Allentown officials and developer Nat Hyman have reached a settlement in a dispute over the cost of cleanup from a blaze that gutted one of the developer’s properties in Center City.
Hyman paid the city $132,363 for the demolition of 418 N. Franklin St., an unoccupied warehouse severely damaged in an Oct. 7 fire. The blaze left the building unstable, and within days, city officials hired Empire Services of Reading to demolish the structure.
Allentown City Council initially approved a $1.25 million emergency allocation for the work, which included $850,000 for demolition and $400,000 for waste removal and asbestos abatement. Board members vowed to recoup the money from the developer.
Hyman publicly disputed the cost, arguing he could do the work for less and wasn’t consulted before the city chose the contractor for the job.