19-469: Hamilton Street is a major thoroughfare and historic street in the Center City section of Allentown, Pennsylvania . The street dates back to 1762, when Allentown's founder, William Allen , included it as one of the first of several streets to be constructed in the city. The street is named for James Hamilton , who served as the mayor of Philadelphia from 1745 to 1746 and two terms as deputy governor of
38-515: A comprehensive parking analysis conducted by Traffic Planning and Design, Inc. (TPD) was submitted to Allentown Economic Development Corporation. The analysis stated the total number of parking spaces within the study area, between the public and private parking garages and surface lots, was of approximately 7,376 parking spaces. As a result of this parking analysis, the existing spaces and proposed construction of an additional 500 parking spaces to be built with this development, will adequately accommodate
57-656: A major development project was completed on Hamilton Street, which included the construction and opening of PPL Center , an 8,500 indoor arena that serves as the home arena for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms , an American Hockey League team and the primary development hockey team for the Philadelphia Flyers . The arena also hosts major concerts, sports, and entertainment events throughout the year. The City of Allentown holds its annual "Classics & Cruisers" event on Hamilton Street, which features classic cars from
76-610: A new 180-room Renaissance by Marriott hotel. The competition to build a new arena for the Phantoms in 2008 was primarily between Allentown and Camden, New Jersey . While Camden was closer, Allentown had a more elaborate proposal which helped secure Allentown's bid for the team. Plans to build the PPL Center at the corner of 7th and Hamilton streets in Center City Allentown were announced in late 2009. For much of 2009 and 2010,
95-527: Is an 8,500 seat capacity indoor sports arena in Allentown, Pennsylvania . It opened on September 10, 2014. It is the home arena for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League , the primary development hockey team for the Philadelphia Flyers . The arena also hosts major concerts, sports, and entertainment events throughout the year. The arena was part of a larger redevelopment project of
114-590: Is home to the corporate headquarters of PPL Corporation , a New York Stock Exchange -traded company with over 6,500 employees and $ 7.9 billion in annual revenue as of 2022. Center City Allentown is part of the Allentown School District , one of the largest public school districts in Pennsylvania that manages the district's two large public high schools, four middle schools, 17 elementary schools, and one charter school. PPL Center The PPL Center
133-663: The American Hockey League , the primary development hockey team of the Philadelphia Flyers . It had been home to the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks , an indoor football team, who played four seasons in the arena from 2015 to 2018. It also served as the site for the last remaining home games and two home playoff games for the Arena Football League 's Philadelphia Soul while the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia
152-607: The Jordan Creek to the east, Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to the south, the city line with Whitehall Township to the north, and 15th Street to the west. Center City's population based on a 2007 estimate was 53,548. Center City is defined as 6.271 sq. mi., making the population density 8539/square miles. Center City's tallest building is the PPL Building at 322 ft (98 m). The Allentown Art Museum , Miller Symphony Hall ,
171-568: The colonial-era Province of Pennsylvania from 1759 to 1763 and 1748 to 1754. Hamilton Street begins at the end of Hanover Avenue just east of the Lehigh River in Allentown 's east-side, then crosses the Lehigh River, and proceeds through Center City Allentown , where it becomes PA Route 222 past 13th Street in Allentown's west-side. Hamilton Street was one of the first streets developed in
190-421: The 18th century by William Allen , a shipping merchant and former mayor of Philadelphia . On September 10, 1735, Allen acquired 5,000-acre (20 km) that includes present-day Center City Allentown , from Joseph Turner , an iron manufacturer and also a former mayor of Philadelphia. In the 1970s, Hamilton Street was developed as the central shopping district in Allentown. In the late 20th century, however,
209-422: The 1970s and 1980s. Center City Allentown Center City Allentown is the downtown and central business district of Allentown, Pennsylvania , the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania . It has a dense population and is currently undergoing an urban revitalization process. Allentown's Center City is generally defined as the area centered around Hamilton and 7th Streets, bordered by
SECTION 10
#1732848015719228-440: The central business district of Allentown. The project encompasses a five-acre square block area in which several new structures are planned to be erected: Part of the arena site was previously developed in the 1980s as an office building called Corporate Plaza. On February 23, 1994, it collapsed into a sinkhole, due to limestone in the ground and the decision to not place the building on a concrete pad, but rather on spread footings;
247-407: The focus of the project was on securing funding. The project took a major leap forward in 2011 when several properties were purchased by the city of Allentown to help clear the way for the project to begin. By the end of January 2012, all of the properties had been purchased with final demolition of all buildings occurring in early February 2012. The arena plays host to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of
266-696: The former site of Hess's Department Stores' original and flagship store, Baum School of Art , Lehigh County Historical Society and Heritage Museum are Center City landmarks. An 8,500-capacity indoor arena, PPL Center , opened in August 2014, and is the home arena for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms , the primary development team of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Center City Allentown includes four residential neighborhoods : Seventh Street, Downtown, Old Allentown, Old Fairgrounds District, and North of Tilghman Street (NOTI). Center City
285-439: The highest peak period parking demands of the proposed Allentown arena and mixed-used development. In comparison, Coca-Cola Park on Allentown's east side has 2,500 parking spots available. Also on May 31, 2011, a comprehensive traffic analysis conducted by Traffic Planning and Design, Inc. (TPD) was submitted to Allentown Economic Development Corporation. The report stated that the existing roadway infrastructure can accommodate
304-406: The new traffic generated by the proposed development. Conditions will be further improved with the recommended improvements. Some criticism about the PPL Center centered around the cost of the arena relative to the cost of other dedicated American Hockey League arenas in the country. Nathan Benefield, the director of Public Analysis for The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives ,
323-549: The plaza was imploded on March 19 of that year. Within the arena on the ground floor, WFMZ-TV maintains a studio that houses its news operation. Its naming rights are owned by the PPL Corporation , an Allentown-based company that paid an undisclosed sum over ten years for the naming rights. Rebuilding an arena on the site of the Spectrum in Philadelphia was rejected in favor of the more profitable Xfinity Live! project and
342-577: The subsequent development of indoor shopping malls in Allentown suburbs, including Lehigh Valley Mall in Fullerton , South Mall in Salisbury Township , and Whitehall Mall in Whitehall Township , drew customers away from Hamilton Street's shopping district, and many of its largest stores, including Hess's , Leh's , and others, were either acquired or went out of business. In September 2014,
361-641: Was hosting the 2016 Democratic National Convention . The arena has hosted the NHL preseason game, called "Flyers in the Valley", annually since 2016. Since 2016, the arena also hosts the Allentown Indoor Race, a midget car racing event of the Indoor Auto Racing Championship Series. Since its opening in 2014, PPL Center has hosted a number of notable concerts, including: On May 31, 2011,
#718281