Allentown's newest event space could be ready to host its
first venue in December. That's the plan according to Zachary Jaindl, chief
operations officer at Jaindl Properties, the company behind the $3 million
Vault 634 project.
The company is renovating the former Lehigh Valley Trust
Co. building at 634-636 Hamilton St. into a venue that can host weddings,
parties, corporate events and other social gatherings.
Built around the turn of the last century, the building
has sat vacant since the early 1990s, Jaindl said.
Workers will transform the 15,745-square-foot property
into a 17,000-square-foot venue at full build-out, including a speakeasy in the
basement, bar and refurbished main floor.
The building includes a basement level, main floor and
front and rear mezzanines. To accommodate basement access for the project,
Jaindl Properties bought land at the rear of the building and will be
constructing a 2,035-square-foot addition that will span from the basement to
the second floor, Jaindl said.
The project will introduce an elevator, secondary
stairway, secondary lobbies and a sky deck overlooking the future site of
Innovation Campus (City Center Lehigh Valley’s pending mixed-use project).
The renovation, expected to begin in the second quarter,
will take about six months and will include the excavation and construction of
the addition while bringing the building up to today’s code, Jaindl said. It
will include additional luxury amenities such as an updated lighting system as
well as sound and video amenities for weddings and events.
Workers will build a large kitchen space at the rear of
the building, and one of the two main vaults will be converted to a signature
Vault Bar, he said. The basement will be converted to a speakeasy bar/lounge.
The company would like to efficiently reuse the property
as an events venue that retains the historic attributes.
“The building will be historically preserved,” Jaindl
said.
Two stairways framing the building on either side of the
main ballroom will be removed. In its place, workers will build a curved
stairway that leads to the mezzanine.
“The main hall will primarily be used for events; you
don’t see many places like this anymore,” Jaindl said. “Right now, it is
already fitted out for event space.”
The company will add new lighting, electric, plumbing and
a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, plus bridal preparation
suites.
Jaindl Properties plans to acquire a liquor license.
While the space will include a kitchen, the company will subcontract out to
caterers rather than relying solely on one chef for food preparation.
“It will give people the versatility to pick and choose
the cuisine they want, rather than one kitchen,” Jaindl said. “Brides today are
looking for that versatility.”
Jaindl said the goal for the project is to create a
one-stop shop for people looking to host events. His company plans to hire as
many as two, if not more, event planners for this purpose.
He estimated the venue could seat about 250, a total that
rises to 450 if the guests were standing.
As a site in the Neighborhood Improvement Zone, which
offers tax incentives for new construction and capital improvements on
properties in the zone, the project would appear before the Allentown
Neighborhood Improvement Zone Development Authority for review, possibly in
April, Jaindl said.
Architects are in the final design stages, and Jaindl
said he is hoping to start construction this summer, with an opening planned
for early December.
Jaindl is working with Serfass Construction of North
Whitehall Township as the construction firm and Howard Kulp Architects of
Allentown as the architect for the project.
Jaindl plans to also make upgrades to the exterior façade
facing Hamilton Street.
He said there appears to be a strong need for an events
venue space in downtown Allentown.
“We are getting half a dozen calls a day,” Jaindl said.
Source: LVB
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