ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The master plan behind Allentown’s long-awaited Waterfront project is seeing some changes.
On Tuesday, the Waterfront Development Company announced a comprehensive update was completed for its 29-acre riverfront project along the western banks of the Lehigh River.
The plan was first introduced in 2012 as part of the city’s Neighborhood Improvement Zone, or NIZ.
The updated master plan scales back office space and focuses more on housing, retail, and dining, according to a news release from the Waterfront Development Company.
Over the past three years, office demand across the Lehigh Valley has slowed and shifted toward smaller, flexible footprints, while residential demand has remained resilient, the company said in its news release.
Developers say they increased the Waterfront’s residential portion to accommodate for the region’s growing housing needs.
Rendering courtesy of Urban Design Associates
The updated plan introduces a mix of apartments and for-purchase townhomes, the company said.
Office uses are scaled back and focus on high-quality, flexible space suited to growth sectors such as healthcare and professional services.
The company says retail, dining, and entertainment are expanded and curated to activate the riverfront, support local businesses, and create a destination that complements downtown Allentown rather than competes with it.
New riverfront connections, trails, and civic gathering spaces are designed to better connect Allentown to the Lehigh River, the company said.
The company says the master plan is not a final set of construction drawings.
The initial concept has been intentionally vetted, tested, and refined, and will now move into a detailed phase of work with civil engineers, architects, designers, and municipal partners, the company said in its news release.
The company says that next step will focus on technical coordination, permitting, infrastructure, and phased implementation.