When
molovinsky on allentown began almost five years ago, I used to say that
It's good to be Butz, I must now add,
but it's better to be J.B. Reilly. In
today's Morning Call we learn that "under Allentown's arena block master development agreement, if City Center determines a hotel is not feasible, it could build apartments or offices instead." That is news to me, and as a blogging naysayer I'm more informed than most. All state taxes in the 130 acre NIZ will be going to pay for the arena complex. Reilly will own from the second floor up on two portions of the complex, one on Hamilton Street, the other on 7th Street. Lehigh Valley Hospital will the the tenant on the Hamilton portion, while the 7th Street side may well now be apartments instead of a hotel. Reilly is also building apartments on the other side of 7th Street, at the Linden Street corner. Although I have no background in office development, I do know the apartment market. No upscale apartment development in center-city has ever met it's target demographic without substantial subsidy, and then only with limited units. There are not enough Yuppies in Allentown to occupy the current supply of loft apartments, much less without Reilly's new apartments. Perhaps he can use his influence with Lehigh Valley Hospital for a clandestine Yuppie cloning laboratory.
reprinted from January 2013
ADDENDUM FEBRUARY 7, 2024:Although the hospital never did clone millennials for Reilly, it's my understanding that they do steer their interns his way. Blocks of other units are supposedly tied to office leases. Whatever his true occupancy figure, what is obvious is the continued lack of vitality in town on evenings and weekends.
I don't know for sure, but when I drive downtown and behold all the darkened windows at night, and all the windows sans window treatments... you know, shades, blinds and curtains... that screams EMPTY to me, but "they" claim we need more, many more apartments...!!??!! Also, from this scribe's observations, the business properties aren't too well occupied either... but we need more... Meanwhile, the area is chockablock full of some of the most undesirable people I've ever seen at 4-5-6 in the morning.
ReplyDeleteI presume it's easy when other people's money funds the mess.
I have friends that were ecstatic figuring their property values would go stratospheric because of the development and, particularly due to the arena... they weren't so ecstatic when they sold.... just didn't quite work out the way they thought.
Perhaps free parking from 7pm - 7am. Instead of just restaurants and bars downtown, perhaps some clubs, like the old Cameo, and goodness, a movie theater perhaps ? Give people a reason to go downtown, and oh my goodness, perhaps hire rent-a-cops to patrol the area until midnight ?
ReplyDeleteMy mother always said nothing good ever happens after midnight.
Just make sure you don't miss the Love Allentown event on 2/14...Its an "adventure uncovering flavors, treasures and sweet surprises". You might even get a free donut from a food truck if you manage to get to 7th & Hamilton ahead of the yuppie residents of the NIZ. You will want to search high and low for "hidden love letters" that will include gift cards" to the shops, bars and restaurants (and CBD/smoke shop bodegas??) downtown. Mike; I suggest for the purposes of the blog you might want to go down and confirm the presence of yuppies "Loving Allentown" at this special event. Just be very careful searching for "hidden love notes" outside the periphery of the NIZ, could lead to unexpected and not so sweet surprises.
ReplyDeleteThis is a good one.😆 I hope our esteemed blogger does avail himself of all the NIZ has to offer on the day of love and romance. ❤️
DeleteMichael.......Thanks for the many "Walks" down Memory Lane....On this Blog and within, with the Allentown Chronicles.....PJF
ReplyDeleteHey Michael,
ReplyDeletethere used to be loads of LOVE EVENTS in Downtown Allentown!
BACK IN THE DAY!!!!!!
These usually happened on Turner Street between 9th & 10th or down on Linden street between 4th & 7th.
Business and crime Downtown is sooooo bad… even the hookers have moved on.