Affordable Housing Focus in Allentown

Renderings by Architect

Tracking all the development activities scheduled for the Lehigh Valley in 2024 can be challenging.

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk predicts significant growth in both development and employment across the region. The forthcoming land development projects extend beyond entertainment venues and restaurant spaces, with a substantial focus on new housing units. The former Morning Call headquarters site alone is slated to bring in 231 new units.

Efforts are also underway to provide additional affordable housing options in areas such as Little Lehigh, Walnut Square, and 1528 West. In the case of Walnut Square, Bohler’s Lehigh Valley office is actively involved in site civil engineering design and permitting of the three-story, 38-unit affordable housing development. Cortex Residential, the project developer, engaged Bohler to assess the building’s vertical fit on the site, specifically taking into account the site’s eight-foot elevation change.

Bohler’s collaboration with architect KMA Design Studio on the first-floor elevation ensured that ADA access and all frontages worked with existing grades. Some units will be partially underground, while others will be accessed with steps and ramps.

Cortex Residential has secured $14.3 million from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA), with additional funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and a grant from Lehigh County. Supported by local and state officials, the project is set to begin early next year and welcome its first residents by 2026. Four units will be for those earning below 20% of the area median income (AMI), while the remaining units will serve families earning below 60% of the AMI.

Bohler’s role will include providing final design compliance items, overseeing plan recording, and coordinating sewer planning.

Learn more at LehighValleyNews.com.