Comprehensive Rezoning approach including a map amendment to B-5
and a text amendment to MFD was the best approach. As many of them
are aware, we presented those amendments to both the Planning
Commission and City Council back in early 2021 and the amendments
were unanimously approved by both the Planning Commission and City
Council. Importantly, since then the Riverfront has started to gain
momentum for the first to time in over 40 years. This includes substantial
construction for the Riverfront Lofts which he will get into in a second. The
unanimous Planning Commission approval for the Neuweiler Lofts had
unanimous Planning Commission approval of Riverview Lofts II, the
construction of Riverside Drive as well as the introduction of improvements
of green space within the area. What we have in front of you today is
proposing to add an additional parcel into the B-5 district which they
believe is a logical extension of an approved zoning as well as the text
amendment to provide for flexibility and multiple uses along the Riverside
Drive corridor. What he did leave out of here and thinks it is very important
to take a community-based approach. They met with multiple community
leaders. He knows Council received a package of community support.
They got a Petition from nearly 95 local residents with about six or seven
letters of support. Those letters of support represent every single property
owner that be affected by the rezoning in front of you. The next few slides
are going to be a kind of before and after slides on some of the
improvements that have happened in the area since the implementation of
the B-5 amendment. He stated that on the left side of the screen, the
individuals are powerful. On the left side of the screen, this was back in
2020. This is now the Riverfront Lofts which is their second major
development on the Riverfront on the N. Front Street corridor. If you see on
the left side, that is the existing conditions in 2020 and obviously prior to
the previous zoning being approved and then fast forward a 2022 and the
building is now substantially complete and is set to come online later this
year. He stated that he thinks this is really going to be a catalyst for this
area. Ultimately, it is going to spearhead a tremendous amount of
development and ultimately the goal is to create and make Allentown one
of the best mid-sized cities in the country. Here you have a before and
after from N. Front Street and Riverside Drive in 2020 versus 2022. He
stated that to him it is a powerful image because if you think about it, it is
hard to believe that Riverside Drive was a thought and it was planned, but it
was never actually built prior to the rezoning. If you fast forward to 2022 on
the right side of your screen you see how Riverside Drive now blends in
with the newly created Front Lofts and it is really the gateway to the entire
Riverfront. They think that they zoning in front of Council today is a natural
extension to this newly created Riverside Drive corridor. He stated that this
slide is also particularly interesting to him because he remembers when he
was presenting initially back in 2021 and he talked about how when you are
facing the building from N. Front Street, you never know that you have a
beautiful eight-acre park and the Riverfront right on the other side. If you
look on the left side of the screen, in 2020 that is Riverside Drive behind
the Riverfront Lofts before construction. On the right side of the screen it is