New PPL Center hopes to revitalize Lehigh Valley

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (WPVI) -- The newly opened $177 million PPL Center in Allentown aims to be an economic boost for the Lehigh Valley.

The first event at the new center - an Eagles concert on Friday night.

"Next week Tom Petty, we have Rascal Flatts later on in the month," said Gunnar Fox, PPL Center General Manager.

This will also be the new home of the AHL's Phantoms. The owners expect a good fit given the teams Philadelphia heritage.

"People Philadelphia are very familiar with the brands. They are very excited to see the Phantoms return and the tie to Flyers," said Jim Brooks, Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

City leaders are banking that the center will draw up to 1 million people a year to Downtown Allentown, which suffered after many retailers moved to the suburbs decades ago.

"When the malls were built to the surrounding suburbs, it sucked everything out of downtown," said Mayor Ed Pawlowski.

To reverse that, a new state tax funding scheme is allowing some corporate taxes to be used to pay private downtown development debt. It has sparked new upscale office space.

One newcomer is software firm Tryfecta.

"Were competing for the same employees with Google, Facebook and others," said Douglas Pelletier, President of Tryfecta.

The firm and its 80 plus employees moved in days ago.

Pelletier says many employees like that the new restaurants and downtown housing are just a walk away, which is a big change from their old suburban locations.

"It used to be people would get in their cars and drive home and now they're staying," said he said.

Mayor Pawlowski says the new PPL Center will be yet another economic shot in the arm for Downtown Allentown.

"We have two fortune 500 companies now, which is more than Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and we're going to have three in the future," he said.