Not unlike Jurassic Park, Allentown's NIZ is raising dinosaurs. Tomorrow's Morning Call announces that Bruce Loch wants to build the tallest building in Allentown, 33 stories. Loch is a developer from yesteryear, when Joe Daddona was mayor. Daddona sold all the little corner triangles in Allentown to Bruce Loch, and his building partner John Troxell. All those houses in Hamilton Park, the ones with few windows, on the small odd lots, were built by Loch/Troxell. Back in the day I took Troxell to zoning, because he wanted to build twins on a small lot. Although I succeeded in restricting him to a single house, after the hearing, he told me if he had his way he would parachute a dozen prefab boxes on the parcel. Needless to say, there's no market for Loch's skyscraper, but isn't Allentown's NIZ fun?above reprinted from March of 2013
ADDENDUM JANUARY 12, 2024: Over a decade later and the plan is back on the table, this time with a new developer and four more stories. Now that the office market is saturated, the new plan calls for apartments above the bottom commerical floors. This plan allows them to harvest our state taxes through the NIZ, with little to no scrutiny. Although new state senator Jarrett Coleman has been trying to shine light on the NIZ books, Pat Browne and Company has managed to keep us in the dark.
To be honest, the most likely to succeed use for such a building in Allentown is as subsidized, low income housing.
ReplyDeleteGiven that this will be yet another Allentown structure built with our tax dollars, the profit to the builder could be greatly increased if we taxpayers also pay the monthly rents of the tenants.
Our wonderful (nearly bankrupt) government now pays incredibly high daily rent for thousands of low income persons to live in midtown Manhattan hotels, and many other converted hotels elsewhere. Overnight space that you and I could barely afford over just one weekend!
The design of our own ‘pencil tower’ will not be able to accommodate swimming pools, gymnasiums, outdoor terraces, and other amenities expected by those who typically pay full price of their own savings to justify moving in.
Dormitory living at its finest coming to a neighborhood near you !
All sounds reasonable to me. I was downtown on New Year's Day. So many apartments and so few people. Just don't understand it. Dormitory living is a good description of the Hamilton Street apartments.
DeleteBetween different developers there has been thousands of apartments added to Allentown's inventory over the last several years. When they talk about lack of "affordable housing" ,what they don't realize is that Allentown's reality has been that comparably the housing is affordable... consequently we have become a "poor" city. More units only adds to that reality.
ReplyDeleteI’m fascinated with the way development happens in Allentown. These developers can’t name three potential tenants who need office space in Allentown and yet they are still talking about building. And I don’t think the numbers for “upscale rentals “ are any better. Condos would be more logical.
ReplyDeleteanon@8:13: The NIZ allows our diverted state taxes to pay the debt service for the "approved" developer. That gift does not bless the separate owners condo format.
DeleteI agree regarding condos. The powers that be should have required. Owner occupied and owned condos. I’m told that people don’t wanna live in downtown Allentown condos. I do think there is a market for it along the riverfront where there will be no residential condo units for sale pitiful. We are the third largest demographic area in Pennsylvania and there are very few condos available available for purchase within the city limits. Shame on us.
DeleteLest we forget, city “planners”’are making the same mistake on another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on the East Side of Allentown.
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent point, the Northridge project seems to be on a fast track. This is a plan that appears to have been laid out/designed by an engineer, who's sole mission is to build a primarily suburban style medical office and apartment complex. The City stood on the sidelines and cheered for this plan. Any other municipality would have insisted on the developer hiring a professional design planner to ensure a great design. Unfortunately, that didn't happen and an opportunity was lost. You will see way better design principals at Overlook Park, a public housing complex on Hanover Avenue, than you will at Northridge. A professional design planner would have incorporated all the best design features already established in Allentown, resulting in an award winning community people in Allentown would have been proud of.
DeleteFair observation on all fronts. Perhaps the land development plans will be a little more impressive.
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