[Urbannizer]

Developer gets extension on 33-story Landmark Tower plan in Allentown

Now that two years have passed since the Allentown Planning Commission gave final approval to a plan for a 33-story tower in the city's downtown, the project's developer needs an extension so he can build it.

And on Tuesday, the planning commission extended the final project approval through July 2019, said Bruce Loch, developer of Landmark Tower and a Certified Public Accountant who leads an accounting and consulting firm in South Whitehall Township.

He has not started construction on the $70 million 220,000-square-foot-building, which would go up at the corner of Ninth and Walnut streets. However, the site is within the Neighborhood Improvement Zone, a lucrative tax incentive for tenants that allows for reduced rental rates and has fueled more than $1 billion in construction of new buildings and renovations of existing ones in the city’s downtown.

The plans call for two floors of retail, 24 floors of offices, seven floors of condominiums and access to a parking deck. W2A Design Group of Allentown is the architect.