Allentown's gaggle of
elected for life gathered in front of Reilly's Marketplace on the Arts Walk to endorse the state's new
Main Street Initiative to spend $25 mil to boost the state's main streets. Never mind that although over a $Billion dollars of development went into Reillyville, not one original business or eatery has survived. Despite each new business given free promotion from the Morning Call, not one of them still exists.
Among the lifers speaking were state reps. Schlossberg, Schweyer and Miller.*
Perhaps I will have to renew their Molovinsky On Allentown subscriptions to instill a smidgen of real into our elected officials, but I don't think that their voter base holds them too accountable in regard to reality.
* lifer in training
Check out the huge crowd!!! Heard, they were serving bologna.
ReplyDeleteThe Dumb Dutchman
Allentown's collection of willing, self serving, tools of special interests have made our city the hollow mess it is today. One wonders how such people can look at themselves in the mirror. I seriously doubt they are delusional enough to believe they are truly serving the public good. That leaves only naked self interest as their motivation. Thus are they. Scott Armstrong
ReplyDeleteThe real "Marketplace" in Allentown is on 7th street, between Liberty and Tilghman. I suspect more retail commerce goes on in those two city blocks than in all of the NIZ, the Potemkin Village that cost a Billion Dollars of tax money to build in Reilleytown.
ReplyDeleteThen of course there is MacArthur Road in Whitehall, Lehigh Valley Mall and the Prominade Shops in Hellertown. That's where people shop and buy things these days. All of which have free parking ....
Oh, yes, FREE PARKING... we were just informed the APA is 1.8 million in debt??? How can this possibly be??? Oh, that's right... because they discontinued overnight ticketing... or could it be they spend too dam much money??? OR is this an end run to raise fees that they've been clamoring about for some time now??? Something stinks here!!!
DeleteI'd prefer to see our elected for life state officials standing outside the 40-50 smoke, hookah and CBD shops that form a perimeter around the NIZ. They ought to be helping these small business owners provide the products their constituents want, need and desire.
ReplyDeleteanon@8:06: The current success of 7th St. is the same merchants and clientele that was considered undesirable on Hamilton St. You are correct that Hamilton is no longer a shopping street.
ReplyDeleteanon@10:13: Years ago I documented that the APA fabricated a survey in which they claimed the merchants "wanted" a parking meter increase to enhance turnover. The APA has never been much on truth, and the MC has never been much to scrutinize their claims. On the contrary, the paper has actively partnered with them for their own gain.
anon@10:15: I do not know how many corner markets sell pot and/or related. However, these markets proliferated because of the lack of food stores center city. Although there are two on 7th by Tilghman Street, otherwise there are none.
Don't forget the 7-11 at 7th & Linden. They sell food, along with other items not sold in stores in Reilly's Marketplace on the Arts Walk
DeleteMiller doesn’t know where he is and only straight party voters voted for him. Schlossberg’s band of west end Bubbee’s have aged out, so who is going to vote for him? Schweyer is the only one doing a decent job and probably has staying power.
ReplyDeleteForm the article:
ReplyDelete“Despite each new business given free promotion from the Morning Call, not one of them still exists.”
Why don’t they exist? Because they are given sweetheart deals by Reilly to open, with the promise of heavy traffic from the arena and downtown apartment buildings.
By the time those businesses realize that the dreams of high foot traffic aren’t going to materialize, they are further into their lease and the rental costs (often based on a percentage of sales instead of a fixed amount) have escalated.
At this point Reilly/City Center virtually owns those businesses, and will happily confiscate their equipment and leasehold improvements of the businesses, to sell off or offer as an enticement to the next business owner that walks into their web.
It’s ironic that the while building ownership by Reilly and City Center is heavily subsidized by the taxpayers (aka “us”), that subsidy isn’t passed on to those renting (other than being able to initially undercut landlords outside the NIZ).
Since you mentioned the Call, it would be nice if they delved into why these businesses are constantly failing and the business practices of City Center. If nothing else, maybe the mafia could learn some new tricks.
Michael,
ReplyDeleteAnybody with Two Eyes in their skull, will realize that Downtown Allentown “Hamilton Street” has Little to No foot traffic any time of day.
The PROMISES from the State, County and City Officials… the ARTIST renderings of sidewalks full of people walking, sitting at outdoor cafe’s gathering before and after events at the Arena.
It all appeared like a DREAM!
Seems more like a NIGHTMARE!
Michael, speaking of the Allentown Parking Authority! From the article in the Morning Call, the authority is upside down in MOOLA!!
ReplyDeleteSoooo, no mention in the article, how many years they were cash positive? You can’t keep building parking garages at breakneck speed, and deal with the maintenance of the garages. Plus, it would be very interesting to see what these head honchos are getting paid and their staff and enforcement officers.
The dirty little secret is that the amount of people expected to flood downtown has turned into a trickle. Even the amount of office workers has abruptly dropped since the pandemic.
Years ago I had a conversation with Linda Kauffman about the parking authority being a major contributor to the demise of Downtown Allentown.
Looks Like it’s Working Both Ways!
Just a Dumb Dutchman
I also saw the Parking Authority is running in the Red
ReplyDelete