A 16-story building proposed for Allentown’s developing riverfront would tower over the neighborhood, but stand out in a positive way, a city official said Tuesday.
“It would be highly visible from blocks away and be prominent from places including the Tilghman and Hamilton street bridges over the Lehigh River,” Director of Planning Jennifer Gomez said Tuesday at a city planners meeting where the project was reviewed. “In this way, it will serve as a landmark for the presence of Allentown’s Lehigh riverfront and a wave of redevelopment of long-vacant industrial properties.
The building is being proposed at the site of the former American Atelier furniture factory, which developer Urban Residential Properties wants to demolish. Urban Residential’s proposed replacement would hold 267 apartments, 21,000 square feet of office space and 23,000 square feet of retail/commercial space. Amenities would include a gym, spa, children’s playroom, swimming pool, grill area with seating and a green roof to treat stormwater.
The site, which was previously listed at 249 N. Front, is down the street from Urban Residential’s Neuweiler Lofts project and in Allentown’s Neighborhood Improvement Zone, the city’s one-of-a-kind tax subsidy zone. It would fit into the 10-year-plan to revitalize Allentown’s riverfront and turn it into a destination. The city approved a zoning change in 2021 requested by developers to allow residential and commercial buildings in the riverfront area.
Allentown consulted with Goody Clancy architects — which has experience in the NIZ — to review the project, Gomez said. She said the firm had a lot of recommendations for modifications and how it could complement other projects in the area.
“Building high contrast does not necessarily detract from the value or appeal of the lower adjacent neighborhood blocks, as long as the first several floors of the new development relate well in scale and use to nearby buildings, trees and pedestrians,” she said.
Other recommendations included protecting mature trees and adding residential or office space to the northwest and northeast corners of the building.
Planning board members were concerned about the size of the retail space and pedestrian accessibility and safety, especially for people who may cross Riverside Drive to access Buck Boyle Park.
Board chair Christian Brown wondered if the modern design for the retail area might drive away foot traffic. He said it could leave little room for merchants to express individuality.
“You go onto Hamilton Street, where there are some of the original, older store fronts with character and individuality, they seem to be easier to occupy and keep occupied,” Brown said. “I love the design. You could drop this on Market Street in Philly, and it would be fantastic, right? I’m concerned that we’re missing an opportunity to break up that lower level, which I think would be a little bit more consistent with the fabric of the adjacent community.”
One resident of the neighborhood had concerns about parking.
James Spang, president of the Riverfront Civic Association, said he was pleased with Urban Residential’s parking plans for its tenants. However, he said that during weekends, when people who commute to jobs outside the СŷƵ come home, it’s hard to find on-street parking in the First and Sixth wards.
“On the west side of Front Street, most of them have no off-street parking,” Spang said. “If you actually try to park a car for each house, you’ll find out that the homes sometimes are skinnier than the cars.”
He said the city needs to figure out such impacts to neighborhoods when projects are proposed, and suggested a parking survey for the area between Jordan Creek and the Lehigh River. Spang said the developers aren’t at fault.
“This is long-range planning’s fault,” he said. “We design a beautiful concept and nobody figures out what the impact is going to be two blocks away.”
Morning Call reporter Evan Jones can be reached at ejones@mcall.com.
