Looking for a place to live in Allentown and love to kayak on the Lehigh River? The city’s newest apartment building has direct river access to the water, along with a place to store your boat.
That’s one of the amenities for River House, which had a soft opening Thursday for Lehigh Valley business and city officials. It’s the second building in Jaindl Enterprises’ Waterfront Development Co. plan to build a mixed-use community along 29 acres on the river’s west bank. It will turn the former industrial area into a place where people can live, work and shop.
A six-story office building next door, 615 Waterfront, opened in 2023.
“This marks the first multi-family residential building at The Waterfront,” said Mark W. Jaindl, CEO of Jaindl Enterprises. “It will serve as a residential anchor for our growing mixed-use. It will be a place where people could live, work, gather, and experience the Lehigh River in a new way.”
The five-story building at 30 E. Allen St., which will have 201 units, is still under construction. According to business manager Shayna Marra, eight residents have moved into first-floor units. The rest of the building will gradually open, going up to the fifth floor by December. A formal grand opening will be held then.
Marra said applications are being accepted for units, both via the website and in person.
Rents for studios begin at $1,625 per month and range up to $3,385 for a large two-bedroom apartment. First-floor units include 12-foot ceilings, while upper floors will have 9-foot ceilings.
All units will have appliances, including a washer and dryer.
Indoor amenities include a first-floor lounge with a pool table and large-screen TVs, a gym, a pet wash and meeting space.
In the middle of the building is a courtyard with a swimming pool, fire pits and a cookout area. The fifth floor will feature a rooftop grilling area and fire pit that has a view of the river along with the Tilghman Street Bridge.
Kayakers will have access to a dock on the river and cyclists will eventually be able to use the trails along the river. There will be storage for both.
Parking for residents will be available at three gated parking lots.
Jaindl said that after River House is completed, the next project will be another apartment building: Stone Hall, a 157-unit building, will feature mostly one- and two-bedroom apartments with some studios. It is planned for the other side of 615 Waterfront, just north of the Tilghman Street Bridge.
“We are proud to continue investing in downtown and the Lehigh Valley by creating a place that will contribute to the region’s growth for years to come,” he said.
The current master plan for The Waterfront, which was announced in January, includes one office building, three additional residential buildings, a hotel and retail, dining and entertainment.
The original 2012 plan had 12 buildings, including four office buildings, four apartment buildings and three parking structures.
“The market is soft on office space, but apartment space is strong,” said Mark Jaindl, who is developing The Waterfront with Chief Operating Officer Zachary Jaindl.
The Waterfront sits in Allentown’s Neighborhood Improvement Zone, the city’s unique taxing district. The Allentown NIZ Development Authority approved $62.5 million in bonds in 2024 to build River House.
Jaindl said not all of The Waterfront will use NIZ funding.
Morning Call reporter Evan Jones can be reached at ejones@mcall.com.