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PPL Center

Coordinates: 40°36′9″N 75°28′22″W / 40.60250°N 75.47278°W / 40.60250; -75.47278
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PPL Center
PPL Center's logo as of 2018
PPL Center in 2018
PPL Center is located in Pennsylvania
PPL Center
PPL Center
Location of PPL Center in Pennsylvania
PPL Center is located in the United States
PPL Center
PPL Center
Location within the United States
Address701 Hamilton Street
LocationAllentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Coordinates40°36′9″N 75°28′22″W / 40.60250°N 75.47278°W / 40.60250; -75.47278
Public transitBus transport LANta bus: 102, 103, 104, 107, 209, 210, 211, 213, 218, 220, 322, 323, 324 at Allentown Transportation Center
OwnerCity of Allentown
OperatorGlobal Spectrum[1]
Capacity8,420 (9,046 with standing room) (Hockey)[2]
10,500 (Concerts)[3]
8,500 (Indoor football)
SurfaceMulti-surface
Construction
Broke groundJanuary 3, 2012 (site demolition)[4]
November 29, 2012 (official)[5]
OpenedSeptember 10, 2014[10]
Construction cost$191.4 million ($282 million total project)[6]
ArchitectSink Combs Dethlefs
Elkus Manfredi Architects
Project managerHammes Company Sports Development, Inc.
Structural engineerMartin/Martin, Inc.[7]
Services engineerM–E Engineers, Inc.[8]
General contractorAlvin H. Butz Jr.[9]
Tenants
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL) (2014–present)
Lehigh Valley Steelhawks (PIFL/AIF/NAL) (2015–2018)
Philadelphia Soul (AFL) (2016) (late season and playoffs)
Website
pplcenter.com

The PPL Center is an 8,500 seat capacity indoor sports arena in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It opened on September 10, 2014. It is the home arena for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League, the primary development hockey team for the Philadelphia Flyers. The arena also hosts major concerts, sports, and entertainment events throughout the year.

Overview

Construction of PPL Center underway in Center City Allentown in September 2013
Entrance to the PPL Center (on left) in Allentown in October 2018
Pre-game before the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the primary development hockey team of the Philadelphia Flyers, take the ice at PPL Center in February 2017

The arena was part of a larger redevelopment project of the central business district of Allentown. The project encompasses a five-acre square block area in which several new structures are planned to be erected:[11] Part of the arena site was previously developed in the 1980s as an office building called Corporate Plaza. On February 23, 1994, it collapsed into a sinkhole, due to limestone in the ground and the decision to not place the building on a concrete pad, but rather on spread footings; the plaza was imploded on March 19 of that year.[12] Within the arena on the ground floor, WFMZ-TV maintains a studio that houses its news operation.

Its naming rights are owned by the PPL Corporation, an Allentown-based company that paid an undisclosed sum over ten years for the naming rights.[11]

History

Rebuilding an arena on the site of the Spectrum in Philadelphia was rejected in favor of the more profitable Xfinity Live! project and a new 180-room Renaissance by Marriott hotel. The competition to build a new arena for the Phantoms in 2008 was primarily between Allentown and Camden, New Jersey.[13] While Camden was closer, Allentown had a more elaborate proposal which helped secure Allentown's bid for the team.[citation needed]

Plans to build the PPL Center at the corner of 7th and Hamilton streets in Center City Allentown were announced in late 2009. For much of 2009 and 2010, the focus of the project was on securing funding. The project took a major leap forward in 2011 when several properties were purchased by the city of Allentown to help clear the way for the project to begin. By the end of January 2012, all of the properties had been purchased with final demolition of all buildings occurring in early February 2012.

Sports

The arena plays host to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League, the primary development hockey team of the Philadelphia Flyers. It had been home to the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks, an indoor football team, who played four seasons in the arena from 2015 to 2018. It also served as the site for the last remaining home games and two home playoff games for the Arena Football League's Philadelphia Soul while the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia was hosting the 2016 Democratic National Convention. The arena has hosted the NHL preseason game, called "Flyers in the Valley", annually since 2016.

Since 2016, the arena also hosts the Allentown Indoor Race, a midget car racing event of the Indoor Auto Racing Championship Series.

Concerts

Since its opening in 2014, PPL Center has hosted a number of notable concerts, including:[14]

2024

2023

2022

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

Parking and traffic

On May 31, 2011, a comprehensive parking analysis conducted by Traffic Planning and Design, Inc. (TPD) was submitted to Allentown Economic Development Corporation. The analysis stated the total number of parking spaces within the study area, between the public and private parking garages and surface lots, was of approximately 7,376 parking spaces. As a result of this parking analysis, the existing spaces and proposed construction of an additional 500 parking spaces to be built with this development, will adequately accommodate the highest peak period parking demands of the proposed Allentown arena and mixed-used development.[15] In comparison, Coca-Cola Park on Allentown's east side has 2,500 parking spots available.[16]

Also on May 31, 2011, a comprehensive traffic analysis conducted by Traffic Planning and Design, Inc. (TPD) was submitted to Allentown Economic Development Corporation. The report stated that the existing roadway infrastructure can accommodate the new traffic generated by the proposed development. Conditions will be further improved with the recommended improvements.[17]

Controversy

Some criticism about the PPL Center centered around the cost of the arena relative to the cost of other dedicated American Hockey League arenas in the country. Nathan Benefield, the director of Public Analysis for The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives, a Pennsylvania free-market think tank that opposes public funding of stadiums, believes that the PPL Center benefited from funding a plan with no cap on public money beyond the annual revenue generated by the zone.[18] As of October 2012, $224.3 million in bonds have been sold.[11][19][20]

See also

References

  1. ^ McEvoy, Colin (January 30, 2014). "Allentown Hockey Arena Operator Announced as Construction Progresses". The Express-Times. Easton. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  2. ^ "Record Crowd at PPL Center as Phantoms Garner 5th Straight Sellout". Lehigh Valley Phantoms. January 16, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  3. ^ "Public Invited to PPL Center Open House & Arts Park Celebration". WFMZ-TV. Allentown. August 27, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  4. ^ McEvoy, Colin (January 3, 2012). "As Allentown Hockey Arena Demolition Begins, New Business Announces Office Opening". The Express-Times. Easton. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  5. ^ Kraus, Scott; Assad, Matt (November 29, 2012). "Phantoms, Allentown Formally Launch Arena Construction". The Morning Call. Allentown. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  6. ^ Assad, Matt; Kraus, Scott (September 19, 2015). "How Allentown built the most expensive minor league complex in the country". The Morning Call. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  7. ^ "High Concrete Group Producing Precast Concrete for Parking Garage of New Arena in Allentown, Pa" (Press release). High Concrete Group. April 28, 2013. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
  8. ^ "Arenas". M–E Engineers, Inc. Archived from the original on November 24, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  9. ^ Lash, Devin (April 4, 2012). "Allentown Zoners Approve Butz's $10M Expansion Downtown". The Morning Call. Allentown. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  10. ^ Kraus, Scott; Assad, Matt (September 10, 2014). "Arena Opens, Symbol of Hope for a Better Allentown". The Morning Call. Allentown. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  11. ^ a b c McEvoy, Colin (February 21, 2013). "Allentown Hockey Arena Will Be Named PPL Center". The Express-Times. Easton. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
  12. ^ "Corporate Plaza collapse stunned Lehigh Valley 18 years ago". WFMZ-TV. Allentown. February 20, 2012.
  13. ^ Blockus, Gary R. (September 6, 2008). "Faceoff for Minor League Hockey Team?". The Morning Call. Allentown. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  14. ^ ""PPL Center Concert History", Concert archives
  15. ^ "Parking Analysis" (PDF). City of Allentown. May 31, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  16. ^ "A to Z Guide". Lehigh Valley IronPigs. November 22, 2010. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  17. ^ "Master Plan Traffic Analysis" (PDF). City of Allentown (via web.archive.org). May 31, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  18. ^ Kraus, Scott; Assad, Matt (February 4, 2012). "Allentown Hockey Arena Costs Adding Up". The Morning Call. Allentown. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  19. ^ Kraus, Scott (July 11, 2012). "Arena on Track to Rise in Fall With Pennsylvania Steel". The Morning Call. Allentown. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  20. ^ Panepinto, Peter (October 2, 2012). "Allentown Completes Bond Sales, Receives Funding for Hockey Arena Project". The Express-Times. Easton. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
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