Stepping off the beaten path of typical news copy, Allentown’s Redevelopment Authority is quietly preparing to transform a renovated downtown flat into more than just another rental.
The three-story building on North Ninth Street—newly restored after water damage—now “is completely fixed and ready to hit the rental market,” Kelly McEllroy, a city employee supporting the authority, told officials during their July 13 meeting. But the twist: the authority is exploring a partnership with Valley Youth House to lease the unit as transitional housing for young adults moving toward financial and emotional independence.…