Turning Allentown's Blight Into Success

The recent article about Allentown in the New York Times used the B word. Aided by tax dollars that would otherwise go to state or local general funds, developers should be able to offer attractive rents to companies that bring in new workers — who in turn might move into or buy new apartments and support new shops and restaurants in what had been a blighted urban landscape. The writer of the Times piece is from New York City. We know that, because even J.B.Reilly, who hopes to rent apartments to the new office workers, isn't building condo's to sell in center city Allentown, or as he says, city center Allentown. While that writer is from NYC, this writer is from Allentown, and will now tell you how to change blight into success; You simply move it around the corner and up three blocks. The merchants and shoppers previously referred to as blight on Hamilton Street, are now being touted as the success of 7th Street. On Hamilton Street they had to compete with both the memory and expectation of better days. On 7th Street, thing have been so dire for so long, the same shops and people now look like success. We could debate the sociology of my observation. We could become offended or defensive, but taking the show around the corner did change the perception. Talking of turning the corner, readers may soon notice a change in this blog. Although molovinsky on allentown will continue to write the unspoken, there are  few too vestiges of the old commerce and valves to reference. While nobody will identify me as an advocate of the Arena and Neighborhood Improvement Zone, reporting will shift more to the future.

photocredit:The Urban Shopper/michael molovinsky

The Backside of Allentown's Development

Yesterday was a big day for J.B. Reilly and his City Center Development. The New York Times featured a story on Allentown's unique development bonanza, and Reilly was rubber stamped by the Arena Authority to build two more buildings. There were a couple of items in the Times puff article which demand a reality check. Aided by tax dollars that would otherwise go to state or local general funds, developers should be able to offer attractive rents to companies that bring in new workers — who in turn might move into or buy new apartments and support new shops and restaurants in what had been a blighted urban landscape. Although I know that the lunch business will increase tenfold, I can yet to believe that the new workers will choose to live downtown. Another concern of mine is the quote by the hospital administrator. Dr. Ronald Swinfard, chief executive of the nonprofit, said it would benefit by paying less rent per square foot than it does in its current suburban location — where it will retain some operations — but that it was mainly attracted to the new building because it will add to facilities for the community medicine that the group already offers elsewhere in Allentown. My worry is that their presence in the new building on Hamilton Street will lessen their commitment to the facility at 17th and Chew Streets. Any reduction in that commitment would be very detrimental to greater Allentown.

Who's In Charge of Allentown's Snow Failure

When these winter storms of our discontent started, I visited Mayor Pawlowski's Facebook page. He assured everybody that he was on top of it, and that the streets were in good shape. There are small streets on the east side that have yet to see a plow. There are heavily used streets, such as Liberty, which has yet to be cleared curb to curb, end to end. Reports from the field yesterday indicated that the city was clearing 14th Street. In a lifetime of traveling Allentown, I don't think that I have ever used 14th Street; Who's in charge? Another cost of the water lease was losing the manpower, equipment and experience which helped clear the snow in the winter time. While the Administration and media are fixated on the arena's progress, essential public service is ignored.

Allentown's Snow Removing Failure

Yesterday, I decided to revisit the street shown in the previous post. Although the street once again had snow dugouts, the 600 block of 16th Street now always has too many double parkers to allow safe stopping. The picture shown above, taken yesterday, is the 300 block, between Chew and Gordon Streets. While I was waiting for the drugstore to develop the film, the street sweeper truck sped down the middle of 16th street. Although sweeping tickets are issued by the Allentown Parking Authority, the sweeping trucks are operated by Allentown's Department of Streets. I did not observe any sweeping tickets being issued. Rather than going through the motion of sweeping, I would have rather seen Allentown continue the curb to curb snow removal job, which seems to have been suspended. The parking on many streets and blocks still remain clogged with the snow from the storm weeks ago. Although we have dodged yet another snow storm, the temperatures are forecast to remain very cold. One can only feel sorry for the poor snooks who work for National Penn Bank. They are being forced to move from quaint Boyertown, to the filth of center city Allentown.

The Allentown Parking Authority

The Allentown Parking Authority Officer shown here is by far the most productive person they have, he may well be the most productive city worker period. I estimate he easily writes over a $half million dollars a year by himself. He spends the day hoping from one fertile hot zone to another. You can see him everyday, several times working Chew Street, between 16th and West. That block, because of the hospital, has time restricted parking. He's like a fisherman, a very good one, who knows the good spots. For those less familiar with this blog, please use the search engine on the upper right; type in parking authority. Along with taking them to task numerous times, I documented fictitious data they provided to City Council to justify doubling the meter rate and fine structure. I also 

"They're acting like a vampire sucking the blood out of downtown," Molovinsky said of the authority.

conducted a news conference, covered by Channel 69, on unnecessary parking meters as far out as 10th and Chew. Those meters were finally removed, only this year. Some comments on the previous post suggest that there is justification for the Authority and their policies. As a student of this bureaucracy for years, I can tell you that it has actually had a negative affect on center city commerce. It's simply a back door tax, mostly on those who can least afford it. The cars shown are being ticketed for not moving for street sweeping, despite the snow.*

*photographs from 2007, Parking Authority supposedly no longer gives "sweep tickets" during snow storms.

UPDATE: This is a reprint from September of 2010. My thanks to the reader who sent me the archive date. I was told by the current Authority director that although the regulations haven't changed, they now use discretion concerning enforcement during snow hardships.

Behind The Curtain of Blogging

Recently, a fellow blogger frustrated by the lack of comments submitted to his blog, complained that two blogs seem to dominate the valley. I believe that he was referring to Bernie O'Hare's Lehigh Valley Ramblings, and yours truly. The complaining blogger posts anonymously, on a wide range of topics, assuming that the public should find something interesting about his opinions. The information being transmitted over the airwaves is limitless, and highly competitive. Bernie works the local political scene half the day, and every night; He is a fixture at Northampton County meetings. Although I'm much more reclusive than O'Hare, last week I sat down with a party chairman, a school superintendent, a county judge and a state representative. Please don't get the impression that these distinguished people invited me to lunch, on the contrary. In each case I ambushed them in a public place, and left before they could summon security. In addition to gonzo journalism, I use this blog to publicize causes in which I'm involved, such as the WPA, and preserving the traditional park system. Nobody cares about my opinion on the Oscar nominees, nor should they.