Transformational is Ed Pawlowski's word for the change taking place in Allentown. What's happening at the moment is demolition. There is an odor and dust in the air. One merchant told me he's fearful for his health walking around; Is the white soot asbestos? Thirty five, one hundred year old buildings, do that. I recall when the demolished rows of buildings were jewelers, shoe stores, opticians and tailors. None of the stores, even the ones on Hamilton Street, harked back to that era. The demolished stores apparently catered to a disposable clientele, whose votes matter more than their opinion. Those merchants, in vain, actually had gathered thousands of signatures pleading for their survival. The bulldozers, in one week, have established that Hamilton Street will never again aspire to be a shopping district. The only question now is will Allentown succeed as an entertainment and office venue? Will the taxpayers be able and willing to support a vision in which they had no input? The official answer will take years to determine. The true answer, even longer.reprinted from January of 2012
ADDENDUM JANUARY 20, 2023: Back a decade ago, any scrutiny of what was going on was limited to this naysayer blogger. Pawlowski and the Morning Call thought that he was a star, the only question was his future, Governor or Senator? Behind the scene, he was trading city contracts for campaign contributions.
The arena seems to have been a ploy for the NIZ, which has turned one millionaire into a billionaire, using our diverted state taxes to publicly finance a privately owned real estate empire.
Although years have now passed, center city is a zone now deader than ever.
I'm still basically the lone critic... my name banned from city hall and the Morning Call and assorted apologists.
I still produce this blog for those who stir reality into their morning coffee.
I have to admit, as someone who is in the NIZ section of center city a couple evenings a month, that the scene is almost eerie/surreal. There's hundreds of new apartments that have lights on but there's virtually nobody outside. The ATC has some human activity, but the arts walk is empty, the food court closed and even the bars and breweries are not crowded unless there's a concert or a Phantoms game. Maybe the warmer weather will bring these people out? I really want to believe downtown is recovering/improving (if not transforming) and that the tenants in all these new units could bring street level vitality back to the city and attract new businesses, but I'm certainly pessimistic.
ReplyDeleteThere is a definite feeling of crime and danger that has plagued Allentown for several years. Downtown Allentown might well be the safest part of the city, but few believe that.
ReplyDeleteNothing short of brighter lighting, a police officer on every street intersection, highly visible cameras, and zero tolerance for traffic/parking violations will help to relieve those fears.
Also, in my opinion, people really prefer not to park in decks and use dirty/smelly elevators and staircases, especially alone for even a short time.
Sorry to say, Allentown is done... stick a fork in it already!!! "They" keep telling us the new apartments are full, but yet the "for rent", "for lease" and the "move downtown" signs proliferate... makes no sense to this scribe.
ReplyDeleteIf you had followed the paper over the years, you may recall several articles detailing the plans for downtown/center city Allentown... and the plan was to continue all the way from Hamilton to Tilghman St (??) and from the river to 10th or 12th... all scheduled for the wrecking ball, according to the Call!!! Now, it seems to me, what they have done, so far, has been far less than dazzling!!! Does this mean it will continue or will it pause for now. It's quite obvious by the lack of police presence and enforcement in the center city area outside of the NIZ, they may still be aiming at their chosen target(s) since they sure are scaring residents away from their homes. Noteworthy: as soon as a property sells and the residents flee, the property becomes a rental... renters are much easier to control when the wrecking ball arrives at the front door...
Mike we all love the way Allentown controls the red lights going out and comming in 7th streets gateway. This give the illusion that the NIZ is a thriving metropolis, just smoke and mirrors to the suffering in 5he traffic.
ReplyDeleteLook into what organization is going to pay for lehighvally dairy's sidewalks soon to be installed?
Yes, the non control of traffic on 6th and 7th "gateways"... what a joke!!! Once upon a time, BEFORE we spent millions of our tax money, if you made the first light, you could breeze in or out non stop at 30-35 mph seamlessly. Now you must stop every 10 feet... isn't this contributing to the "climate change" farce??? (sarcasm...)
DeleteBut wait... there's more!!! Where are the police for the street racers??? But, don't use a turn signal and you're busted!!!
I remember when the lights were timed nicely so that I could breeze thru with no problem. Then our dear mayor at the time (now vacationing behind bars) declared that Allentown had much more crime than Bethlehem because the criminals could escape quickly due to Allentown's smooth traffic flow. Poof! Goodbye timed lights, hello traffic jams. ...and yet crime continued to rise.
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