Former Allentown pawn shop storefront to be demolished

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — An Allentown building that’s more than a century old is set to get a major makeover.

The city Zoning Hearing Board on Monday unanimously approved a request to demolish the recessed storefront at 929 Hamilton St.

The front of the building features two large glass displays on either side of a walkway to the setback entrance.

Building owner Yakaira Inoa-Severino plans to knock down the front part of the first floor and replace it with an almost-all-glass storefront and new entrance on Hamilton Street.

There also will be a separate entrance for residents of three apartments on the building’s upper floors, according to plans submitted to city officials.

“It’s beautifully done,” board member Alan Salinger said Monday.

Members of Allentown’s Historical Architectural Review Board said last month the project was historically appropriate and “would create a positive impact” on the neighborhood.

History of the structure

The three-story structure at 929 Hamilton St. was built in the mid-to-late 1800s. City records show it was a tire shop in 1917 before serving as the headquarters for the YWCA until the mid-1930s.

Since then, it’s housed a variety of businesses, most recently A-Town Pawn.

City Center, downtown Allentown’s most prominent developer, is set to help Inoa-Severino with a grant.

The company is working with owners of several properties in the area to make them “more leasable” and “more attractive,” according to design director Jane Heft.

The current facade at 929 Hamilton St. allows tenants to roll down a fence at night to protect the entrance.

“This works fine for a pawn shop … but you couldn’t put [in] a small café or anything like that” because the door is set far from the sidewalk, Heft said.

Building out the storefront to Hamilton Street will add about 500 square feet to the first floor, Heft said.