Robert DiLorenzo Helps the Lehigh Valley Grow

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Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley consists of the cities of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton and is home to 700,000 people—a number rising by about 4,000 each year. The region’s planning commission reports the population could reach more than 800,000 by 2040. With that kind of growth comes the challenge of meeting housing demands and the opportunity to shape an area’s culture for the years to come.

As the director of planning and construction at City Center Group, Robert DiLorenzo welcomes the challenge. It offers him a chance to not only bring development to the place he grew up, but also create spaces that help the fastest-growing region in eastern Pennsylvania thrive.

“I enjoy the process of real estate development and seeing how it can have a positive impact on the community. There is a sense of gratification that comes with taking a conceptual idea and turning it into a tangible asset for the community’s benefit,” the Allentown native says.

Amid the population boom, DiLorenzo and his colleagues have been committed to accommodating the growth on multiple fronts, including their work in Allentown’s Downtown West neighborhood. Over the past five years, the company has developed upwards of 400 apartments among 3 buildings in the district, with 2 more residential communities currently under construction. They’re also looking to add to the rich, historic character of the neighborhood with a 30,000-square-foot music hall, featuring 2 distinct venues for concerts, comedy shows, and other events. 

To complement the hall, City Center is developing a nearby boutique hotel with a bar, lounge and a 4,000-square-foot restaurant. Both projects are breaking ground in summer 2023 and will be completed by summer 2024.

“It has been an honor partnering with Robert DiLorenzo over the past six years and helping him realize his vision for smart urban growth in the Lehigh Valley,” says Michael S. McCloskey, AIA, LEED AP, vice president at Bernardon. “The contributions our team has made in shaping the landscape of the area and providing beautiful housing solutions exemplifies what Bernardon strives to achieve—creating a world where all environments improve everyday life.”

DiLorenzo says the Downtown West developments will not only create more housing and more jobs, but also make the city more vibrant. “You want to live somewhere that’s relevant,” he says. “That’s why people move to cities. They want to be in the middle of the hustle and the bustle, to have options on nights and weekends to go out with friends to grab a drink, or do something different.”

DiLorenzo’s team is also making similar strides in downtown Easton with a 264-unit apartment building breaking ground in October 2023. It’ll include a 308-space parking garage and more than 15,000 square foot of amenity space, comprising a resident lounge, game room, coworking space, fitness center, pool, rooftop terrace, and more.

“There hasn’t been a new apartment building of any scale developed in downtown Easton in the last 20 years, so this is a huge project for the city,” he says. “There’s so much pent-up housing demand in Easton, so we’re really thrilled to bring this product to the community.”

DiLorenzo grew up wanting to be an architect, but as his hometown underwent a revitalization effort that sparked the construction of a hockey arena, he fell in love with development. He went on to study facilities, planning, and management at Temple University. Along the way, he met a professor who connected him with a developer at City Center.

“He was sharing a lot about the revitalization planning, and I was already aware since I had been following it all throughout high school and college,” he recalls. “I eventually became an intern for the organization; I thought it would be an awesome opportunity to come back home and apply what I learned at Temple.”

After he got his degree, he started a full-time associate project management position immediately. Since then, he’s served in various leadership roles with wide-ranging responsibilities, and has learned to lead by example.

“Our organization is comprised of individuals who are passionate about their work and the impact it has on those around them. We all have the day-to-day tasks we need to accomplish, but as a team we recognize the importance of taking the time to see the bigger picture and understand how we all contribute to the larger goal,” he says.

If young people want to see the kind of career success DiLorenzo has, they shouldn’t be afraid to put themselves out there.

“You never know who you’re going to meet, so show up, be present, and don’t be afraid to go up and ask questions,” he advises. “I can’t tell you how many interns we’ve hired because someone came up and did that. So, send that random email or make that call. You never know who will answer.”

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