Life Not At Strata

Just when I thought that The Morning Call was through with the Strata Flats infomercials, they doubled down with Life At Strata. Impressive arena, trendy restaurants, and flourishing downtown are the adjectives just from the first two sentences. They profile three tenants; Young professionals who moved from Austin to teach at Muhlenberg, a full time arena director, and an older empty nester couple. The article is a hoot. The happy campers mention the name of their favorite restaurants, some of which have been open now for three whole weeks. Traditions, gotta love traditions. It's good that they love these restaurants, because it's a long way to Wegman's to go grocery shopping. If the reporters writing these articles are offended by my criticism, perhaps they should consider the other 60,000 tenants living downtown, it's called, Life Not At Strata.

Allentown's NIZ vs. The Real Local Economy

Economically, this area has become the Tale Of Two Cities. Every day we read of a new NIZ development in Allentown, but also of some company in the valley either closing or cutting back. On the front page we read about City Center Development Company building more apartments, but inside we learn that Kraft, Mack, Air Products and Brown Printing are having setbacks. Because this seems confusing to many, I have decided to provide some clarity.

On the front page we're  reading a J.B. Reilly wealth management report, it has nothing to do with us. There are no new office jobs, just jobs transferred from somewhere else. At first, the transferred jobs came from other towns in the area, like PennNational from Boyertown. More recently, jobs are just moving from other places in Allentown, like Buckno Lisicky from the Masonic Temple Building, and Morgan Stanley from the Frederick Building. The restaurants hoping to serve the transferred office workers are new, but there are too many, and they are withering on the vine, quicker than they open.

When you balance Reilly's private portfolio vs. the real economy, we seem to be heading toward a downturn. There is no comparison between a Kraft production job, and selling popcorn part time at the arena. But my friends,  don't allow me to depress you with reality, tonight is First Friday in Reillyville. Boogie on down to center city, and toast Reilly's City Center, you're paying for it.

Reilly's proposed Five City Center, on Hamilton to Walnut, between 7th and 8th Streets.

A Russian Political Cartoon

Empty Nesters Flocking To 7th and Linden

According to Matt Assad of The Morning Call,  millennials and empty nesters are flocking to Strata Flats to rent the apartments.  I suppose that they like the ambience of the 7-11, which is catty corner from the apartments.  Demand is so great that Reilly will build additional apartments across from Symphony Hall, which is next to the Hook Restaurant, formerly the Cosmopolitan, once the project gets through city planning.  Sure hope the city planners go along with Reilly, I know that they're tough on him.  Wonder if they will allow him to use wood frame like he did on the first building?  You will also be surprised to know that Alvin Butz's new NIZ Phase 3 passed city approval.

This is the second infomercial that Assad has written for Reilly, promoting his apartments.  It's apparent to me that Reilly has found a way to harvest NIZ money from residential tenants. If he isn't somehow tapping their  state income tax,  I would then be suspicious of  the prorations between the residential and commercial portions of the buildings;  Understand that nobody checks the NIZ figures, nobody produces or checks financials, and nobody cares.  All is fair in love and the NIZ.

shown above Plywood Plaza, aka Strata Flats

Lehigh Valley Voters; Spun, Diced & Chopped

TUESDAY
As I start this post for Wednesday, it's early Tuesday morning, the polls just opened. I'm less interested in the results, as I am in the process. Those of us who thought that this would be an inexpensive election were mistaken. Yesterday provided another stream of mailers, including the bizarre specimen above. Talk about a fall from grace, Pawlowski went from endorsing in the primaries, to personifying corruption in less than six months, and he hasn't yet been accused of a crime. Although i'm no fan of Pawlowski,  this mailer is particularly offensive.  In addition to a mailbox of mailers, the phone rang with a slew of robo-calls. Vic Mazziotti's voice reminded me that the Results Team passed another tax cut. He didn't mention that the old folks at Cedarbrook are still dragging themselves down the hall to a communal bathroom, from 1940, thanks to his refusal to approve any renovation at the nursing home. Tuesday's newspaper headline story tells us that a former Olympic athlete is available for county commissioner, as if that is any sort of relevant qualification.

WEDNESDAY
It was announced in the recent entertainment news that a Walking Dead movie would be filmed in Allentown. I commented on facebook that it would be cast by Allentown voters.  Apparently, some of these zombies stopped to vote on the way to the audition.  Although the Democrats tried to cast Roger MacLean as part of their candidate slate, he is an outsider.  Roger was formerly a Republican, who realized that the party has become essentially unelectable in Allentown.  As top voter-getter yesterday, I have some optimism for Allentown. He would make a great candidate for mayor when Pawlowski starts his sentence.

Although Nothstein's election to the county board of commissioners is testimony to the voter's lack of sophistication,  with Hartzell elected and Vic Mazziotti gone,  that board can only be better.  Mazziotti was disingenuous about Cedarbrook, which may now receive some reconsideration.

An Independent Allentown City Council

With the exception of Jeanette Eichenwald, the current city council has rightfully been referred to as a rubber stamp. However, with Ed Pawlowski now tainted by the FBI investigation, the counter politicos hope the time is now ripe for change. We will see, come Wednesday morning. While Eichenwald has indeed been independent with her decisions on council, the late Emma Tropiano set the standard. Not only did Emma vote for the people's interest, she managed to rally citizens to her point of view, and fellow council members.

In the race for school board and county commissioners, I have recommended bullet voting, casting your ballot for just one choice, to multiply its effect. My choices are Scott Armstrong for school director, and Dan Hartzell for county commissioner. For city council, I would vote for two candidates, MacLean and Hershman, and write in the third, Fegley.  Steven  Ramos would receive my vote for controller.

Although there are no national races, today's election is very important. Will Allentown rise above the bondage of the Pawlowski administration? Will the voters save Cedarbrook, the county nursing home?