Image is everything. Phony storefronts were all the rage during the Bejing Olympics. According to a hot news release from Lehigh County, they're very popular here in the Lehigh Valley, too. We call them façades. They're false fronts, designed to make a building look prettier than it really is. Kinda' like a nose job or breast implants.Pennsylvania's Downtown Center (PDC), a statewide non-profit, has given Lehigh County’s Borough Business Revitalization Program(BBRV) an Honorable Mention for excellence in these phony storefronts. The PDC calls them "physical improvements and design." This praise came at the PDC’s annual Townie Awards Gala earlier this month in Johnstown.
Michael Schlossberg, coordinator for the BBRP through theGreater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, got more than an Honorable Mention. He was named Manager of the Year.
Did I mention Mike is running for Allentown City Council?
Schlossberg received this major award for his revitalization efforts in Alburtis, Macungie, Coopersburg and Hellertown. He helped secure $700,000 in state and local grants for the façade program.
By the way, he's running for Allentown City Council.
“The Façade Grant Program has been extremely successful at stimulating investment in many of our area business districts,” said Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham. Lehigh County Director of Community and Economic Development Cindy Feinberg adds that Mike has "been an enthusiastic advocate" for façades.
Mike demonstrates this commitment to phony fronts with his own façade concerning contributions to an anonymous smear campaign in the primary. You can read about that below.
33 comments:
In history, the grand prize for facades go to the Russians. When Catherine the Great travelled through her provinces with foreign rulers, Potemkin would build fake facades held up by brackets and even shipped in happy peasants.
Wow! You got this one Bernie. This was a set-up through friends in Harrisburg.
Since Schlossberg is part of the Pawlowski Posse, this was timed well.
Wow, two inches wide and one inch deep.
He is surely the poster child, but how is he going to fix the budget deficit and put more police on the streets. We need to turn this election from a popularity contest to election based on a discussion of the issues.
Mikey - you are now dirty like the rest of the them, too bad, what a way to start your record of public service.
Maybe Mike Schlossberg is taking lessons from Mike Solomon, I hear he is back in the Valley!!
He is one demo who wishes he could change his primary vote for council. Integrity is what I look for most in my elected officials. This Schlossberg has a big problem.
This is another in a long line of hatchet jobs by Bernie. O'Hate ignores reality. The guy Schlossberg won't talk to O'hatebag, so he gets the shit treatment.
Rob Hopkins has more guts in his fingertip than Bernie the hut has in his fat arse. What a dirt bag you are O'hare. Schlossberg has nothing to worry about, the same two dozen sycophants read this blog over and over, and twenty of them don't live in Allentown.
Anon 6:19 = political knee breaker Chris Casey, who claims he never posts anonymously. His trademark personal attacks give him away.
Schlossberg was willing to speak to me during the primary. I was unable to find the time to sit down with him bc I was a little busy writing about the Stoffa race.
Look at Schlossberg's past, of course he was able to secure state grants. He was the local coordinator for Rendell re-election campaign. He worked hard to be in this position. It is all political pay back.
Maybe I am a little slow, but I am not sure what Mr. Schlossberg did wrong here? Are you implying that facade programs themselves are flawed? Or are you suggesting that if a revitalization professional secures grant funding for their municipality, they are somehow criminal? Or, is this post suggesting that PDC is some pseudo-arm of the Democratic party using an obscure award at an even more obscure meeting to help someone win a city council race? What is the point?
Robin,
This blog comes from a Lehigh County news release that was obviously designed to give a Dem city council candidate a pat on the back. And for what? Facades.
As Rasputin notes in the very first comment here, facades were used to con foreign dignitaries into thinking all is well. So it is with the facades in the Lehigh Valley. They are fake fronts. I am implying that these fake fronts are flawed. We don't need any Potemkin villages in the LV.
And so it is w/ Schlossberg's facade concerning contributions to a smear campaign waged against Lou Hershman in the waning days of the primary. I cover that in the post following this one. That's a political Potemkin Village.
facade improvements on buildings are fake. they are improvements on the historic frontage of these buildings. nothing fake about historic buildings in small towns or the improvements to the store fronts. plenty fake about the chinese buildings. you are comparing apples to oranges when discussing facade programs here.
I don't think so. I've seen these facades, especially as they litter hamilton Street. They're all the same. A building loses its identity and unique charm and these facades really just mkae the place look prettier. They don't make the heating more efficient. I can think of many more useful ways to spend taxpayer dollars, like throwing a solar panel on the roof. These facades, at least in my view, are the equivalent of a boob job.
mike doesn't run the allentown hamilton street crapola facade programs (though if you want to see how they are done right, go to 7th street and talk to peter lewnes). the facade program mike runs are historic buildings and improve on the fronts for small business owners. maybe even try talking to some of the small business owners he has worked with to ask if they think it is fake for them.
It is fake. That's pretty much what the word "facade" means. I'm sure no business owner will turn down something that makes his building look a little prettier, but it is a waste of taxpayer dollars to invest in something like that in aging buildings with more serious problems.
I will talk to some of these facade beneficiaries.
Not sure this argument is really about semantics(fake vs. facade), more about physical improvement. Facade improvements often include new paint which prevents rot on exterior wood surfaces, brick pointing which helps keep moisture out and preserves existing brick, window work which can improve a buildings thermal envelope, fixing gutters which can help preserve a buildings foundation from being washed out. There are benefits beyond the Aesthetic to facade improvement. That said, aesthetics are still important and people like to walk in attractive downtowns. It seems to me that a program that helps preserve historic buildings, helps business owners and residents make exterior improvements, and makes walking downtown more enjoyable is money well spent.
Bernie, your focus on the secondary meaning of facade (dare I say a figurative meaning), ignores a couple of things, namely that it is not the primary meaning. To provide some credible objective meanings, here are two definitions:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa%C3%A7ade
"A facade or façade (pronounced /fəˈsɑːd/) is generally one side of the exterior of a building, especially the front, but also sometimes the sides and rear. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"."
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/facade
noun 1. Architecture. a. the front of a building, esp. an imposing or decorative one.
b. any side of a building facing a public way or space and finished accordingly.
2. a superficial appearance or illusion of something: They managed somehow to maintain a facade of wealth.
Investing in aging buildings is never a waste of money, especially since most of these programs require property owners to bring a dollar for dollar match to the table. If your claim is that investing in buidings is a waste of money, fine, but don't diminish the architectural definition ascribe to the public face of a building.
Bernie,
In any downtown "Revitilization 101Course", a facade restoration/improvement program is deemed very crucial to its success.
Back when Gulianni was mayor of NYC he did two things: get more cops on the street and offer incentive programs to help improve facades. He coined the "Broken Window" theory, and a facade program is this in reverse. It is important to have safe streets, but just as important to have clean streets and this means no blighted buildings. you need both, or people will absolutely not invest further in the area, and it will also keep customers and residents away.
These are very effective programs and have been proven finacially sound - for everyone: the city; the building owner; and the entire neighborhood. It changes the economic health of business ditricts greatly. Bethlehem started one of these facade loan programs a little over a decade ago and it has proved itself very much worthy over and over again.
Mike's program has business owners matching 50% of the projected costs so this makes the owners have skin in the game - which is also a critical part of facade programs.
You may be disappointed about Mike's supposed political maneuverings but please, his professional efforts are to be applauded - not derided.
Lynn
"Investing in aging buildings is never a waste of money,"
That's where we disagree. As one of the anonymnous commenters here has already pointed out, the facades along Hamilton Street are "crapola."
Is it appropriate to condemn the entire progrram on this basis? Probably not, but let's be honest here. Facades are quick and eaay fixes. They often do represent a false front to a building shackled by other problems.
I do not share the fondness for this impromvement I see from others.
Lynn,
Sorry, but I have not taken a downtown revitalization course and am only a layperson. You may very well be right and I may very well be wrong.
I know a woman who has a shop in a unit with one of those fancy facades. The roof constantly leaks all over her equipment. In her case, the facade really is a fake front.
a facade program is never a pancea... it is a critical first step in starting to trigger investment in buildings. if the facade is the only thing that ever receives investment, it is a waste. however, for most communities, it is a great starting point to trigger the improvements needed for a community.
While the buidings on hamilton street are crapola, the improvements on 7th street are incredible. same kind of money, program and investment but very different outcomes. sometimes, the program isn't the problem, rather how it is administered. effectively administered facade programs lead to great outcomes (like we see in the recent improvements on 7th street and the ones sited in bethlehem). ineffective programs lead to the trash we see on hamilton street. Not sure how Mike does in administering his program, but let the awards speak for themselves.
The problem with Façade grants is that it is in the final analysis they are just another government money handout that doesn’t address the root problem. Combine façade grants with a sound program of density reduction of the same high crime areas then you have something. In Allentown we have a mayor who is a master grant writer and nothing more. That is Ed’s failing, Mike seems to be little more than an appendage of that problem.
Scott Armstrong
Facades ultimately only hide the systematic deterioration that is the root of the problem.
They do not solve anything. They enable the endemic issues to continue unabated.
I am sure Schlossberg is a nice kid with potential. But that is not what the city needs. City Council is not an internship. It is evident he is a pawn of the Dem political machine.
He is too young, too immature and too inexperienced. Anyone with half a brain who is truly interested in the betterment of Allentown will vote against him.
If you want to continue to be part of the King Edwin food chain then vote for him.
Scott, I agree with your view. I take it a bit further as I believe facade grants that require property owner investment and act as additional support can play a strong role in economic revitalization. It gives an owner even more to protect and develop.
The Banker
Facades are nice, but how are they going to solve the fiscal crisis in Allentown, and put more police on the streets. Let us have a win-win in Allentown. Keep Schlossberg on the facade stuff and elect candidates that are qualified to fix our broken city government!!
On the bright side, I've been promised an introductory lesson on facades, but have to wait until July for my lesson. I also have to pay my teacher two beers.
Anon 949pm, on the surface facades don't address any of your very real concerns. However, private investment in real estate, which a good facade program requires, helps a neighborhood stabilize because property owners will care more about their investment. That's a good thing.
The Banker
Bernie, I think you'll find your lesson on facade programs very interesting. And for only 2 beers it's a bargain.
I think though that these programs are going to disappear pretty quickly. The state budget is going to hammer DCED spending.
The Banker
Thank God for Charles Dertinger, #1 vote getter in the Lehigh Valley.
I am sorry but I do believe a bit of this is nothing but old fashioned gay bashing.
Last week Rob Hopkins was savaged and now Mike. I think it is time we cool it down.
Sanity
Actually, I savaged Rob last month, not last week. I savaged him again today. But sexual orientation is irrelevant. Personally, I am sexually attracted to parakeets. So what?
Oh my God! I had no idea. Why did Sanity feel the need to bring that issue up?
Probably to undermine the legitimate points and productive comments being made in the thread.
I still think he is too young, immature and inexperienced. But then what do I know, I am just one of your typical breeders as Sanity would probably refer to me.
Schloss is definitely not gay and is engaged to be married to a lovely woman.
....not that there's anything wrong with that
Lynn
Lynn,
Every time I write about Michael, someone anonymously comes on this blog to defend him for his gayness. Of course, this person is trying to imply that Michael is gay and poison him in the minds of some intolerant voters.
I don't think sexual orientation matters in the minds of most voters. If anything, I would be more inclined to vote for a gay person bc he or she adds diversity.
Facades are important. Fixing them is literally "putting your best face forward."
For the record, Hamilton Street does not have a facade program. That is the problem. There is money available, but no design review. And, it shows.
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