2019 In Allentown

Ed Pawlowski is in the second year of his fourth term, an unprecedented record in Pennsylvania. Although people refer to him as the little Daley, a reference to his Chicago roots, he has never gained support outside of the Democratic stronghold of Allentown, which he rules without debate. The bloom is off the rose at the arena; 2018  showed only twenty three events beside the home hockey games, and most of them were poorly attended. The remaining merchants, in the adjoining blocks, resentfully refer to it as The Dead Zone. Although the new arena complex manager, and the new police chief, promise to work together to better safeguard the patrons upon departing, suburbanites continue to fear the place, and rightfully so. The Reilly Apartment Tower, once conceived as a hotel before being built in 2013, is receiving the national HUD award for providing in house daycare for single mothers. Cynthia Mota, president of City Council, promises to work with Aqua America about the water rates, currently highest in United States. City Center Two, vacant since being constructed in 2014, will become the new City Hall in 2020. In separate studies, prepared by both the Administration and City Council, taxpayers are expected to realize significant savings by the move. The current City Hall will become administrative offices for the Lehigh County Prison, one of the fastest growing correction institutions in the country.

above reprinted from January 2013
 

ADDENDUM JANUARY 30, 2024: The above  post was written in 2013, looking ahead to the future in 2019. Ed Pawlowski did not finish his 4th term, at least not in Allentown.  The arena never even did have 23 events besides hockey games in one year. Hamilton Street is still a dead zone, a $Billion Dollars and eleven years later. We had so many police chiefs since 2013, I can't remember all their names. Cynthia Mota is now the president of City Council. The prison, if not the hotel, retains good occupancy.