Allentown City Center names new leasing manager

City Center Lehigh Valley, a major mixed-use development in Downtown Allentown, hired commercial broker Jarrett Laubach to serve as leasing manager.

Laubach joins City Center from Hawley Realty Inc. in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, where he said he spent almost nine years as an associate broker, negotiating and transacting nearly $50 million in commercial real estate sales and leases in and around the Lehigh Valley.

In his new role, Laubach will focus on office leasing, beginning with Three City Center, the development's third Class-A office building on the 500 block of Hamilton Street. The seven-story Three City Center will be completed in early 2015.

City Center will announce several commitments from multiple tenants for this property at an upcoming groundbreaking ceremony.

Site work recently started on this property that builds upon City Center's other projects under construction, including One City Center and the Renaissance Hotel on the block where a new hockey arena is being built.

"The success and vitality is really hinged on scale and our organization knew that," Laubach said. "The scale is what we are trying to achieve."

The revitalization bought a reawakening to the city, which is what Laubach said made him want to join City Center Lehigh Valley.

"I'm familiar with the history of Allentown," he said. "When the steel started going up on the buildings, you couldn't help but realize that this was more than a vision. The real estate component was conventional, but the real draw was being part of all of this revitalization."

Laubach said City Center is talking to prospective tenants of Four City Center, which is another mixed-use development across from the hotel which will include retail space and residential units.

"The retail follows, and the residential is going to be a very critical and important part of the story," Laubach said. "I'm going to be involved in retail and office leasing in different capacities."

Laubach is a Certified Commercial Investment Member & Designee. He is a member of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp., where he serves on the legislative and government relations committee and the real estate broker/development committee.

Laubach also belongs to The Executive Forum of the Lehigh Valley, for which he is a program chairman. He was previously a member of ArtsQuest's Musikfest Council for six years and is a graduate of Leadership Lehigh Valley.

Laubach, a native of Bethlehem, holds a bachelor of science in labor studies and industrial relations from Penn State University. He and his family live in Hanover Township, Northampton County.

Source: LVB.com