City Center Allentown Building Community Annual Report 2022

CITY CENTER DONATES MORE THAN $3 MILLION TOTAL TO MORE THAN 50 ORGANIZATIONS IN 2022 THROUGH ITS BUILDING COMMUNITY PROGRAM

City Center Investment Corp., the real estate development company revitalizing downtown Allentown, Pennsylvania, announced today it donated more than $3 million total to more than 50 organizations in 2022 through its Building Community program. Over the past five years, Building Community has donated more than $19 million total, mainly to organizations in downtown Allentown.
 
Building Community is the community-engagement initiative of City Center and its principals and employees. The initiative aims to revitalize downtown Allentown and its surrounding neighborhoods into a sustainable, vibrant urban community by providing financial support, in-kind donations, and volunteer service in three key results-oriented areas: the arts, education, and community development. In 2022, City Center’s 26 employees volunteered at approximately 45 organizations, donating more than 2,000 total hours.
 
“City Center and our affiliates believe we can make the greatest impact by concentrating our giving in downtown Allentown, whether we’re supporting façade improvements on Hamilton Street or connecting our apartment residents with volunteer opportunities in the city,” said City Center Director of Marketing and Community Relations Jill Brader Meyers. “City Center is proud to play a role in strengthening the downtown Allentown community, and we look forward to continuing our work and partnerships for the greater good throughout 2023.”
 
Major Building Community initiatives in 2022 included a donation to the Allentown Art Museum to permanently eliminate all admission fees and an expansion of the downtown’s Learning Hub and Neighborhood Resource Center so Community Services for Children and Valley Health Partners can serve more families in need. 

“As a safety-net healthcare provider, Valley Health Partners Community Health Center is thrilled to be working with City Center to expand access to convenient, affordable medical, mental health, vision, and dental care for the most vulnerable people in downtown Allentown,” said Veronica Gonzalez, CEO of Valley Health Partners Community Health Center. “We believe everyone deserves high-quality, culturally sensitive healthcare, and City Center is playing a critical role in expanding our reach and serving our community.”

Also in 2022, City Center helped fund improvements to seven more commercial facades on Hamilton Street. In addition, the company renewed its commitment to The Real Estate Lab, the free program it launched with Lafayette College to teach downtown Allentown residents how to invest in real estate and manage properties in their community. Twenty-seven graduates of The Real Estate Lab’s program have purchased a total of more than $4 million in downtown properties since the Lab launched in 2020. 

“City Center’s ongoing support of The Real Estate Lab has allowed many downtown Allentown residents to learn how to invest in real estate and manage properties in their own community,” said Yusuf Dahl, cofounder of The Real Estate Lab. “The space City Center provides at 6th and Linden streets offers residents walkable access to the resources and capital they need to become real estate entrepreneurs.” 
 
Additional key 2022 Building Community partners included:

  • Allentown Art Museum
  • Allentown Symphony Association 
  • Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center
  • Building 21
  • Central Elementary School
  • Communities in Schools of the Lehigh Valley 
  • Community Action Lehigh Valley  
  • Community Services for Children
  • Ripple Community Inc.
  • The Baum School of Art 
  • United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley
  • YWCA Allentown, including Perfect Fit Boutique

In 2023, City Center’s philanthropy will continue to focus on the arts, education, and community development. To view the 2022 Building Community Impact Report and for instructions on how to request financial or in-kind support, please visit www.citycenterallentown.com/building-community.