ALLENTOWN, Pa. – A proposed high-rise building for Allentown’s waterfront area got a thumbs-up from the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.
On Thursday evening, the full LVPC commission voted to approve a staff review of the project, which was also discussed during a meeting of the comprehensive planning committee on Tuesday.
Urban Residential Properties wants to tear down the former American Atelier furniture factory and put up a 16-story building at the site at 249 N. Front St., near Allentown’s massive waterfront mixed-use redevelopment on the Lehigh River.
The new high-rise also would be considered a mixed-use property, with 267 apartment units; 21,351 square feet of office space; and 23,684 square feet of retail/commercial space.
The LVPC’s review was generally favorable, noting that “the integration of office and retail space in the proposal provides potential for job creation and economic revitalization in a traditionally industrial corridor.”
Planners also praised the residential component, saying Allentown currently has a nearly 2,000-unit housing deficit. The report also notes that the LVPC is “strongly” encouraging the applicant to diversify the price points and types of units offered to maximize “attainable housing opportunities” and to promote “mixed-income neighborhoods.”
Before the vote to accept the review, LVPC Commissioner Stephen Melnick inquired if the apartments would be specifically designated as affordable housing.
“The pricing of the units is still to be determined by the developer and the building owner itself,” replied Jill Seitz, chief community and regional planner.
A developer plans to demolish the former American Atelier furniture factory and construct a building with 267 apartment units, office space and retail space.
Then, Commissioner Sunny Ghai questioned whether the height of the building was appropriate for the neighborhood. Seitz said the height is permitted within the city’s ordinances.
“It is notably taller than some buildings in the surrounding area, but the area is also seeing similar growth,” she added.
Commissioner Jennifer Gomez, Allentown’s planning director, chimed in, and said the city is still evaluating the project.
“Obviously the height is in contrast within the context of the surrounding area,” she said. “We will be evaluating the height as well as the lower levels of the building in particular to make sure that [they] are designed in a way that is compatible from the street for pedestrians and buildings and trees and the overall general environment in order to minimize the mass and impact of that building.”
The project will be discussed during a meeting of the Allentown Planning Commission on June 10, and more design feedback will be provided at that time, Gomez said.
Housing strategy update
Registration is now open for the third and final public event for the Lehigh Valley Housing Supply and Attainability Strategy.
“This event is a pivotal moment for continued collaboration and feedback before the strategy is finalized, so we want to hear from everybody in real time,” Seitz said.
The initiative, a partnership between Lehigh County and the LVPC, launched on Feb. 5. It’s bringing together representatives from a variety of sectors — state and local governments, school districts and real estate development, among them — to figure out how to ease the Lehigh Valley’s housing crunch.
The LVPC estimates that the region is in need of about 9,000 more housing units.
Attendees of the final event will hear insights from focus groups facilitated by the Urban Land Institute at the end of March. They’ll also be the first to see “draft strategies shaped by extensive data analysis and all of the work strategy participants have put into this effort through the public engagement up until this point,” Seitz said.
The event is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on June 23 at DeSales University. Registration is available online.