The skylight shown above was over Charles Snelling's conference room. Although that name will mean nothing to newcomers to the area, which includes many of our current elected leaders, he is largely responsible for Allentown's current revitalization. Snelling was a great proponent of OPM*, using Other People's Money. Among his young disciples back then was J B. Reilly. Reilly is now rebuilding Hamilton Street, owns all the new buildings, and we're paying for them with our diverted state taxes. Charles would be most proud of his former student.
Although I no longer partake in any public gatherings, I do venture out early morning on photo reconnaissance. While I remain a staunch critic of the NIZ on principle, I must confess amazement at the proliferation of new structures on Hamilton Street. If and when the envisioned people ever arrive, it could be impressive, but never-the-less, completely inappropriately funded.
As a historian, my new photographs are too current to use. However, I do promptly develop the film, and hope the future allows me to someday use them.
This post and the phrase OPM is based on collaboration with Michael Adams, who was employed by Lehigh Valley Hospital and close to a member of the Snelling family during the referenced time.
skylight shown above was in the 700 block of Hamilton
The above post is by Michael Molovinsky in conjunction with Michael Adams.
I knew Charlie well through the Lehigh County Republican Committee. He was all about expansion and building, he was especially keen on making 22 wider. The Snelling Mansion is in good hands again on the southeast corner of West Park. You're right about once important people being forgotten. It happens very fast.
ReplyDeleteWhich one was the Snelling Mansion?
DeleteYou say southeast, on on Linden closest to the Park? Or one of the others before 15th?
closest to the park, the single mansion.
DeleteThe former Snelling mansion is a spectacular home. Little known fact; It has as bomb shelter in the back yard, built to state of the art specifications and installed during the height of the (last) Cold War era.
DeleteOne of the so called, Super 8, always able to get the zoning, rezoning or approval for anything they wanted. Insiders pure and simple. Always able to turn $8, 000 an acre agricultural land into million dollar industrial land. I assume they are all dead now, but the system goes on.
ReplyDeleteSome of the deepest topsoil, richest and most fertile farmland in the entire eastern United States.
DeleteCharlie, like me, believed in the Reagan/Bush/Kemp approach to 'urban renewal.' Offer major tax breaks for those willing to use their own funds to rebuild blighted areas. On the surface, that is what the NIZ looks like. However, what I can never fully understand is why virtually only one developer (though now the Jaindls are in) seems to have taken advantage of such a good deal. I'm not insinuating anything, but where were all the deep-pocketed folks from NY and NJ? Where are other local developers? The one local guy that was interested was constantly shimmied until the NIZ was worn out. Restoring the Americus was great. Could it be that those smarty pants types in NY and NY have a better feel for what happens after the tax breaks are over?
ReplyDeleteThe NIZ is not a "tax break", but way beyond a tax break. There are no private funds involved at all. The debt service is paid by diverted state taxes, but the new building is privately owned. It makes the "insider club" of the Snelling era small potatoes.
DeleteYes, Mr. Molovinsky. It is necessary for us to explain exactly how Allentown’s NIZ is an outrageous abuse of our tax dollars. Essentially, FREE buildings to private citizens.
DeleteObviously, the Morning Call is unwilling to report the truth about the whole thing, but I believe the details of this ongoing scheme would shock people across the nation.
anon@12:14: I believe in the future it will be a case study in abuse, especially with the cigarette tax thrown in, which previously went to children's health. For Pat Browne to be rewarded as state revenue director, reflects on Josh Shapiro, as the most uninformed governor in history.
DeleteYou can bet your bottom dollar that there was something significant for the Governor in the Browne appointment.
DeleteScott & Ray: Rt. 22 was never widened, instead the funds were used to build another exit for another warehouse park, owned by an insider. The LV Planning Commission now wants to use our federal grants for flowers and plants, to "beautify" the narrow Rt. 22 for those waiting in traffic jams.
ReplyDeleteYes, but he never gave up the cause.
DeleteWhen is J B Reilly going to get to work on climate control in the NIZ. Mornings are awful chilly down there!
ReplyDeleteLV. planning commission, a private group that instructs the elected on how to develop for the future, their future.
ReplyDeleteTurns out that Pat Browne is a genius.
ReplyDeleteMike there is no mention of were the start up capitol came from to tear the blight down. There is also no mention of the owner operator that was allowed to collect rent on blight that turn around and sue saying they had a big operation?
ReplyDeleteEven the seed/start up capital came from a special fund, backed by the NIZ board. No private money was necessary.
DeleteJB was given $20 million to start construction on his first buildings downtown.
DeleteOnly one developer took advantage of the NIZ because one developer co-wrote the NIZ legislation then bought 20+ properties in the NIZ eligibility zone at depressed prices before details were made public about what NIZ was, where it was eligible, or how the NIZ worked. When details were made public, real estate values escalated keeping other developers out and one developer made it his own.
ReplyDeleteThe former property owners were approached by straw buyers, and threatened with eminent domain if they resisted.
DeleteWorth noting - Pawlowski was never more than an uninformed, uninvolved, spectator to this so called renaissance in the NIZ.
ReplyDelete