A $Million, After The $Billion

Those who listen and read such things, have learned that the new owners of the former Banana Joe's repurposed train station, received a grant for $One Million of our tax dollars.  The former station will be used for a not yet determined use, beyond subsidizing another chosen developer.  There are no handouts like handouts in Pennsylvania, when an administration is going out the door.

What caught the attention of this cynical blogger was the myth that we were told about the NIZ. We were told that, rest assure, after the tax funded redevelopment starts, private money will start pouring in for private development. So here's the reality...A $million in public money for a private developer with no tenant in sight.

I don't know the developer, but I do know that he/she has friends in the right places. Welcome to Pennsylvania.

While other media will show you the Hamilton Street front view, I choose to show the back view of the train station (New Jersey Central), long before it was renovated into Banana Joe's. Likewise, I choose to tell you the back stories.

reprinted from November 4, 2022

ADDENDUM AUGUST 14, 2026: Although the developer did nothing with the $million and train station, he's back with a plan....that is one slow, expensive plan! I think he's back, but asked for a postponement of the planning meeting this week. He now wants to build a six story building, with stores and apartments. Don't rent the moving van just yet. Expect to hear about additional grant proposals and the new Allentown buzz term, affordable housing. Despite the $Billions being spent on the taxpayer subsided NIZ projects, only Nat Hyman is developing units with his own financing.

I wonder if there are grants for blogging?

Plywood Plaza

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 

ADDENDUM AUGUST 13, 2026:This post first appeared in November of 2015, and was titled Empty Nesters Flocking To 7th & Linden. Yesterday, St. Bernard of Nazareth, reported on some financial issues concerning the developer of the Neuweiler building. Unlike Reilly, who frames out his apartment buildings using wood studs, the Neuweiler partnership used steel girders. My question to City Hall is why ths apparent discrepancy in the codes?

ADDENDUM TO THE ADDENDUM:Matt Assad would continue to promote Reilly's buildings with the Morning Call. Eventually, he became the mouthpiece for the Lehigh County Planning Commission.  Jarrett Coleman was elected state senator, and has been working to make the NIZ accountable to the taxpayers.

Dorney Park And Tilghman Street Speedways

The Dorney Park racetrack opened in 1938 and operated until 1968. In 1958, my family moved from the southside to the west end. Although Cetronia was between the house and the speedway, on weekend nights I could hear the stock cars.

Although the track hasn't operated for almost sixty years, westenders again have the sounds of speeding cars. With only two unimportant stoplights between Cedar Crest Blvd. and Parkway Manor, young motor heads can again express themselves.

I'm not sure which municipality is ignoring the new speeding, but those glasspack mufflers have found their happy place.

Dancing For White House Access

Bill O'Reilly is telling his audience that they're paying a high price for gasoline because the oil companies are gouging them at the pump. Don't you believe that closing the Straits Of Hormuz and trapping the oil tankers is a factor. Instead, believe President Trump, that we're being gouged.

Sean Hannity gets to ride on Air Force One(s) on Trump's side of the door. Bill O'Reilly gets to walk around the White House with the Pres himself. All it takes is not being part of the fake news, like all the other reporters.

We're in uncharted territory concerning freedom of the press. On one hand Trump is selling early access to the news, on the other hand he is threatening broadcast licenses. His personal attorney now runs the Justice Department. I must have faith that eventually these institutions will have their integrity restored.

Trump Throws Republican Party Under "Pay To Play" Bus

Trump's subscription service, Truth API, releasing policy decisions early on Truth Social, will cost the Republicans bigly come the midterms and the the 2028 general election. So far, only the certified party outcasts have spoken out against the $100k a month subscriptions, and they are not enough to save the GOP's reputation.

Truth Social is unpresidential, but Truth API goes beyond unethical into sanctioned insider trading. I suspect that after the midterms are digested, the Republican Party will start to push back. While Trump may be immune to prosecution, his silent enablers will pay the price for their complicity in his schemes.

They will try to remind the public about having closed the Biden border and keeping boys out of the girl's locker room during the first couple of months, but it won't compensate for all the poor governing since. Their warnings about socialists will also fall on deaf ears. They capitulated to blatant corruption, and Trump's $gains will be their loss.

El-Sayed and J-Street

The pundits are busy analyzing El-Sayed's razor thin victory over the more conventional opponent. Among the variables mentioned was the heavy bet made by AIPAC against him. Those interested in AIPAC are speculating how much they will now invest in the Republican's campaign for the general in November.

Students of this blog may recall my recent posting on J-Street. I even attended a gathering, and normally I only venture out for photographic expeditions. My interest in J-Street resulted from my frustration with Israel's domicide in Gaza, and settler aggression on the West Bank.

For any organization I am at most a meager contributor. However, after seeing how much money was spent against El-Sayed with no success, my appetite for contributing to such PACS is smaller than ever.

Dancing For Votes

Bob Smith as a candidate attended National Night Out, an event which honors policeman. Smith proclaimed on Facebook about Roca, greatest chief in the state of Pa! Outstanding Job keeping crime down!

Bob lives on the east side. Besides an occasional visit to Canal Park, which only takes me a couple blocks beyond the river, my cruises in Allentown are mostly limited to center city. From my observation, I hope that Roca is not the best chief in Pennsylvania. I must assume that there is much less crime on the east side for Smith to have made such a statement.

It was my intention not to post about the upcoming midterms. My only endorsement for November is Jarrett Coleman for state senator. Coleman has pursued legislation to make the NIZ more accountable to the taxpayers.