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ALLENTOWN, PA – The Allentown Planning Commission gave conditional preliminary/final approval for the proposed entertainment venue at City Hall Tuesday afternoon.
This project is offered by City Center Investment Corp., 935-937 and 939 Hamilton St.
It will be located on an intermediate block between the four-story structure to the east and the six-story structure to the west. City Center said the project will cater for events that are “too small for the PPL arena”.
It will accommodate standing auditoriums of 1,500 to 1,800 people.
City Center senior project manager Robert DiLorenzo said the project has been working “for the last five years or so.” “It’s fitting to have this venue at this location on this site.”
The building is five bays wide, with an open terrace on the second floor behind a large arched opening.
The building will also house a comedy club, a rooftop terrace, a performance stage, lounges and a very important people lounge. DiLorenzo said the goal is to keep the rooftop and tavern open even when there are no shows, but that has yet to be determined.
“Our goal is to activate as many streets as possible,” DiLorenzo said.
Downtown representatives said the group would comply with city noise ordinances.
A Feb. 6 project review by the Historic Buildings Review Board noted that, with two design exceptions, the proposal “largely meets guidelines for new construction.” This includes “dimensions, proportions, mass, materials and design”.
Improvement proposals centered on increasing the volume and height of the front cornice and installing a storefront security system.
City Center will return pending the Commission’s request for a waiver. If approved, the venue is expected to open in 2024.
In other news, the board finally approved the land development for the proposed 63,305-square-foot, four-story, 49-unit apartment building.
Located at 1528-1552 Hamilton Street, the project required a four-story, 49-unit apartment building and parking reconfiguration. The development will create affordable housing for seniors and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This project is a collaboration between HDC MidAtlantic and the Community Building Coalition. The building will be located adjacent to the Community Music School in the 1500 block of Hamilton Street.
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency provided nearly $1.2 million in low-income housing tax credits for the program. Applicant 1528 West also received over $800,000 in the National Housing Trust Fund and $250,000 in the HOME Fund from the City of Allentown.
Between 20 and 25 percent of the 49 units will be occupied by residents with intellectual disabilities, and the remaining 75 to 80 percent will be occupied by people 55 or older. When complete, the project will be the first creative living option in the Lehigh Valley to include both disabled and non-disabled residents.
The project received parking relief from the Zoning Hearing Board last month. Erich Schock, an attorney representing the applicants, said the proposal had been redesigned to facilitate as much on-site parking as possible.
However, the project has received negative comments from representatives of the 1544 Hamilton St Community Music School. These comments are based on traffic patterns resulting from the proposal. The council recommended a “safe” solution through better use of pedestrian crossings and speed bumps, and recommended in its approval that both parties continue to work towards an amicable solution.
In other news, the commission reviewed preliminary/final land development for the four-story U-Haul of Pennsylvania Self Storage facility at 1601 Union Blvd. The facility will be staffed by one or two employees and will offer 5×5 and 5×10 rental lots to customers. Some of the outstanding issues involved steep slopes and reduced parking spaces.
Among other reviews, planners approved preliminary/final land development plans for a 15,360-square-foot facility at 702 E. Cedar St. The three buildings – tiered and individually designed – will be used for vehicle “dry storage”. Two of the buildings face Cedar Street and the other faces Gilmore Street. Planners granted the applicant’s request for a partial walkway extension.
Finally, planners made a proposal for an initial/final 28,000 sq. ft. multi-storage facility at 2118 Hanover Avenue by Stack-Allentown & Hanover LLC.
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