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Welcome to the site of Allentown’s Lehigh River Waterfront Project!
The Mayor's MessageWelcomeAbout the ProjectThe Study AreaProject Schedule
Mayor Ed Pawlowski
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The Lehigh River waterfront has been the topic of much discussion and speculation over the years, all the while remaining a hidden treasure right in the middle of Allentown. As is the case with many similar waterfronts in cities across the country, these areas that were often neglected and primarily used to support industry are now being reclaimed to take advantage of their natural environments and the redevelopment opportunities they represent.
Our waterfront can be anything we want it to be, from providing recreation and entertainment opportunities, to providing a unique residential experience and even to its continuance as a place for business and commerce. We are about to begin a community planning process for the Lehigh River waterfront that will consider all of these options and ultimately set the direction for the development of the waterfront now and into the future. This website will provide an opportunity for the community to keep in touch with the progress of the planning process and to provide feedback to the city and its consulting team. Please check back often as new information is added and chances for formal public involvement are listed.
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The City of Allentown would like to welcome you to the Lehigh River Waterfront Master Plan home page.
By its very name, the “Lehigh River Waterfront Master Plan,” is intended to enhance public areas of the riverfront and its neighborhood edges along with attracting new businesses to the riverfront zones. While building on the unique character and heritage of the adjacent neighborhoods and by being creative and flexible, the plan will address a mixture of uses including transit, the ability of people to get around, parking and open areas.
Through a common community vision that includes creative design principles, strategies and innovative site development concepts, the Plan will build upon the City’s river orientation, architectural heritage, cultural mix, industrial economy and Eastern Pennsylvania quality of life that Allentown’s residents enjoy.
The goal for this study is to help the Lehigh River Waterfront reach its optimal potential as a balanced, live-work-tourism destination known for its classic residential atmosphere, niche commercial/entertainment uses, strong urban streets and transit corridors, expanded employment opportunities, surrounding open areas, creative reuse of historic structures, celebrated civic heritage and magnetic riverfront.
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About The Project
The Lehigh River Waterfront Master Plan is made possible through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, under its Community Transportation Initiative. The project limits include the west side of the Lehigh River from the City line south to the Hamilton Street Bridge.
Because of the magnitude of the project area (120+ acres), the redevelopment of the entire area will necessitate the efforts and investments of multiple developers in multiple phases and will be guided by a community supported and well thought-out master plan. The plan will:
- Analyze the existing transportation infrastructure and make recommendations for transportation improvements,
- Incorporate the transportation impacts of the construction of the American Parkway Bridge (anticipated to begin by 2012) and recommend a multi-modal approach to moving people to and within the study area,
- Consider and possibly integrate office, entertainment, commercial, recreational and residential mixed-use developments with prominent and integrated public space components with specific attention paid to reuse alternatives for the several large publicly owned structures including the former Neuweiler Brewery and Ribbon Works buildings, and
- Connect the existing park and trail system, the existing neighborhoods and the downtown and accommodate connection to a possible future Lehigh Valley passenger rail network.
Lehigh River Waterfront (Character & Context)
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Click on image to enlarge and view in detail
The Lehigh River Waterfront extends along the west side of the Lehigh River from the northern city line south to the Hamilton Street Bridge. This area is immediately adjacent to the 1st and 6th Wards of the City of Allentown and is currently comprised of a mix of ongoing industrial uses, vacant and abandoned Brownfield properties, and some public space.
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The Study Area
The consulting firm, EDSA, will work with the City of Allentown to prepare a Waterfront Master Plan for approximately 1.3 miles of the Lehigh River Waterfront. The project study area includes the western bank of the Lehigh River extending from the proposed American Parkway Extension to Lehigh Landing. The study area will be divided into three zones:
The South Waterfront Zone is generally defined by Front Street to the west, Hamilton Street to the south, the Lehigh River to the east and Buck Boyle Park to the north. This area has been primarily known as Lehigh Landing over the past 10 years, anchored by the America on Wheels Museum. With the recent demolition of the KALO Building, this area offers the most open and closest approach to the Lehigh River with limited public river access offered at the Buck Boyle Park pavilion area. Other notable building or open space uses in this area include:
- The Hamilton Street Bridge;
- The Lehigh River dam, lock and fish ladder;
- Canal Park (on the east bank)
- The America on Wheels Museum and parking;
- Pennsylvania Power and Light facilities;
- The Frick Boat Club (private river access);
- Buck Boyle park baseball, football/soccer fields and basketball courts;
- The old Albright & Son Co. building;
- The R.J. Corman Railroad Group service spur; and,
- Various Ward 1 neighborhood residences and businesses
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The Central Riverfront Zone is generally defined by Front Street to the west, Buck Boyle Park to the south, the Lehigh River to the east and the Tilghman Street Bridge to the north. The area remains largely industrial in character and use, with the exception of the residential and school blocks along Front Street, Brick Street and under the Tilghman Bridge. Other notable building or open space uses in this area include:
- The Buck Boyle Park Community Center;
- The Lehigh University Boat House;
- The old Neuweiler Brewery complex;
- A memorial park space to Mayor Samuel McHose in the upper Buck Boyle Park;
- The old Ribbon Works Factory site;
- The Old American Atelier furniture factory site;
- The current Iron Mountain Storage facilities (Old Ingersoll Rand site);
- The southern portion of the old Lehigh Structural Steel buildings and cranes;
- A mechanical equipment salvage yard;
- The Tilghman Street Bridge;
- The R.J. Corman Railroad Group service spur continued; and,
- Various Ward 1 and Ward 6 neighborhood residences and businesses along Front Street and Brick Street
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The North Riverfront Zone is generally defined by Front Street to the west, the Tilghman Street Bridge to the south, the Lehigh River to the east and the City/County boundary line to the north. Like the Central Zone this area remains largely industrial in character and use, with multiple, smaller industries occupying the previous Lehigh Structural Steel site and buildings. The northern portion of the zone is primarily dedicated to outdoor storage of industrial products and equipment. Other notable building or open space uses in this area include:
- The northern portion of the old Lehigh Structural Steel buildings and cranes;
- The Tilghman Street Bridge;
- The R.J. Corman Railroad Group service spur continued;
- The dedicated right-of-way for the proposed American Parkway Bridge
- The old Lehigh River railway bridge crossing over the to the Kimmets Lock Park area (on the east bank); and,
- Various Ward 6 neighborhood residences and businesses along Front Street, Brick Street and the Tilghman Bridge
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The existing conditions in each of these zones will continue to be analyzed over the next few weeks to document the issues to be addressed, the challenges to be overcome and the opportunities to be explored in the ongoing Lehigh River Waterfront Master Plan process. Please continue to check back for updates to the planning approaches for each of the river zones. Thank You.
Creating zones of focus for the riverfront plan will help the study team work with stakeholders to explore:
- Redefinition of the open space system to provide the greatest amenity value for the redevelopment project and the City,
- Evaluating the potential for expanded waterfront marine access and landside support buildings for resident and transient boating patrons, i.e. additional boathouse for local rowing clubs,
- New roadway/street access into the sites with gateway entries signaling a sense of place,
- Potential commercial, restaurant/retail, hospitality and office development sites,
- A series of apartment and/or condominium sites offering expanded downtown living,
- Potential, creative adaptive re-use of the existing industrial buildings along the Lehigh River waterfront,
- The development and enhancement potential of additional land parcels or public rights-of-way just outside the riverfront development study area that play a role in setting an overall image for the riverfront district(s) and nearby neighborhood areas,
- Other items that are raised by the public and Lehigh River Task Force throughout the planning process.
Schedule
It is anticipated that the study will take approximately ten months and proceed through four phases of data collection and decision making:
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For the City of Allentown, Pennsylvania | All Rights Reserved
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