ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A development project to create more than 400 apartments at the vacant Dixie Cup factory in Wilson Borough took another step toward fruition at the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission meeting on Thursday night.
The commission voted unanimously to accept the staff review letter.
Project developer Skyline Investment Group, of New York City, proposes a mixed-use reconstruction of the historic building at 315 S. 24th St. into 405 apartments.
Also planned is construction of 3,373 square feet of commercial space for a dog lounge and spa.
The project is estimated to cost $155 million.
LVPC Chair Christopher Amato said developing the Dixie Cup building, which has been vacant for 41 years, has personal significance.
“When my grandfather returned from World War II, he was hired at the Dixie factory and worked as a millwright for 40 years,” he said. “That opportunity allowed him to buy a small home in Easton’s West Ward. This gives us an opportunity for other people to have that same chance.”
“I believe this conforms with Future LV. In my opinion, Save The Cup.”
Transforming the factory with the iconic Dixie Cup on its roof into apartments will help address the growing housing shortage in the Lehigh Valley, planning committee members said, including a 34,000-unit deficit in units priced for higher income levels.
“I believe this conforms with Future LV. In my opinion, Save The Cup.”Christopher R. Amato, chair, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
The smaller 900-square-foot apartments will run about $1,900 per month, Skyline consultant Claudia Robinson has said.
Two-bedroom apartments will be roughly $2,800 per month for 1,400 square feet.
The former factory’s boiler house will become a dog-friendly cafe and lounge
Tenants will also have access to amenities including a club room with a warming kitchen, a fourth-floor rooftop lounge with outdoor space, and a well-equipped fitness center and a pool.
Outside, the developers will build new parks and plazas for both residents and the public, including tie-ins to a nearby public bike trail.
The giant Dixie Cup will be removed from the roof and placed in one of the parks below. In its place will rise a lighter, more durable fiberglass copy.
The LVPC commended the proposed retention of the existing building as it is adapted to a new use, which promotes development that complements the unique history, environment, culture and needs of the Lehigh Valley.
The property is within an area identified in FutureLV: The Regional Plan as a Development Area.
Areas designated for development have the infrastructure to accommodate future growth, or redevelopment in the case of the proposed project, and this project serves to increase the density of residential and mixed-use development.
About three-quarters of the units will be one-bedroom apartments; the remainder are all two-bedroom units.
The planning committee also noted that retaining the more than 100-year-old building could make it eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
“The site was previously the Dixie Cup factory, and while it has been vacant for decades, the building holds considerable local cultural and historical value,” the commission review letter said.
Maintaining the building also leaves an opportunity to receive federal historic tax credits, up to a 20% investment, which can assist in the preservation, reuse and rehabilitation of the site.
Riverside Drive project advances
The commission voted unanimously to accept the staff review of a proposal for construction of an approximately 2.3-mile extension of Riverside Drive along the Lehigh River.
The application proposes to construct a new local road and multi-use trail along the former railroad right of way between Furnace Street in the City of Allentown and Wood Street/Lehigh Avenue in Whitehall Township.
The proposal extends the paved motor vehicle access from Furnace Street to Wood Street, providing connections to the Route 22 interchange at Fullerton Avenue.
The multimodal corridor will serve all modes of transportation.
Connections between Riverside Drive and both Jordan Drive and Kimmet Avenue are also proposed.
The roadway is to be 28 feet wide curb-to-curb for most of its length in Whitehall Township, expanding to 36 feet wide at Furnace Street and the Jordan Drive connection in Allentown to accommodate a center left turn lane.
The road is to be posted with a 25-mile-per-hour posted speed limit.
The proposal extends the completed Phase 1 of the project, which includes the construction of Riverside Drive from Hamilton Street north to Furnace Street.
A 12-foot-wide paved shared-use path for walking and bicycling will be constructed parallel to Riverside Drive, and a five-foot wide landscaped buffer with streetlights and street trees will be located between Riverside and the shared-use path.
Reporter Ryan Gaylor contributed to this report.
