ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A developer looks set to soon finish a project to revamp a former city furniture company into housing.
Allentown Zoning Hearing Board on Monday approved Ryan Abdouche’s plans to convert a vacant warehouse in the 1900 block of South Fifth Street into a dozen apartments.
Ten will have one bedroom, while two units will feature two bedrooms, according to the plans presented.
Rents would be about $1,350 per month. That’s the average rent at 17 apartments in two connected buildings converted to housing in 2019.Ryan Abdouche, owner of Abdouche Properties
Abdouche, owner of Abdouche Properties, said rent would be about $1,350 per month. That’s the average rent at 17 apartments in two connected buildings Abdouche converted to housing in 2019.
Oak Street USA Furniture Co. operated out of the buildings and warehouse before the conversion.
The developer on Monday sought relief from ordinances on parking and lot size.
Under current zoning regulations, property owners must provide 1.5 parking spaces for each unit they offer; that would require Abdouche to have 44 parking spaces for his 29 apartments on the block.
'A month or two early'
But zoning officials signed off on his request to use new zoning regulations set to kick in next year; the new zoning code — overhauled this month — requires just one space per apartment.
“We’re a month or two early.”Attorney Ron Corkery, regarding regulations soon set to be outdated
“We’re a month or two early,” attorney Ron Corkery told zoning officials as he asked for relief from regulations soon set to be outdated.
Those codes would have required Abdouche to provide at least 1,800 square feet of space for each apartment.
Initial calculations showed each of the 12 apartments would be about 750 feet short of that requirement, but project architect Stewart Gouck “found” 6,000 square feet more while reviewing previous zoning approvals.
The initial calculation used an incorrect number; each apartment was closer to 500 feet short of the city’s requirement after Gouck’s review.
That reduction made it easier for the Zoning Hearing Board to sign off on Abdouche’s application. It is required by law to approve only the minimum relief necessary — if it approves any — to make a project viable.
Allentown planning employees also backed Abdouche’s plans in a report. The proposal supports the city’s goal to “create opportunities for smaller investment that would contribute to the housing supply.”
Allentown’s Vision 2030 states “small-scale investments [like Abdouche’s] provide infill and small projects that strengthen neighborhood fabric,” according to the planning report.
