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Allentown was never going to happen. I don't know how anyone associated with this project thought it would happen. For starters Ed Rendell is no longer in office, meaning that millions and millions and millions in state welfare to build stadiums and arenas went away. Not to mention the whole financing package was nothing more than a house of cards and special taxes. PA has done this in the past and every project has blown up. Google City of Harrisburg and you will see what happens when local governments mortgage the future for a project that is to be the savior of the city/region. Add to this that the population demographics of Allentown aren't exactly rabid hockey fans. Meaning that there is no established fan base (no matter how small) to draw on. SO now you have a new team, in a non hockey market, playing in an arena that was build using slight of hand and Enron-sqe accounting principles AND you have no built in fan base. I hope this project falls flat, because this team won't last 5 years in Allentown and as always the tax payers of PA will be left paying for yet another empty area and failed urban renewal project.
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