Allentown will see no hockey games in the 2012-13 season. According to The Post-Star, six home games have been scheduled thus far. They will all be played in Glens Falls, NY starting on October 13.Allentown hopes to fund the arena and other projects, at least in part, with earned income tax that would otherwise be directed to surrounding municipalities. But nineteen municipalities and one school district have challenged this funding mechanism in Commonwealth Court, arguing it is the result of a "special law" that only applies to the Queen City.
Preliminary arguments in that litigation, spearheaded by Bethlehem and Hanover Townships, are scheduled for September.
Allentown hopes to open the arena in September 2013.
21 comments:
Allentown does not hope to open any arena in 2012, 2013 or any other year.
These stated "hopes" reflect the wants and desires of a small group of cretans, but not the wishes of the overall population.
To this day, NO one has ever asked the people if they want a hokey arena.
Makes sense, the longer it takes to get to court, the more money the lawyers make, it's a win win for them and them only.
The losers? Taxpayers!
When was the Allentown arena supposed to be completed? I didn't think it was ever scheduled to go online in 2012...but maybe I am mistaken.
I believe it was supposed to go in 2013-14, but I also think there was a push to get it done now.
I thought the plan was ALWAYS for the Phantoms to play the in 2012/13 in Glens Falls, New York ...
I thought also read an article somewhere which pointed out that, as far as the 2013/14 season goes, the Phantoms COULD, theoretically, load up a bunch of away games earlier in the season and play more of their home games at the end of the schedule.
In other words, if Chairman Pawlowski's transformative $ 220.0 million dollar Palace of Sport could not be ready to open until, say, Christmas Day of 2013, that would not automatically mean the Phantoms would have to stay in New York for the entire 2013/14 campaign ...
RO
Don't be surprised if the Brooks brothers start re-thinking the idea of moving to Allentown.
They are currently working with Glen Falls on a "plan" of what's needed for the arena up there to "recruit" a new team once the Phantoms leave.
However, that plan is really the opening round of negotiations for improvements to said arena.
Never assume the Brooks Brothers are sold 100% on Allentown. They are not.
Everybody is starting to hedge their bets on this project.
12:09 - "To this day, NO one has ever asked the people if they want a hokey arena."
They don't have to ask, they know there is a demand for an arena and minor league hockey in the Lehigh Valley.
Debate all you want on where and how it gets funded, but make no mistake, whereever and whenever it gets built people will show up.
They naysayers spent years pissing all over the Iron Pigs and their stadium prior to their first season and they've been an unqualified success since the doors to Coca Cola Park opened.
Yes, the IronPigs have always done very well for themselves at the box office and the IronPigs franchise is reputed to be the 2nd most valuable in all of minor league baseball.
And exactly HOW has the $ 30.0 million dollars of taxpayer money used to build Coca-Cola Park helped usher in an Economic Revolution for Allentown?
(please cite actual economic data to support your argument)
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"You'd be hard pressed to show ... that it's worth the investment. The numbers don't add up."
CHRISTOPHER BORICK quoted in THE MORNING CALL, April 22, 2009, with the artilce, "WHY ARE WE FINANCING STADIUMS?" by Kristina Gostomski
First, it makes perfect sense for a highest-level, minor league sports franchise to want to locate in an area with close to 1 million residents. Our area has long been ignored or overlooked. We are now at that notch just below the big leagues and it is a sign of demographic status when you can offer sports along with other cultural opportunities.
If this turns out to be a lost opportunity because the Brooks Brothers are angry,frustrated, and if that means the LV does not end up with the franchise, that will be a loss to the area, in my opinion. This does not take into account the possibility that the same franchise still end up in the LV, just elsewhere.
The mayor, state senator and the others blew this if the LV loses the franchise. It is a neat idea, just was not done in an intelligent manner.
As for the Seventh Street and Hamilton location, let's ask "what does Allentown need?" All the humor is appreciated and serves well to break the ice and tension, but what should be built if the project dies?
What should not be built:
No tax-exempt agencies or other such uses. Whatever goes there has to benefit Allentow's tax structure, school district etc.
Just do it the right way please!
VOR
Please don't come crying to me when your kid's school has no money for textbooks ...
The "right way" would be private investors funding the Palace of Sport, which will probably hit a quarter of a billion dollars after all construction cost overruns are added up.
If this Palace of Sport is such a can't miss proposition guaranteed to bring about a tidal wave of Economic Prosperity --- then plenty of private investors not risking the Taxpayer's money should be fighting amongst themselves to get in line, no?
Funny how no one has any data to prove that spending $ 30.0 million dollars on the IronPigs actually helped Allentown's economy.
After all this time, too.
$ 220.0 million dollars? Sure, no problem. Money grows on trees.
HA HA
Private investors rarely fund public stadiums. See Allegheny County. See the 1% sales tax increase to fund them. That's what they should do here and then the yokels in the burbs can keep their traps shut about the awesome burden. (Like the three grand Hanover will lose out on.)
It's a bit daft to think that even under the best circumstances this facility was going to be built in 9 months. 2013-2014 was always the plan. A bit misleading on your part or you are just a bit daft.
"They don't have to ask, they know there is a demand for an arena and minor league hockey in the Lehigh Valley."
Nice that you can speak for an entire city population.
Please identify the "they" you reference.
I repeat, this is not a widely accepted plot.
There is little or no general support for this ill conceived use of funds and property.
A hockey arena is certainly not anywhere on the list of important public projects.
It is a shame that so many township officials will be thrown out of office by following the O'Hare hater bandwagon. check out what happened in Northampton County. The people he "helps" have many problems, including getting tossed from office.
So go follow him down the "NO, I don't want to"
trail. At the end of it he and his little blog will be the only things left.
Annon - 3:29 PM
Please identify the "they" you reference.
I repeat, this is not a widely accepted plot.
There is little or no general support for this ill conceived use of funds and property.
A hockey arena is certainly not anywhere on the list of important public projects.
Most likely suburban white males with a surplus of expendable income.
As for the little to no general support, again thats exactly what people were saying ahead of the Iron Pigs coming to town and it proved to be patently false.
Now, in no way am I stating that the arena or the Iron Pigs will, were or ever will be the saviors of Allentown. A project like this carries so many intangibles and butterfly effect consequences makes even trying a pointless exercise.
Having sports teams, and venues for other larger entertainment events makes the entire region more marketable. It could be a reason that a kid going to a local college decides to stay in the area, it could be the grain of sand that tips the scale in favor of a company moving an office or HQ from NJ into PA. Either one of those scenarios will help or hurt someone, maybe in Allentown, maybe in Macungie or in Bangor.
No hockey for 2013 + 2014 neither maybe the club formaly known as erv's bob con run a show there with all the fatties starring ms gigles and jiggles as the headliner than allentown would not have to float bonds contact imad and tell him redd sent you there for this to run in harmoney with the great allentown fair carnival
REDD, THATS MY NAME BERNIE
"Most likely suburban white males with a surplus of expendable income."
Asshole!
I live in the belly of this beast.
The beast called Center City Allentown.
None of us residing here have ANY expendable income.
None of us living here give a damn about hockey.
None of us here living in the city will benefit from this money grab. The taxes and and sweep, and APA, and the myriad of other money sucking programs being inflicted upon us will only speed up the demise of Allentown.
You certainly have not been here in the city with all your spendin' money.
This criminal endeavor is not supported by anyone living in the city, especially those of us within a stones throw from Pud's pit.
Annon 8:14 AM -
Easy there fella, you asked me who wants it and I just told you.
All I've said is that there is a demand for an arena and hockey team in the Lehigh Valley.
I recognize that its not for everyone, but that isn't the same as saying that nobody wants it.
"All I've said is that there is a demand for an arena and hockey team in the Lehigh Valley."
Again, where are your numbers?
Very little homework was done by this bunch.
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