ALLENTOWN, Pa. | The Allentown Planning Commission has backed a proposal to convert another downtown warehouse into apartments.
Planning commissioners on Tuesday reviewed plans to build 20 apartments inside 123-127 N. Lumber St. Karol Ciechanowski, a principal in the development group, said the four-story building measures 22,800 square feet and includes a basement.
He told commissioners that plans call for four studio apartments, eight one-bedroom apartments and eight two-bedroom apartments. The basement will be developed into a tenant common area with storage and a gym.
Ciechanowski said the development group owns the building, which is largely vacant except for a portion of the first floor still occupied by the former owner. The group also purchased the adjoining lot and will develop it into four parking spaces. Ciechanowski said they’ve also secured eight more spots, about 450 feet away from the building, to meet the zoning requirement of 12 parking spaces.
In response to questions from the planning commission, Ciechanowski said plans include keeping the building’s brick façade and arched windows. The building currently has and will have entrances on Lumber and Chestnut streets. He told planners that interior designs will dictate which entrance is the building’s main entrance and where the elevator will be located.
And the building’s garbage bin will be stored outside and wheeled out on collection day, according to Ciechanowski.
The planning commission suggested the developer consider a drop-off area near the building given that some of the parking spaces are more than 400 feet away.
The commission considered the proposal an appropriate plan for the building and voted unanimously to recommend that the city’s zoning hearing board approve the developer’s adaptive re-use application.
The developer did not indicate during the meeting that was held on-line how much rents may be or a construction timeline.
