King Edwin Distributes NIZ "Talking Points" to His Loyal Subjects

After having his Royal Derriere handed to him in the Great NIZ Debate, Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski has issued a Royal Proclamation to his subjects calling upon them to promote his urban growth regime at the expense of everyone else. He has even provided "NIZ KEY TALKING POINTS" to make sure everyone is on the same page, spinning the same message.

He's dropped Jeff Barber's "cancer" and the Fleckser's "hysteria" claims.

Here's his Royal Proclamation, complete with all the misspellings by which we all know Hizzoner.

IT'S TIME FOR US TO STAND UP FOR ALLENTOWN.

There is much misinformation being propagated concerning the Allentown Areana [sic] development and the Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ). I need your help in geting [sic] the facts out.

Below are some key facts concerning the zone, the city's offer to the suburban municipalities and an Oped [sic] I recently submitted to the local papers.

Feel free to share and reproduce this information on your social media sites, blogs, newsletters and other information outlets.

Talk about this project to your friends, family, neighborhood dog, basically anyone who will listen.

Also if you know any of the local officals [sic] in these suburban areas talk to them and tell them to support Allentown and our region.

We need to stop the rethoric [sic] and get on with the business of building a better Lehigh Valley. To do that I NEED YOUR HELP.

Thanks in advance for your help and support.

Mayor Ed Pawlowski

I love the "stop the rethoric [sic]" line.

Another word for that is democracy. He's not used to that in his urban growth regime.

Here's his talking points.

NIZ KEY TALKING POINTS

Allentown requires something drastic to spur development. The NIZ is a catalyst to drive transformative change, which is necessary to create a healthy urban core and a more successful region.

The suburban municipalities are during [sic] the city over the capture of Earned Income Tax (EIT) which is mandated by the state law. This issue of withholding is being addressed by the City through a proposal that guarantees they will not lose their current earned income tax from their residents working within the NIZ, nor will there be any delay in receiving their EIT.

The NIZ is a finite area of a few square blocks downtown and a couple dozen acres along the Lehigh River – not large enough to have material impact on the Lehigh Valley real estate market. Buildings excluded from the NIZ area include the PPL Tower, County Government Center, City Hall, The Allentown School District Administartion [sic] building, County courthouse and federal courthouse. These are major employment centers which are not in the NIZ thus limiting even more the impact of lost EIT by suburban municipalities.

In addition, to make sure the surrounding municipalities share in the upside of future development projects within the zone, all NIZ developers of commercial office projects will be charged $1 per square foot for occupied office space created in the zone. This fee will be assessed on a yearly basis to create a Regional Development Fund. That fund will share revenue with municipalities and school districts annually (much like the casino-revenue-sharing arrangement in Northampton County) and will be distributed according to the percentage of each municipality’s residents working within the NIZ area.

The proposal by the city will apply to all of the municipalities, regardless of their position in or outside of any lawsuit.

The downside of not settling the lawsuit with the suburban municipalities is the NO ONE WINS. If the suburbs win, (or in the event the case drags on endlessly) the arena and related development may never occur and some existing employers may close shop thus reducing EIT collections below current levels. if people aren't working their not earning income. Someone without a job has a hard time paying any taxes. Conversely if the City wins, taxing bodies get only the EIT not used for the financing and NIZ development. in settling everyone gets something and everyone wins.

MOVEMENT OF OFFICES FROM THE SUBURBS

Putting aside the fact that this has been happening for years (businesses moving from the city to the suburbs) and no one seemed to take notice. Their [sic] has been concern that the NIZ will be such an advantage that all development will move from the suburbs to the city.

An urban environment appeals to a limited number of companies, many prefer suburban.

The creation of the above mentioned development fund will also help address the concern that there would be an unusual movement of office tenants from neighboring communities by placing a $1.00 per square foot additional charge on every foot of space developed in the NIZ.

Suburban Lehigh Valley Class A office space leases for around $16-20/square foot; NIZ Class A office space is leasing for around $13-16/square foot – the rates overlap, hardly the $5/square foot being talked about.

Also withhin [sic] those limited areas, few sites are available for commercial development, and all sites present urban challenges costs.