- PPL Corp. has put its 24-story former office building up for sale
- A representative from local retail group Colliers International said there has already been interest in the building
- Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk said previously that he thinks the PPL Tower should be turned into housing
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The iconic PPL Tower in downtown Allentown is officially on sale.
PPL Corp. announced a plan in June to move its corporate headquarters from the landmark skyscraper to Two City Center, on 7th and Hamilton streets.
The company will now sell the 24-story complex at Ninth and Hamilton streets, which is the Lehigh Valley's tallest building.
Local retail group Colliers International is in charge of the sale. Senior managing director for Colliers John Susanin said he is “very hopeful” the building will sell quickly.
“There’s been lots of interest already,” Susanin said. “It’s an exciting opportunity.”
That interest has come not only from local and regional developers but also national ones, Susanin said.
There currently is not a set price for the building; Susanin said his company plans to “let the market decide” the price.
Susanin said he thinks the PPL Tower is an “investor building, not a user building,” meaning whoever buys the building will likely rent it out rather than use it. PPL both owned and used the building.
PPL will consider the planned use before selling it, Susanin said, and the company wants to make sure the future owner keeps the building’s character consistent.
PPL has been in the tower for almost a century. Company spokesman Ryan Hill said previously that the upcoming move was “really driven by our strong focus … on operational efficiency.”
An ‘ideal conversion’ to housing?
Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk said previously that he thinks the PPL Tower should be turned into housing, citing the “tremendous need for housing” in Allentown.
“What we have now is an opportunity to convert this perfect building into residential.”Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk
“We're not building fast enough,” Tuerk said. “What we have now is an opportunity to convert this perfect building into residential.”
The mayor said he has spoken to architects about what types of buildings can be converted from office space to housing.
“And they pretty much described PPL,” Tuerk said at the time, calling it a potential “ideal conversion.”
Susanin said the lower floors and the north side of the building could be used for retail space, but the upper floors could likely only be used for either office space or housing.
“Whether use stays the same… that’ll be determined by the buyers,” Susanin said.
