Affordable Housing Focus in Allentown

Renderings: KMA Design Studio

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.

With preliminary approvals secured, Cortex Residential is now pursuing various funding options and aims to resume work on the project in the second quarter. Bohler’s role will include providing final design compliance items, overseeing plan recording, and coordinating sewer planning.

Learn about more land development projects across the Lehigh Valley here.