Aug. 25, 2026
— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
ANIZDA, the group behind Allentown’s improvement district that subsidizes development, will review Wednesday the addition of the proposed next site of the Allentown Art Museum to the district.
The Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone Development Authority‘s Project Review Committee has this on the agenda under new business:
Application for Parcel Transfer into NIZ for Allentown Art Museum 1001 Hamilton Street Project
Application for Allentown Art Museum 1001 Hamilton Steet Project
The ANIZDA is limited to 128 acres. Adding a parcel to it requires that another be subtracted. That can be a park or other site that is not going to be developed anyway.
The district has drawn controversy. The skyline of the city has changed, but developers such as City Center Group have reaped benefits.
The Allentown Art Museum announced in 2025 that it would move from Fifth and Linden streets to 10th and Hamilton streets. The timing and the cost was not disclosed, but the museum sought $21 million from the State of Pennsylvania. It received $500,000 but can always ask for more.
The Da Vinci Science Center, which had a disastrous first year in downtown Allentown, went to ANIZDA for help before spending $65 million or so on a building that missed attendance projections by 60%. Yes, Da Vinci was 240,000 people short of projections.
I’m a fan of the art museum and have been a paying member in the past. Still, I hope this project doesn’t hinge on public funding. If it does, stay at 31 N. Fifth St.
ANIZDA benefits developers by redirecting some tax payments to the costs of development. The authority also arranges financing.
The ANIZDA Project Review Committee will meet at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at the America on Wheels Museum at 5 N. Front St., Allentown.
“This meeting is subject to cancellation,” according to ANIZDA. Whether that is likely or just a routine statement, I don’t know. The association has had some issues with naming members.
Check the ANIZDA website before heading over to the Lehigh River waterfront.
