ALLENTOWN, Pa. | The Allentown Housing Authority hopes to begin work this summer on rebuilding a 1970s era housing development situated at a busy city intersection.
The Allentown Planning Commission last week approved land development plans for phase one of the Little Lehigh redevelopment at Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Lehigh Street. Planning commissioners first reviewed sketch plans for the project in December.
Opened in 1975, Little Lehigh currently features 76 apartments. The mix includes efficiency and one- to five-bedroom apartments. The redevelopment project will create three lots that include the first and second phases of the redevelopment and the existing senior high-rise building at 700 Union St.
The first phase of the project will take place toward the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive portion of the property. The housing authority will demolish a community building and 48 apartments and eight other apartments on what will eventually be the project’s second phase.
Phase one construction will include 50 two-story townhouses: 13 one-bedroom, 15 two- and three-bedroom and seven four-bedroom. It will also include new tot lot and a 7,400-square-foot community building that will house management and maintenance operations and a Head Start classroom.
The project will include a new driveway onto Lehigh Street and all new utilities. Planning commissioners unanimously approved land development plans for phase one subject to satisfying the largely technical comment letter from city planning staff. Planning Commissioner Mark Buchvalt is the project engineer and recused himself from deliberations.
The Little Lehigh redevelopment is a tax-credit project in partnership with Pennrose Management. As a tax-credit project, Pennrose will own the buildings, while the Allentown Housing Authority continues to own the land, according to housing authority Executive Director Daniel Farrell.
The housing authority hopes to see construction begin by the end of June with a roughly 14-month construction schedule, according to Farrell. Occupancy should be complete by the third quarter of 2022, he said.
The authority is in the process of relocating residents. Farrell said the availability of rentals is tight right now and not everyone has received a voucher yet as the authority is working building to building to find housing for its tenants.
Farrell said 20 apartments on the upper portion of the property near Union Street will remain during construction of phase one. Once phase one is complete, those residents will have the first right to move into the newly completed homes.
The housing authority is currently planning on 45 new homes in phase two, meaning a net gain of 19 apartments in a redeveloped Little Lehigh. The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, which awards the federal tax credits, is only accepting applications once a year, so the housing authority is currently deciding on when to apply for the next round of tax credits, Farrell said.
The Little Lehigh project was the third major redevelopment on the housing authority’s to-do list based on age. The first two were the HOPE VI project that converted Hanover Acres and Riverview Terrace into Overlook Park and Cumberland Gardens.
Farrell said the senior high-rise on the property at 700 Union St. will not be part of a larger redevelopment plan but rather will receive upgrades as part of a regular capital improvement schedule.
The Link LonkFebruary 15, 2021 at 11:25PM
https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/lehighvalley/allentown-planners-ok-phase-one-of-little-lehigh-housing-redevelopment/article_78b88b82-6faa-11eb-b5d1-5355c0dde935.html
Allentown planners OK phase one of Little Lehigh housing redevelopment - 69News WFMZ-TV
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