A 2nd chance for this long-shuttered, historic Lehigh Valley building to shine

By Pamela Sroka-Holzmann | For lehighvalleylive.com

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Lehighvalleylive.com file photo

The Lehigh Valley Trust Building -- once a bustling Allentown bank in the early 1900s -- soon will become a popular hot spot for brides and grooms-to-be.

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Photo courtesy Jaindl Enterprises

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Opened in 1911

The building, 634-636 West Hamilton St., opened in 1911 and closed its doors in 1988. It features a domed Victorian stained-glass ceiling surrounded by plaster crown molding -- about 40 feet above a marble floor. A huge crystal chandelier remains, as well as a handful of large stainless steel bank vaults.

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Photo courtesy Jaindl Enterprises

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A future wedding venue

Mark and Zachary Jaindl, father and son co-founders of Jaindl Enterprises, in 2004 bought the site for $325,000 from developer Abe Atiyeh. Zachary Jaindl said a series of market studies were then conducted to determine the property's highest and best use, which resulted in the idea of a wedding and event venue.

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The pair put plans on hold for several years for the project while focusing on The Waterfront, a redevelopment project along the western banks of the Lehigh River. They then announced plans earlier this year to embark on an estimated $3.8 million overhaul to transform the bank site into what will become "Vault 634," a New York-style high-end venue.

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Allentown-based Howard Kulp Architects designed Vault 634 and Allentown-based Serfass Construction Co. was hired to complete the improvements. Staging and demolition of non-historic elements is expected to begin on Monday, Zachary Jaindl said.

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Photo courtesy Jaindl Enterprises

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1 last glimpse

Invited guests will be able to catch one last glimpse of the 106-year-old building before major renovations follow in early September. A reception is being held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sept. 7.

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"We'll (also) be revealing the final plans and renderings of what the building will look like," Zachary Jaindl added.

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Photo courtesy Jaindl Enterprises

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Preserving charm

The Jaindls know the building could be worth more in today's real estate market if it were demolished. But important to the duo is preserving the site's historic architectural integrity.

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"The Lehigh Valley Trust Building is located within Allentown's Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ), making the land very valuable," Zachary Jaindl said. "That said, (Mark) and I are preservationists. We have restored, maintained and re-positioned numerous properties throughout the City of Allentown ... 634 West Hamilton will be no different. "

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He said the building's entire historical aesthetic will be restored and any non-historic elements -- factored into the space in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s -- will be removed and replaced with Class A amenities.

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Photo courtesy Jaindl Enterprises

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Maintaining 'grandeur'

"The building will maintain its grandeur while offering the audio, visual and comfort amenities today's event clientele have come to expect," Zachary Jaindl said.

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Photo courtesy Jaindl Enterprises

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The Vault bar

Once completed, two of the vaults on the first level will be preserved to better lend to the building's aesthetics. Another vault door will remain in place, but the side of the vault itself will be opened and the space converted to a signature "Vault Bar," Zachary Jaindl said.

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There also are plans to convert the basement into a high-end speakeasy and lounge utilized for events. A 2,200-square-foot addition on the side of the building will allow for an elevator and a sky deck overlooking the proposed Innovation Campus on Seventh and Walnut streets. Additionally, a full catering kitchen will be implemented for food preparation for events.

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The venue would accommodate 250 people seated or 400 standing, and upward of 100 events would eventually be planned annually.

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Photo courtesy Jaindl Enterprises

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Repurposing offices

The building looks similar today to how it looked in the early 1900s, Zachary Jaindl said, noting the main floor has the three giant vault doors, the basement has the other two vaults, and there are several executive offices with fireplaces, as well as dual mezzanines.

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The future

The Jaindls have big plans for the venue, once completed in an estimated six months. A soft opening is planned followed by bookings to begin in late winter 2018. The developers are interested in a mix of weddings, corporate and personal events, Zachary Jaindl said.

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They also want to ensure area businesses are advertised and made known to clients from within the Lehigh Valley and beyond. Discussions on those ideas also are planned for Sept. 7, Zachary Jaindl said.

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"The purpose of the project is to bring this property back to life while introducing a whole new level of style of wedding and event venues to the heart of the Lehigh Valley's largest city," he said.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

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