tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post951840461979582562..comments2024-03-28T12:10:27.406-04:00Comments on Lehigh Valley Ramblings: A-town DCED Director Hailstone Crashes a NIZ PartyBernie O'Harehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-87754697832445248752012-04-16T18:06:25.628-04:002012-04-16T18:06:25.628-04:00Just got back in town and caught up on your BLOG. ...Just got back in town and caught up on your BLOG. <br /><br />Sarah actually attempted to get into a "private meeting" of developers and landlords in her official capacity with the City of Allentown.<br /><br />This is just another example of the inappropriate behavior of the current administration in the City of Allentown. <br /><br />The entire administration should be indicted.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-83508021855613564132012-04-15T01:15:49.875-04:002012-04-15T01:15:49.875-04:00It is not strange that Miss Hailstone had her ear ...It is not strange that Miss Hailstone had her ear pinned to the door. When she is beckoned by the powers above she responds without question, it is in her job description.<br /><br />In the picture leading this post, I am sure she is looking for a dress to wear to the opening gala of the new polo field that will replace the palace of sports when the Brooks Brothers pull out. <br /><br />Reilly will bail as well and Allentown will be left with an urban ghost town. As far as the eye can see there are empty commercial properties all over the Lehigh Valley.<br /><br />Also I suspect it is only a matter of time before the Farr building joins the rubble of concrete down by the river. I for one would not sleep well living in that building.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-72505332010047827392012-04-14T22:28:30.107-04:002012-04-14T22:28:30.107-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-2389821110476915632012-04-14T19:21:43.697-04:002012-04-14T19:21:43.697-04:00I don't know when it is ever appropriate or pr...I don't know when it is ever appropriate or professional to stand out side of a private meeting for an hour with your ear pinned to the door.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-74993208081908182512012-04-14T17:59:57.146-04:002012-04-14T17:59:57.146-04:00Immediately after Sara was ejected, She was transp...Immediately after Sara was ejected, She was transported to Lehigh Emergency due to a door knob being lodged in her ear!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-79718921950150353592012-04-14T11:09:13.814-04:002012-04-14T11:09:13.814-04:00Republican in Name Only Justin Simmons...
was take...Republican in Name Only Justin Simmons...<br />was taken to the wood shed for voting for the Tax on the drillers and his vote for the NIZ Tax.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-83978907429720291042012-04-14T09:20:40.742-04:002012-04-14T09:20:40.742-04:00As MM points out in a recent blog, its pretty hard...As MM points out in a recent blog, its pretty hard for any developer to apply for a NIZ project in downtown Allentown since JB Reilly owns most of the land. Along the riverfront, we have Jaindl and Twiggar. I am unsure whether Reilly is invested there as well. I thought he was but will have to check that.Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-38541229592848780242012-04-14T09:04:20.864-04:002012-04-14T09:04:20.864-04:00The issue isn't really about the Hockey arena....The issue isn't really about the Hockey arena. If the 130 acre district used the tax base that is currently located in the district to fund municipal bonds to help pay for the arena, no one would be filing law suits. The problem is that the district doesn't stop there. Go to the City's website and look at the Guidelines that were written in October. Any project can be approved by the NIZ board, so long as it fits within the "future and amended Master Development Plan". So essentially the fear is that 130 acres can be developed into 5 million square feet of Class A, B, and C office space in a market that only contains about 10 million square feet of office space and currently has a vacancy rate of 11%. In that senario, half of the Lehigh Valley business community would be communting into Allentown to go to work. It also would mean that half of the Lehigh Valley's EIT would go to Allentown and would then pay the mortgage of the private developers who own the buildings. If the people running the district would focus efforts on pulling businesses from outside of the Lehigh Valley into the NIZ district, then everyone would win, since ther wouldn't be a canabalism from within the Lehigh Valley. Well except for the gangsters in Allentown, they would not win. They would get pushed out of Allentown and into the surrounding areas.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-4409842628130028182012-04-14T08:12:16.432-04:002012-04-14T08:12:16.432-04:00Was Justine Simmons there!Was Justine Simmons there!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-2713593020231326502012-04-14T02:03:45.627-04:002012-04-14T02:03:45.627-04:00Great question 1:07 AM.
Like every other project ...Great question 1:07 AM.<br /><br />Like every other project in the Valley it progresses to a hotel, convention center, concert hall, etc. How many conventions have you heard of involving minor league hockey or any other minor league sport?Bill Cokernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-67399657850443973792012-04-14T01:07:50.322-04:002012-04-14T01:07:50.322-04:00How did a project for a hocky arena turn into a pr...How did a project for a hocky arena turn into a project to rebuild Allentown ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-83349398309495765242012-04-14T00:05:39.947-04:002012-04-14T00:05:39.947-04:00So allentown finally found a way to out manuver th...So allentown finally found a way to out manuver the suburbs.After years of shopping and working in the burbs and paying sales taxes and other taxes to fund their open space inititives and infrastucter the tables are now turned.And by no less then a D mayor,R state senator and a few R private citizens.Politics at its finest.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-68913799372494259162012-04-13T22:43:16.207-04:002012-04-13T22:43:16.207-04:00I elect Thode to be the moderator for this panel. ...I elect Thode to be the moderator for this panel. I see the ropes hanging from the lights swaying back and forthAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-23254611906884438692012-04-13T22:41:25.690-04:002012-04-13T22:41:25.690-04:006:20. Great point but take it a step or two furthe...6:20. Great point but take it a step or two further. The owner/landlord now has to find a new tenant for his empty space. What kind of rent do you think he will now get? Probably less in this market. Now all the neighboring businesses want their rent lowered. The landlord/ owner now can't make ends meet so he asks the county to lower his assessment. Or maybe the bank calls the loan and won't refinance the building because there is not enough revenue coming in to carry the debt load and taxes and other costs. It gets foreclosed on. <br />Now the municipality is working with a lower tax base because of foreclosures or a lower assessment. What does this municipality do? They have to raise taxes! Who pays? Anyone and everyone who owners a home. You rent --- guess what your landlord has his residential property taxes raised, your rent is going up. We all suffer to line the pockets of a few.<br /><br />What are the politicians that voted for this saying now? I would like them to have a regional round table lets say at Zoellner to discuss their position on the NIZ.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-52809537252604270542012-04-13T19:55:08.247-04:002012-04-13T19:55:08.247-04:00So now if all of this unravels, the city of Allent...So now if all of this unravels, the city of Allentown is left with an entire block which is completely leveled. In their haste to ram this through they demolished everything before they had it finalized. Typical government.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-27627804807578377732012-04-13T18:58:57.588-04:002012-04-13T18:58:57.588-04:00I think you distill it beautifully and succinctly....I think you distill it beautifully and succinctly.Bernie O'Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756311150988957401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-47833362561878634702012-04-13T18:20:17.801-04:002012-04-13T18:20:17.801-04:00Essentially when the NIZ takes a tenant out of the...Essentially when the NIZ takes a tenant out of the local suburbs and builds a new building for them downtown, the local suburb loses the tax revenue that is associated with that business. The tax revenue the business generates is funneled into the NIZ to pay the mortgage for the developer on the new building. If the general population is ok with having the suburbs they live in loose tax revenue to pay the mortgage of a private developer, then I guess there is nothing wrong with the NIZ. If the general public is ok with local suburbs having to raise taxes to support the loss of tax revenue so that Allentown can have a shiny new downtown, then I guess there is nothing wrong with the NIZ.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-24354651207534084302012-04-13T15:45:48.144-04:002012-04-13T15:45:48.144-04:00For the developers, they could care less about the...For the developers, they could care less about the arena.<br /><br />They care about JB's brand new offices sucking up all their tenants.<br /><br />This project has never been a civic project. It's been a mechanism for Topper and Reily to make money in a down economy on the back of the taxpayers. They found a willing, desperate victim to help out in the City.<br /><br />I think if the NIZ was "just" the arena, you might not have everybody so eager to go stop it. You could say "hey municipalities, we want to capture the EIT to pay off the arena, and that's it. Once it's paid off, we're done." Of course that'd be done in advance of getting it made into law. You know, at least attempt to be slightly cordial to your neighbors.<br /><br />But no, the NIZ goes out and hands out tens of millions of dollars to select developers so they can turn around incredible profit on office and retail projects on the taxpayer dime.<br /><br />And that's when the trouble started.<br /><br />This project is doomed, and that's sad because it could have gone about ten different, successful ways.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-8498388272363249682012-04-13T15:40:37.275-04:002012-04-13T15:40:37.275-04:003:21 PM
But surviving to attend a 2nd time - ques...3:21 PM<br /><br />But surviving to attend a 2nd time - questionable. You must work for the mayor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-80125711936936442382012-04-13T15:21:17.975-04:002012-04-13T15:21:17.975-04:00From 702 W Hamilton Allentown, PA
MSA: 816,012
Le...From 702 W Hamilton Allentown, PA<br />MSA: 816,012<br /><br />Lehigh Valley Ironpigs, highest attendance in the whole country (IL)<br /><br />Hershey, PA 75.5 miles West<br />MSA: 528,892<br /><br />Hershey Bears, highest attendance in the whole country. (AHL)<br /><br />Wilkes Barre, PA 65.4 miles North<br />MSA: 563,631<br /><br />Scranton/WB Penguins, 8th highest attendance in the whole country. (AHL) <br /><br />Philadelphia, PA 68.1 miles South<br />MSA:5,965,343<br /><br />Philadelphia Flyers, 3rd highest attendance in the country. (NHL)<br /><br />2010-2011 final attendance report<br /><br />There is no doubt that attendance will not be an issue.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-68727729470723836432012-04-13T14:24:44.385-04:002012-04-13T14:24:44.385-04:00"lofty"
my computer keys get stuck some..."lofty"<br /><br />my computer keys get stuck sometimes - but the construction of the transformational Palace of Sport must never.<br /><br />;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-85968174804517073552012-04-13T14:23:06.168-04:002012-04-13T14:23:06.168-04:00I see the Phantoms are currently ranked 22nd out o...I see the Phantoms are currently ranked 22nd out of 30 teams in the American Hockey League at the box office.<br /><br />That's not so good, Future Downtown Arena Attendee. But things will be so much better at the Pawlowski Palace of Sport, right?<br /><br />Even if the Phantoms pack the place every night for all 40 or so home games ... the total attendance still won't come anywhere near the loft projections of 2.5 million people, as publically stated by Captain Spellcheck.<br /><br />THE THODE-GEETING NIZ IS TOO BIG TO FAILAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-85645817200850964002012-04-13T13:14:51.740-04:002012-04-13T13:14:51.740-04:00Jackitupfatgirlscantclimb
4:19am
Lap dances and bj...Jackitupfatgirlscantclimb<br />4:19am<br />Lap dances and bjs for all on palumpas palace o sport. Was a pole sent there also? Lots of giggles with there jiggles.<br />Take a good look at the players pure gluttony, just because food is there you do not have to eat it all palumpa and crew?<br />Just all in funninAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-52676352505210620682012-04-13T12:54:05.873-04:002012-04-13T12:54:05.873-04:00I know why you won't tell us your real name, F...I know why you won't tell us your real name, Future Downtown Doofus ...<br /><br />... you are just not into level playing fields!<br /><br />You only play games when the odds are fixed in your favor and you have all the referees bought off ahead of time.<br /><br />You could not beat anyone in a fair fight and you are fully aware of it ... this is why you run and hide each and every time I ask you even the simplest of questions ... you know you can't handle someone like me --- I have too many facts and figures in my arsenal that I can call on at will.<br /><br />YOU, Future Downtown Arena Attendee, are THE perfect icon of the NIZ.<br /><br />ROLF OELER<br /><br />PS --- you do understand O'Hare is not the greatest fan of mine, so it is entertaining for me to see you cry to him and falsely accuse me of stuff which just ain't true ... get a pair of reading glasses.ironpigpenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11792492001296361796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9299655.post-40584180023170872762012-04-13T12:50:34.545-04:002012-04-13T12:50:34.545-04:00Are the developers willing to do what is appropri...Are the developers willing to do what is appropriate and give up LERTA, TIF, KOZ and now NIZ. <br /><br />Everyone wants an even playing field, but just give them a little edge.<br /><br />Is Easton going to stop the LERTA and KOZ push?<br /><br />Is Bethlehem going to address Martin Tower without a tax benefit?<br /><br />Are these guys going to forfeit their KOZ deals in Allentown.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com