, it must be noted that the pandemic has restricted the number of office workers who would otherwise be present.

The architecture of Bethlehem and Easton remains from their shopping district's past. Their restaurants and shops resulted from market demand.  Allentown is a staged production, hoping to attract customers. 

The easiest problem to remedy is the parking.  As noted on this blog as it was happening,  Allentown made a huge mistake allowing a couple of developers to build on the surface parking lots.  People want close by convenient parking, not a parking deck three blocks away. 

To be frank, Allentown Parking Authority, Planning, Zoning and other municipal oversights have catered to the developer, at the expense of everything else.  Their rationale was that their successes are linked. Although there is some linkage,  it's a big city with many shareholders. 

Despite a $Billion dollars of privately owned, publicly financed development, Allentown is a dead zone. The Morning Call hyped the developer's press releases as news, and ignored the empty streets and failing restaurants. 

I am hopeful that the new administration will address some of these issues, starting with the Parking Authority.

photo: Beginning demolition on Hamilton Street for the arena and its adjoining offices