City Center Allentown has begun leasing apartments for its latest residential project, which is still under construction.
The $13 million Walnut Street Commons, set to open in May, will add 61 apartments to downtown Allentown.
Rents start at $967 for studio units, $1,275 for one-bedroom units, and $1,570 for two-bedroom units.
The 70,000-square-foot-project marks a slight departure from City Center Allentown’s residential projects in the city’s downtown.
For one, Walnut Street Commons is the first significant project the company has developed outside the Neighborhood Improvement Zone.
Walnut Street Commons also will wrap around an existing parking structure, hiding it, whereas other City Center buildings have exposed parking.
Overall, City Center wanted to attract residents looking for a suburban atmosphere but in an urban area.
“With this one we wanted good, suburban crossover,” said Jane Heft, vice president of project design and corporate branding for City Center Allentown.
Heft worked with the architect, Bernardon of Philadelphia, to design the project.
She described the exterior of the building as a little less polished in order to fit in with the brownstones around it.
Exterior walls at Walnut Street will be a mixture of reddish-brown, black and beige. All of City Center’s other residential projects feature a predominantly gray exterior designed to attract younger residents.
“Being on Walnut Street, we wanted to pick up that brownstone façade,” Heft said. “We want that corridor to feel a little more residential.”
As it looks to build in other neighborhoods, the company’s projects will be designed to blend in, according to Heft. “It is our responsibility that we are building something that suits the neighborhoods,” Heft said.
