$1M in state funding will help renovate long-vacant Banana Joe’s in Allentown
After years of sitting empty at the gateway to Downtown Allentown, the former home to the Banana Joe’s nightclub is seeing new interest.
The old train station at Hamilton and South Third streets is receiving $1 million in funding from the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, part of a list of Lehigh Valley projects receiving checks in this round.
Real Star Properties LLC, which bought the property a year ago for $2.1 million, applied for $3 million to renovate the historic building. Plans include exterior and interior work, upgrades to the building, and repaving and striping the parking lot.
Christine Saleb, a member and manager with Real Star Properties, said the focus now is renovating the building and finding someone to lease it. The developers would like to see a clinic or office space at the site, and are steering away from making it a restaurant.
“We have some things in mind ... it depends on whoever would be interested,” she said.
The plan is to start renovation work by next spring, and the work should take about six months, Saleb said. The developer is working with Full Circle Realty & Property Management to find a tenant.
The group also bought the adjacent lot, sold in August for $1.65 million, from Nat Hyman. While the train station project is the top priority, Real Star is exploring ideas for the vacant lot next door, Saleb said.
An affordable housing complex is among various options under consideration, Saleb said.
Allentown spokeswoman Genesis Ortega said the city had some preliminary discussions about redeveloping the properties back in August, but the owners have not submitted project plans or details for the city to evaluate.
“We are generally supportive of the redevelopment of these sites, and particularly the reuse and preservation of the historic train station,” Ortega added.
The building has sat vacant since 2007, when Banana Joe’s nightclub closed after Michael Douglas, of Easton, was shot to death and a second person injured after a fight in the early morning of Sept. 14 at the club.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board later voted to not renew Bananas’ liquor license, citing the more than 30 incidents at the club over the years.