ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A major hurdle in the redevelopment of PPL Tower has been cleared.
The Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission on Thursday unanimously approved the sale of the iconic center city office complex to Wilkes-Barre-based D&D Realty Group.
The sale comes more than four months after PPL Corp. announced that its subsidiary, PPL Electric Utilities, had reached a tentative $9 million agreement to sell its 96-year-old iconic tower building and complex at 2 N. 9th St.
“Yesterday’s unanimous approval of the sale of the PPL Center is a necessary next step in redeveloping the iconic building in downtown Allentown."State Sen. Nick Miller, D-14th
PPL announced in June plans to relocate its corporate headquarters to Two City Center, at 645 Hamilton St. in downtown Allentown.
D&D Realty Group plans to transform the 322-feet-high building into mixed-use commercial space, apartments and other uses.
With nearly 200 rental units owned and operated, D&D Realty Group has an outstanding reputation in the development of residential housing.
As a totally integrated company encompassing financing, construction and management of real estate projects, the real estate company has projects encompassing more than 225,000 square feet of residential and commercial real estate projects throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.
'A necessary step'
In a news release on Friday, state Sen. Nick Miller, D-14th, lauded the sale.
“Yesterday’s unanimous approval of the sale of the PPL Center is a necessary next step in redeveloping the iconic building in downtown Allentown,” Miller said.
“While I understand there is still additional work ahead related to this effort, I am encouraged by [Thursday’s] action.
"The building has essentially been vacant since the beginning of the pandemic and seeing the project continue smoothly in the redevelopment process is encouraging to say the least.”
The D&D Realty Group has invested more than $24 million in developments in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area over the past 13 years.
The company is owned by brothers Casey and Adam Donahue and Nicholas Dye. Dye and Adam Donahue are 2009 graduates of Ursinus College, and Casey Donahue is a 2008 graduate of Temple University.
