The Waterfront Development Company has announced the completion of a comprehensive update to the long-term master plan for The Waterfront, its 29-acre riverfront development along the western banks of the Lehigh River. The updated vision reflects a decade of learning, a clear-eyed response to post-pandemic market realities, and a renewed commitment to delivering a place that serves Allentown and the broader Lehigh Valley for generations.

The Waterfront Development Company is a Jaindl Enterprises affiliate responsible for the planning, development, and long-term stewardship of The Waterfront, a 29-acre mixed-use riverfront campus in Allentown.

Initially conceived in 2012, The Waterfront was designed to capitalize on the Neighborhood Improvement Zone and was envisioned as a largely office-driven campus, supported by residential, structured parking, and street-level retail. That approach was right for its time. The market has since changed.

Over the past three years, office demand across the Lehigh Valley has slowed and shifted toward smaller, flexible footprints, while residential demand has remained resilient. Multifamily vacancy in the region continues to hover in the low single digits, with rents growing steadily and absorption consistently outpacing new supply. At the same time, retail and dining in walkable, experience-driven environments have outperformed traditional formats, and the Lehigh Valley’s population, workforce, and household incomes have continued to grow.

In response, The Waterfront Development Company initiated a full master planning effort in 2025 to future-proof the site. Following a national search, Urban Design Associates, an internationally respected planning and urban design firm based in Pittsburgh, was selected to lead the effort. UDA brings decades of experience shaping mixed-use, waterfront, and downtown districts across the country, with a process rooted in market reality, community engagement, and long-term flexibility.

Throughout 2025, an in-depth market study examined trends in multifamily, retail, hospitality, and office sectors at both the regional and national levels. The findings were clear: housing remains the strongest and most durable driver of activity; office must be rightsized and specialized; and successful places blend daily life, commerce and public space into a seamless whole.

UDA translated these findings into a series of working concepts, supported by physical models, height and massing reports and real-world case studies. The firm conducted extensive outreach, including virtual meetings with community members, City of Allentown leadership, local businesses and regional stakeholders, followed by multiple site visits and in-person workshops in late 2025 and January 2026.

The result is an updated master plan that is both disciplined and aspirational.

The plan increases the residential component of The Waterfront, introducing a mix of apartments and for-purchase townhomes that reflect Allentown’s architectural DNA and respond directly to the region’s housing needs. These residences are designed to support a true 18-hour neighborhood; one that is active beyond the traditional workday.

Office uses are scaled back and refined, focusing on high-quality, flexible space suited to growth sectors such as health care and professional services, as well as specialty users who value proximity to amenities and talent. Retail, dining and entertainment are expanded and curated to activate the riverfront, support local businesses, and create a destination that complements downtown Allentown rather than compete with it.

Public space is central to the plan. New riverfront connections, trails and civic gathering spaces are designed to better connect Allentown to the Lehigh River, something residents and stakeholders consistently identified as a priority. Parking and infrastructure are approached as adaptable systems, ensuring the site can evolve as transportation patterns and uses change over time.

Importantly, this is a master plan, not a final set of construction drawings. The initial concept has been intentionally vetted, tested and refined and will now move into a detailed phase of work with civil engineers, architects, designers and municipal partners. This next step will focus on technical coordination, permitting, infrastructure and phased implementation.

Throughout the process, The Waterfront Development Company has taken seriously the concerns often raised with large-scale development: traffic, scale, neighborhood integration, affordability and access to public space. The updated plan addresses these directly by prioritizing walkability, distributing density thoughtfully across the site, phasing development responsibly, and designing places meant to be shared, not gated off.

“This plan is about balance,” said Zachary Jaindl, Chief Operating Officer of The Waterfront Development Company. “Between past and future. Between market realities and civic ambition. Between private investment and public benefit. We listened carefully, and we designed with intention.”

When fully realized, The Waterfront will deliver new housing options, jobs, local-serving retail, public river access and a year-round destination that strengthens Allentown’s tax base and quality of life while remaining flexible enough to adapt to whatever comes next.

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