To continue our focus on Trinity Place at the southern edge of Allentown I want to call attention to a couple of buildings (lead image) with tremendous potential on this charming street that currently act only as a lead weights to improvement. I have long anguished over the condition and long decline of these two which sit on the southwest corner of Trinity at Elmwood. They have sported a pair of for ‘for sale’ signs for several months or more now. The building directly on the corner is a long structure with an unused storefront facing Trinity. The rest appears to be occupied by several apartments. It seems to be in decent condition but poor quality finishes and “upgrades” over the years, along with the empty storefront do no favors for this corner and lend the neighborhood a dumpy aura that is not helped by the massive parking lots across Elmwood.
Renovated, this building would be transformative for this stretch of Elmwood. The building adjacent to the west is much smaller and also has an empty storefront with a second floor (also apparently empty) which is probably an apartment. This building still has most of its original detail and is very charming but is in very poor condition. It has been abused for as long as I can remember. I would assume it is not long for this world unless a good owner is found soon.
Across the street from these two on the north corner are houses which have long been in great condition (see above). They add tremendously to the street and exude the loving touch of their owners. They don’t deserve to have rotting buildings across from them. The north corner buildings are a great example of what the south corner should be. It is my understanding that the most recent owner of the south corner buildings recently died which means they are likely in control of an estate. I looked for the listing for these on the web sites of Saperston (716) 847.1100 and Hastings +Cohn (716) 886.DEAL (from the signs) but could not find it. These are the simple everyday buildings that have to be saved in order to build a great place.
Imagine if the city had a plan that recognized the value of a beautiful street like Trinity that needs just a little investment push to become all around desirable. If the city had a plan like that they would probably invest in buildings like these instead of the scatter-shot plastic houses that are dropped randomly around hollowed out streets with no goal for the investment. Anyone out there up for the challenge here?