ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Plans for a 16-story tower at the heart of downtown Allentown could be on ice for a few more years.
The city Planning Commission on Tuesday granted a two-year extension for City Center's 1 Center Square project at the southwest corner of Seventh and Hamilton streets.
Robert DiLorenzo, director of planning and construction for City Center, said the developer has struggled to secure tenants to fill the almost-300,000-square-foot building, which the commission approved in January 2020.
“We've continued to market this building over the last three years. I think we all know the effects that COVID-19 had during the pandemic on the office market and office utilization.”Robert DiLorenzo, director of planning and construction for City Center
“We've continued to market this building over the last three years,” DiLorenzo said. “I think we all know the effects that COVID-19 had during the pandemic on the office market and office utilization.”
City Center’s initial plans for 1 Center Square showed a 250-foot glass building, which its website said would “be the premier office tower in the region.”
The project includes the preservation of the Merchants National Bank facade.
But those plans could be scaled back as small as a three-story building, DiLorenzo said Tuesday.
'Driven by ... their market base'
City Center presented renderings of that version of the project this fall to the board of the Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone Development Authority.
Those renderings showed a three-story building with 62,400 square feet, according to ANIZDA board minutes.
Several planning commission members said Tuesday they would prefer a tower in one of the city’s busiest areas.
“This is still a project that we want to see come to fruition. It’s a very important site for us.”Robert DiLorenzo, City Center executive
“I'm much more in favor of the 16-story concept here at this particular location than the scaled-back version,” Chairman Christian Brown said.
“I'm not a big fan of the scaled-back version but ultimately understand that it's driven by what they perceive to be their market base.”
Damien Brown told the developer, “I certainly would also like to see a larger tower than a smaller one, but you have every right to build a three-story building.”
DiLorenzo said “demand will have some impact on dictating the overall size” of the 1 Center Square project, but he painted a positive picture of the office market in Allentown.
“Out of our 1.3 million square feet of office portfolio here in downtown Allentown, I am happy to say that is 100% leased,” he said. He said about 85% of that leased space is being used.
“This is still a project that we want to see come to fruition,” DiLorenzo said. “It’s a very important site for us.”
