Confessions Of A Less Political Blogger

I'll take credit for the check-in desk at City Hall, it was originally installed to keep me out. With news of Ed Pawlowski's upcoming release, I'm reminded of how much less I scrutinize city government.

I recently visited a city council committee meeting to congratulate Ce-Ce Gerlach, and commented on the long neglected WPA stairwell in Lehigh Parkway while I was there. I only know a few people in current city hall, and sadly we have lost one of them.

I do not know who the current city planner is, but I do know that he is superfluous. City planning is being done by J.B. Reilly's City Center R.E..  While Pawlowski enriched his campaign funds at our expense with city contracts, Reilly is enhancing his real estate portfolio at the expense of city planning. While a new art museum may make his holdings near 10th and Hamilton appear more classy in a news release, it won't change the needle in reality. But what concerns me is the downgrade to 5th Street, the Baum School and the Art Park. It also greatly reduces future prospects for the Post Office, the most architecturally signifiant building remaining in Allentown.

The above 1934 photograph of the art deco post office is the contractor's documentation of the project's progress. The back of the photo states; Taken Sept 1 - 34 showing lobby, floor, screens, desks, completed & fixtures hung