Allentown, Pennsylvania was once a thriving economic hub for retail in the 1970s but fell victim to decades of economic decline. Businesses and people fled the downtown area for the suburbs and the results were predictably poor.
Those tough times are finally over. Allentown is a revitalized city home to flourishing new businesses and is currently the fastest growing city in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
DKE Brother J.B. Reilly ’83 is a driving force behind that revitalization. Reilly was featured in a recent article titled ‘Allentown bets big to shed its former image’ by Tommy Andres on Marketplace.org.
Reilly and his company, The City Center Management Company, are building the new arena for the Philadelphia Flyers’ minor league team, the Phantoms. The PPL Center also features a membership gym and a new Marriot Renaissance hotel.
“Not only did we see a financial opportunity,” Reilly said, “We saw a community development opportunity.”
“There will be 3,000 more people working here [in September] than there were a year ago. And for a city like Allentown, that’s just extraordinary.”
Brother Reilly is a shining example of the true impact Rho Dekes can make in the community. We are proud of the leadership he displays both as a Trustee for the College and as a key figure in the turnaround of Allentown.
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