Allentown's 130-acre "Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ)" is a special financing tool that will enable the Queen City to divert state taxes to pay for a hockey arena, hotel, office buildings and other improvements downtown and along the riverfront. It can also use the local taxes of people who work inside the NIZ, even if they live in Bethlehem or Hellertown. Nineteen municipalities and one school district, along with a statewide association of township supervisors, have joined forces to challenge the NIZ in Commonwealth Court.
Tuesday, May 29: The Commonwealth, Governor and Secretary of Revenue respond the legal challenge with Preliminary Objections, asking that the Complaint be dismissed. According to the Commonwealth, it is immune from lawsuits. You cannot sue the King! In addition, the Commonwealth and other state officials argue that the Townships' beef is with Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone Development Authority (ANIZDA), not them.
Interestingly, the state agencies make no attempt to defend the constitutionality of what has been attacked as a "special law" that could only every apply to Allentown.
In separate pleadings, Allentown, the NIZ Board and its commercial development agency have intervened.
Saturday, June 2: In a Morning Call op-ed, Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan notices that "gaping hole" in downtown Allentown, and concludes the arena has to be built. But "the details of the NIZ plan have to change."
Callahan observes, "If businesses are moved from one Lehigh Valley urban core to another, that's not a regional solution, and 30 NIZ-years from now will be too late to fix it."
33 comments:
Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan notices that "gaping hole" in downtown Allentown, and concludes the arena has to be built.
What type of logic was employed for that conclusion?
Just shore up the edges of the hole and LEAVE IT!
Is the hole big enough to bury Ed's ego and political ambitions?
Be careful. unless you blindly support the hockey arena, you are labeled a racist and are condemning Allentown, and therefore all of the Lehigh Valley, to eternal damnation and economic ruin, despite the lack of any rational argument to the contrary
Callahan is clearly gunning for the County Executive position. It's not going to be as easy as he thinks.
At some point, Abe got himself consolidated into the township suit. Check out the docket @ 281 MD 2012. Under Consolidated Cases on page one.
What a bunch of horseshit that article was. Is said absolutely nothing. Talk about a politician sitting on the fence and not wanting to jump to either side. He has no balls. I hope someone with some backbone and sense runs against him for Norco executive, the county already has enough financial problems he would bury it.
Callahan was essentially siding with the townships.
9:06, Thanks for that piece of information.
"Callahan is clearly gunning for the County Executive position. It's not going to be as easy as he thinks."
Callahan is certainly not taking the race for granted, from all indications I've seen. In my post about Brown's possible candidacy, Dave notes that several months ago, Callahan was in the audience at a Slate Belt COG meeting a few months ago. People who take races lightly don't do things like that.
Bernie -
I'm sensing there is an organized PR campaign by arena proponents.
My only reason for mentioning that is I've noticed a few similar Letters to the Editor in the Morning Call that appear to be cut-and-pasting the same lines/themes.
In addition, it seems that someone has put a muzzle on Pawlowski, who normally can't help putting his foot into his mouth.
Any thoughts?
That's what I think, too.
Callahan will side wiht the Devil, if his crew tells him to. They give him instructions on how to brush his teeth, in order to get elected.
That is why he sided with the townships.
Those Letters To The Editor are not an utter farce?
Funny how you never see anybody writing to the Editor to oppose the spectacularly transformative $ 220.0 million dollar Palace of Sport.
Never.
Same lines, same themes? Maybe it's Bill White in a janitor's closest cranking those things out. Would YOU be shocked if that were the case?
How do I know all these Letters To The Editor writers do not work for the same company that gave Heather Browne a job?
"Allentown Hockey Arena Area Office Developer Hires Senator's Wife" ... The Morning Call ... 1/30/2012
NIZ Cheerleaders are not exactly known far and wide for their credibility.
i didn't understand callahan's letter to be siding with the townships. he agrees that there is some validity to the issues they raised, but implores everyone to cooperate in getting the project built, for the better good of the valley. i believe if he thinks the project is for the valley's benefit, rather than just allentown's, he's actually siding more with pawlowski than the townships. at any rate, typical politician letter.
He has that fence post stuck so far up he ass he will never jump off. And as for siding with or against the townwships, we have read the paper the last several years about his mismanaging the city financing, no way the townships will support him. He will be a Glenn Reibman times 4!!!!!!
I agree with the assessment that basically wants to know if Callahan is so on board with the position of the suburbs, why does Callahan appear to be calling for so much cooperation so that the transformative $ 220.0 million dollar Palace of Sport can be built?
DAMN THE DEBT SERVICE, FULL SPENDING AHEAD!
How much money did Ed Snider and the Flyers get from the Government when the Spectrum was built in the late 1960s?
How much money did Ed Snider and the Flyers get from the Government when the CoreStates Center / First Union Center / Wachovia Center / Wells Fargo Center was built in the mid-1990s?
Seems to me the Philadelphia Flyers stand to benefit from having their American Hockey League affiliate in Alletown, which is much, much closer to south Philly than Glens Falls, New York.
So, as long as everyone is running around and tellling everyone else how THEY need to step up and contribute for the benefit of the Community ...
... exactly how much money have Ed Snider and the Philadelphia Flyers contributed towards the construction of Chairman Pawlowski's magnificent Palace of Sport so far?
I contend that the Flyers just are not paying their fair share.
:)
Callahan is asking the legislature to alter the law. He is clearly siding with the townships.
No, but the northwest corner is sure seeping alot of water to the infastructure of the surrounding buildings.
Did the State Rep's answer your Questions?
If so, which ones!
It doesn't stop at just letters to the editor. Pawloski has worked a deal with certain developers to push the NIZ agenda to opponents including other developers and townships. These developers are all looking for a big paid day after the NIZ deal is accepted. Either in the form of NIZ perks or via City Contracts/Favors. They are suppose to be Pawloski's Bulldogs but are really Pawloski's Chihuahuas
What is the timeline for the Phantoms owners to pull the plug on the 2013-14 season?
4:27PM
1) $0
2) $0
The Philadelphia Flyers do not own the Phantoms franchise and have had their AHL team in places farther away then Glen Falls NY. They could easily negotiate a franchise agreement back witht he Hershey Bears again and do that, it is the Brooks Group (Phantoms Owners) who are really pushing for an Allentown location. The real problem is when the state gave money for coca-Cola Park plus a billion dollars total for the Phillies, Eagles, Pirates and Steelers new Stadiums.
4:27 the state did kick in a couple of new traffic lights. Mr Snider did it the right way. If he was involved in this project it would be completed by now.
How do the people in The Farr Bldg sleep at night?
10:23 Thank you for asking, as a resident I can inform you that they sleep well, no neighbors sharing a wall next door, only problem is the current sidewalk reconstruction makes walking a bit of a pain, but in a couple weeks it will look gorgeous
"in a couple weeks it will look gorgeous"?
Is someone going to plant some trees in Pud's hole?
You nouveau riche center city development opponent stalker guys are so full of sheet it is leaking out of your ears. I love your "everything is alright with Pawloskis world" mantra.
Perhaps the more esteemed residents of the lets smoke crack in the lobby of the Leaning Tower of Farr iconic loft residences are happy the "riff raff" is gone even though it has been placed with a stinking hole full of leeching stench from the bowels of Hamilton St. That stuff has been accumulating over the last 250 years. Breath deep the gathering gloom of repressed noxious odors and social gases of centuries gone by. I am sure you will find some redeeming historical significance in that and perhaps develop a brand and market it.
My experience is that stalwart citizens, such as yourselves, often revel in speaking out of two portals. Your mouth, which hypes all the propaganda from Pud & Crew, almost endlessly, and then your arse when you occasionally speak the truth to those who will listen. Imodium will help. I assume it has been a while since you have been so moved to admit reality
Well peace to you forlorn wayfarers of the lost world of Allentown Development. Maybe you can move next to the new Sheetz in Bethlehem and chill with a crowd more to your liking. You all can enjoy coffee under the metal umbrella of the seat attached bistro tables and dream up ways to convert more tax payer money into private development.
PA Dutch Shaman
anyone check the riverfront "investor" with mangocrossmedia?
non-working web site... to start.
The numbers provided by the commissars office to the papers are bogus. Bangor is closer to 5k than 500. More lies and deception. I vote to continue with the suit. Not backing down like Johnny Casino boy. Sell out!
I just got off the phone with someone who said exactly what you have said, Dave.
I'm not surprised that no fact checking was done by the local rags. It would appear that they are in the bag by printing this disinformation verbatim from the City Without Money. The King has no clothes on!
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