So now if you dare to go downtown you may see Ambassadors wondering around. These Ambassadors are there to help you park so your car doesnt get stolen, help you find where your going so you dont get robbed at gunpoint and tell you what excitong things are happening that day in other cool cities.
The Downtown Allentown Alliance formed this dumb idea in hopes of bringing people to downtown.
“Downtown Allentown already has so much to offer. Our ambassadors will help more people experience it by ensuring everyone feels welcome, informed and connected."
Jim Stang, operations manager, Downtown Allentown Ambassador Team
This is ridiculous. What the hell does downtown have to offer? Is this guy even from the area??
What else is there to do besides the PPL center that is open maybe 100x a year? The Archer? Eh. I only ever recognized one act there so far that I ever heard of. The restaurants arent that great. Most close before dark anyways. The ones that were great like Billys Diner have left. There is no good retail stores. Like half a dozen cell phone stores. Oh dont forget the pawn shop. There is lots of places to lease or rent. Downtown has nothing to offer.
The ambassador program will be operated by Block by Block, (aka New Kids on the Block) a nationally recognized leader in downtown place management. Until now. They will fail in Allentown.
“Block by Block programs are about presence, people and pride,” said Jim Stang, the newly appointed Downtown Allentown Ambassador Team operations manager.
Stang has more than a decade of experience, most recently serving as Block by Block’s operations manager for Camden, New Jersey. We all know what a dump Camden is.
Our new office and hospitality ambassador team represent major investments in creating a downtown that feels friendly, vibrant and cared for every day.” DAA Acting Director Jill Meyers
Cared for? Vibrant? You forgot fabulous and safe too. Haha.
There is literally the "Clean Team" that every morning has to clean up all the trash on the streets from the slobs the night before. Very inviting. They do an awesome job tho.
The DAA received $804,000 in initial funding from the City of Allentown, the Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone Development Authority, the state (secured by state Sen. Nick Miller, D-14th District) and private partners through the DAA Founders Council. Could have guessed that. Unreal.
Drum roll please
The Founders Council members include Air Products, Alvin H. Butz, Capital Blue Cross, City Center Group, Duggan and Marcon, Dunne Manning, Gross McGinley, Leonard Parker Pool Institute for Health, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Morton Brown, North Star Construction Management, PPL and St. Luke’s University Health Network.
So basically all the companies (minus the hospitals and Gross McGinley who the city uses for all the lawsuits against them) that get all the building contracts in the city.
This is all Quid pro quo. Writeoffs as well for these companies.
I give this program 1 year or as long as it continues to be funded. Another waste of money and failure of the city.
As I said before the perception and reality of downtown will always be its downfall. It could be the safest and most exciting place in the world but until people actually believe its safe, it doesnt matter what you do there.
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7 comments:
Will these Ambassadors receive an hourly wage? What is the employee pay per hour? What are the hours the Ambassadors will be out there? How many Ambassadors per block will operate at all times? Will the Ambassadors be provided cell phones (to dial 911), or radio equipment?
How many Ambassadors total will be signed-up to serve? Will this be shift work?
Sorry, I didn't read any press releases or Morning Call articles about this. They usually lie, anyway. But, these are the questions that could have been asked with answers reported. That's what all professional Reporters do, right?
Sorry if you, Abe, already gave those answers in one of your earlier postings.
I should have added. If there were some nice retail stores like the old Hess's I would go. Why not look at getting yankee candle, bed bath beyond, Victoria's secret. All in a row. That would def draw woman there. For men, cigars international, a massage parlor ( sorry had too), hooters, a smaller version of shangys. You need lots of little shops so people can spend several hours there.
Yep all backdoor boys are sponsors. Hardly a donation if the money is used to help you make money.
An these “AmbASSadors” show Tuerk the way back to Colorado ?
Will the Ambassadors be able to show the fastest route out of Allentown?
Kensington ave double main st of Allentown pa being sold in a nue colurful flavorful same old sack o shit just different packaging. Like the Campbell's soup can and than the seconds branding on other cans trying to imitate.
I walk from 12th & Hamilton to 5th & Hamilton on Saturdays once a month and I've seen nothing but empty sidewalks, occasional local people, closed businesses and zero tourists. I cant believe Tuerk is promoting this ridiculous idea, I think he has BDS [Bethlehem Delusional Syndrome]. Any public offical who thinks there are any tourists in downtown Allentown, nevermind disoriented ones who need help finding tourist "destinations", should have their heads examined. This is a pure and simple case of using local media for TP [Tourism Propaganda].
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