ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Allentown Planning Commission granted preliminary/final approval for a proposed apartment complex Tuesday afternoon at city hall.
The project, known as the 12th Street Apartments and offered by developer Abe Atiyeh, calls for a 40-unit adaptive reuse and a five-story, 50-unit new apartment building at 2268 S. 12th St.
This is not the first plan offered for the site. Previously, Atiyeh envisioned consolidating two lots to build a warehouse. Another land development project at the site involved a tractor-trailer parking lot to create spaces for truck haulers and trailers.
The proposal, offered by Exchange 32, LLC and developer Abraham Atiyeh, would utilize the west side of a parcel located at 2268 S. 12th St. for truck and trailer parking.
On March 11, 2024, the zoning hearing board denied an adaptive reuse plan similar to Monday night’s proposal. This plan called for converting the existing four-story building into 40 apartment units and constructing a four-story, 40-unit apartment building at 2236-2280 S. 12th St.
In a project review, the city’s bureau of planning and zoning said the Allentown Vision 2030 report envisioned this area of South Allentown “to retain and enrich its industrial legacy through the purposeful redevelopment of vacant and under-utilized lands.” However, the city’s comprehensive plan “also recognizes the presence of stable residential neighborhoods in this vicinity juxtaposed with active commercial-industrial uses.”
The department added, “The site plan seems well considered in terms of screening the parking lot from the street and neighboring properties. Additional interior trees are required to comply with zoning standards for parking lots.”
Riverside Drive
Planners granted preliminary/final plan approval for the construction of Riverside Drive from Furnace Street to City Line.
The Riverside Drive project is a major component of the city’s $425 million waterfront development, which spans 29 acres on the western banks of the Lehigh River. The developer is Jaindl Enterprises.
The project will extend Riverside Drive south from Hamilton Street to Union Street in the city of Allentown, and north from Furnace Street to East Wood Street in Allentown and Whitehall Township. In addition, a gravel, multi-use trail will continue from East Wood Street to Lehigh Avenue in Whitehall.
The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission previously labeled the project “the single most significant public-private partnership in the Lehigh Valley today.”
Coffee shop
The commission tabled a preliminary/final plan for a drive-thru-only coffee shop.
The plan, known as Seven Brew Coffee, calls for a 540-square-foot premanufactured building with a 280-square-foot remote cooler and storage structure at 2952 Lehigh St.
A representative with Seven Brew described the company as mixture of Chick-fil-A and Starbucks. In addition to coffee, the site will also sell tea, lemonade, smoothies and shakes. The site will have two entrance lanes and one exit lane.
Planners who spoke expressed concerns about vehicles exiting the site more than entering the location and the scope of traffic the business would generate. Vehicle cueing was also cited as an issue. Further, some expressed concerns about nearby homeowners and stressed the importance of landscape buffering in addition to an existing fence.
“We need to hit the pause button on this,” Chairman Christian Brown said. “I don’t think we’re running you out of town. I think we can work with you on this.”