Allentown's Study of Convenience

Shown above was a gritty industry from Allentown's industrial past. Going back to the early 1900's, the Wire Mill was along the current Martin Luther King Drive, just east of the Lehigh Street hill. Before they tore down the entire neighborhood, in Allentown's first redevelopment in the 1970's, that plant was long gone. Before King Drive, the road along Fountain Park was called Lawrence Street. Those few blocks east of Lehigh was named Wire Street. As mentioned in yesterday's post, a new study has recommended that the Little Lehigh corridor become Allentown's new industrial section. The AEDC has purchased the former Allentown Metal Works on S. 10th Street, and received an initial grant to restore the former rail line, which ran along the creek. A current grant was used to pay for the Study of Convenience. Just a few years ago, I attended a City meeting hyping the former rail-bed as a Trail Network, connecting all of Allentown's parks and emphasizing the stream.

Allentown's Industrial Hoax

Allentown's looking to identify an industrial area, where an investment in infrastructure can produce jobs. The Allentown Economic Development Corporation hired a consultant, to tell them what they wanted to hear. Never mind that we have an industrial area, already complete with infrastructure. Shown above is the area along the Lehigh River, where industry began in Allentown. The working railroad line is still there, as are the industrial buildings, and even industrial tenants, including Air Products. Problem is, that area is now slated for Pawlowski Transformation Number Two, turning the industrial reality into a commercial and residential hope to be. Enter AEDC and their choo choo project. Many years ago, Traylor Engineering on S. 10th Street, was serviced by the Barber Quarry rail spur. That rail branch has been completely removed, from it's start back at 3th and Union Streets. Last year, the AEDC purchased Traylor's successor, the vacant Allentown Metal Works, and sought a grant to rebuild the branch line. The bureaucracy of the AEDC would actually spend $millions of dollars to rebuild a railroad line, on the speculation of attracting an industrial tenant. Low and behold, the new study they and the City have commissioned, recommends this very nonsense.

Back To The Future With Emma

Although the Progressives, who campaigned against the waste to energy plant and the water lease this year, didn't like Emma Tropiano back in the day, or now, here's a history lesson they may find interesting. Shown above is Emma camping out by the entrance to Kline's Island on October 13, 1989. Her statement to the press. "The deal with the Lehigh County Authority to open Kline's Island to outside sewage sources has promoted massive development in western Lehigh County, drawing potential commercial and industrial development away from Allentown and resulting in higher taxes for city property owners." She was running against The First Mayor For Life Joe Daddona's fourth term. His reply. "It's obvious once again that Emma, because of her lack of knowledge and understanding of a problem, is shooting from the hip and hitting herself in the foot." She was also outspoken about the direction the city was heading in: Is Allentown in an ugly decline, with drugs, crime, filth and mismanagement rotting away the core of the Queen City, as challenger Emma D. Tropiano insists? Or is it squarely facing its problems and coming up with sound, creative solutions, as Mayor Joseph S. Daddona says?" The Morning Call, Nov. 5, 1989.

LVIA, Destination Failure

Shown above is the director of Lehigh Valley Airport. What struck me about the photo was the empty terminal behind him. Despite the airport's failure, they never stop remodeling, expanding and charging more for parking. Recently, I bumped into Tony Iannelli, Chairman of Airport's Board of Directors. I asked him if the intent was to sabotage the airport? I wondered why they would hire Charles Everett for director, when he failed to produce results, working in the same capacity, for the previous private management company? Iannelli indicated that the problems were industry wide, shared by all airports, of this size and type market. I was not surprised that the recent air show was a financial failure. It didn't seem like a forward looking idea for a commercial airport. Over the years, this blog had a number of posts about the failed ideas pursued by this airport.* Yesterday, Bernie O'Hare presented Steve Thode's chart documenting the steady decline of LVIA. The comments there support one of my contentions; People would support a convenient local airport, if only it would offer something; LVIA offers expensive parking, with inconvenient flights to nowhere.

*Flight To NoWhere, February 12, 2009
*Dressed Up With NoWhere To Go, November 29, 2012
*Sabotaging The Airport, March 27,2013

photocredit:The Morning Call

Pending Approval

Today we learn that the Waterfront Project gained approval from the Allentown Planning Commission, who would have thought? The other day we learned that Joel F. Fitzgerald will be Allentown's first minority police chief, pending approval by City Council. Even Julio Guridy, Council President, couldn't imagine what the reporter was referring to. He told her that he never heard of a police chief candidate not being approved. Actually, I never heard of anything not being approved in the last 8 years.

Woodman's Controversial Letter

Thanks to Bernie O'Hare, everybody in the local blogosphere knows who Wayne Woodman is; according to Bernie, he's Scott Ott's puppet-master. I personally never subscribed to that theory, but then again, I think more of Woodman and Ott than Bernie does. Yesterday, Woodman, as Republican Party Chairman, sent out an email summing up the election. He praised Scott Ott for running a positive campaign, and yet remaining competitive. He complimented the victors in Lower Macungie, but wondered if they were Republicans of convenience. One victor, blogger Ron Beitler, already took exception to that insinuation. But, what brings me to this post, is a thank you to Scott Armstrong, for his efforts in the Allentown school board election. Scott had been critical of Woodman's lack of attention in regard to Allentown. Bob Smith Jr., has stated that he believes that the Republican abandonment of Allentown cost Ott the election. I wondered if Woodman's overture to Armstrong indicated a change in strategy for future elections. In reality, school board members cross file. The only candidate registered only as a Republican lost, coming in last. We will see in the next election if Woodman continues to court Armstrong, and if the party gives Allentown more attention.