ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A Lehigh Valley Planning Commission member asked the developer of a proposed project that would include more than 250 apartments a seemingly simple question Thursday.
Will the project be priced as affordable housing?
The question remained unanswered after a staff review of the development.
“When this was brought up, [Allentown Director of Planning] Jennifer Gomez said the project is being reviewed by the city and that pricing would be set by the unit owner and developer.”LVPC Chief Community Planner Jill Seitz
The application by Urban Residential Properties, a real estate development firm in Allentown, proposes to demolish the former American Atelier furniture factory buildings and construct a mixed-use development at 249 N. Front St.
The mixed-use project would consist of 267 apartment units, 21,351 square feet of office space and 23,684 square feet of retail/commercial space.
After the LVPC approved the staff review of the project, commission member Steve Repasch asked whether the apartments would be affordable housing.
“When this was brought up, [Allentown Director of Planning] Jennifer Gomez said the project is being reviewed by the city and that pricing would be set by the unit owner and developer,” LVPC Chief Community Planner Jill Seitz said.
The same question was asked during the same meeting when it was announced the final phase of the Lehigh Valley Housing Supply and Attainability Study would be held 8-11 a.m. June 23 at DeSales University.
The joint venture of Lehigh County, the Urban Land Institute and the LVPC is a three-phase initiative in which experts in housing, real estate, school districts, banks and lenders and LVPC representatives offer possible solutions to the housing crisis across all income levels in the Greater Lehigh Valley.
Affordable housing greatly needed
Responding to a question by commissioner Sunny Ghai regarding the proposed height of the building — 16 stories — Seitz assured him it was within the limits of the city ordinances, albeit taller than buildings in the surrounding area.
Gomez said the building height is permitted by the zoning code.
The property is in Allentown’s Neighborhood Improvement Zone, the city’s one-of-a-kind tax subsidy zone.
In 2021, Allentown approved a zoning change request by developers for commercial and residential construction at the riverfront.
As for the affordability of the proposed apartment complex, it would be greatly needed.
According to the LVPC, the Lehigh Valley has a 9,000-unit housing shortage. For the lowest household incomes — around $25,000 annually — a deficit of more than 10,000 units exists.
Median housing prices in the Lehigh Valley have increased to four times the annual household income, Seitz has said.
Allentown Planning Commission is scheduled to review the project June 10.
