ARTICLE
When the puck dropped in downtown Allentown's PPL Center arena Oct. 17, the city would never be the same. It was the day the Lehigh Valley Phantoms professional ice hockey team made a grand entrance onto its new home ice at the arena at Seventh and Hamilton streets. It was the start of what would be 41 home games, bringing more than 330,000 people to the city's downtown. Retail stores and restaurants – particularly their dinner business – reaped the benefits of a spike in revenue as the hockey games brought new clientele to the city. Then, on April 19, the hockey season came to an end. But the promise of increased revenue for downtown businesses has not ended. For starters, the arena will continue to host other nonhockey events. Already, those arena events such as concerts and fundraisers have brought in another 170,000 people to the downtown. Click here to read the article.
When the puck dropped in downtown Allentown's PPL Center arena Oct. 17, the city would never be the same.
It was the day the Lehigh Valley Phantoms professional ice hockey team made a grand entrance onto its new home ice at the arena at Seventh and Hamilton streets.
It was the start of what would be 41 home games, bringing more than 330,000 people to the city's downtown. Retail stores and restaurants – particularly their dinner business – reaped the benefits of a spike in revenue as the hockey games brought new clientele to the city.
Then, on April 19, the hockey season came to an end. But the promise of increased revenue for downtown businesses has not ended.
For starters, the arena will continue to host other nonhockey events. Already, those arena events such as concerts and fundraisers have brought in another 170,000 people to the downtown.
Click here to read the article.