What was once a thriving block of Hamilton Street will now be turned into a ghost down. Even now, although not the golden age shown above, the block between 7th and 8th does business. Still hosting three chain stores, the block had survived, despite one arrogant mayor after another. The Family Dollar Store is one of their most successful branches. Rainbow (jeans) and Rite Aid also anchor the block, along with successful independents. In a night of shame, one of the most shameful acts was Julio Guridy, interrupting the merchants so that Mayor Pawlowski could educate them. Pawlowski said that the arena could attract up to 1.5 million people a year, and that everyone will benefit, even relocated merchants. Considering that the hockey team only actually attracts 3,000 people to 40 home games, Pawlowski is off by about 1.4 million. In reality, the stores that remain on the south side of the street will now face an empty arena and much less foot traffic. The upscale restaurants, such as Sangria and Cosmopolitan, will suffer, because their patrons will avoid the nighttime traffic congestion. Lou Belletieri told Council that he operated a restaurant across from the Wilkes-Barre Arena, and did no business, what so ever, from it. Councilman Michael Donovan said that although he feels for the merchants, he owes the other 118,000 citizens The Pawlowski Palace of Sport.* He actually owed them the courage to say no to this ill conceived plan.* *Palace of Sport is a borrowed term coined by a blog reader. Donovan was joined by five other councilmen in his yes vote.
above reprinted from May 11, 2011
ADDENDUM DECEMBER 8, 2022: As it turned out, the arena was a pretense for the Browne/Reilly NIZ. Although there is now a $Billion dollars of new construction (owned by one man), Hamilton Street is deader than ever. The arena sits empty almost all year, and the hockey games draw only a fraction of the 2011 estimate. Although, as an advocate for the former merchants, the 2011 post above is very tough on Guridy and Donovan... Allentown benefited from both of them, and their service as councilmen.
Opposition to the NIZ scheme, and a continuing chronicle of it, were/are limited almost exclusively to this blog.
A city can only prosper if it has residents with disposable income that want and desire to live in the city. That time has long passed for Allentown and it is very unlikely that awnings, brick streets or an arena will ever make the city such a place.
ReplyDeleteFace it, the arena would do much better if placed in the suburbs as some will no longer venture into the city for any reason.
If there would be a plan to really make the city great again it would take decades to restore and the continuity of leadership that is impossible.
I worked for the Hershey END R and the Hershey Bears and the Giant Center ,is right beside the park not anyplace near the center of the town.
ReplyDeleteGentlemen, I can tell you precisely where the 'other' 1.4 million people are... they're racing up and down 6th and 7th streets at breakneck speeds at ALL hours of the day and night. We need checkered flag men at all the intersections so we know who the actual winners are since the gazzillion dollar cameras sure aren't cutting the mustard!!! (And the mega-dollar centrally controlled traffic lights sure aren't slowing any body down...)
ReplyDeleteI, too, remember the hey-days of downtown Allentown, and sorry to say, it's not coming back... at least not the way it's being run presently.
Mr. Mike, you made an interesting comment... the "Browne/Reilly NIZ"... are you inferring Pat Browne gets some sort of kickback...???
anon@5:51, I'm not inferring any such thing. Browne authored the NIZ, and Reilly has been, by very far, the main beneficiary. As previously noted, downtown is no longer a mercantile district, but now an urban office park. I do not foresee an urban center, where office workers live, despite all the new Strata apartments.
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