Jan. 15, 2002 -- Race driver Michael Andretti is among the partners seeking to develop a carrier hotel project in Allentown, Pa.
The Fiber Optic Network Exchange (FONE) of Allentown this week unveiled its plans for the former Verizon building at 728 Linden Street in Allentown's business district. The retrofit of the building is scheduled to begin in the next several months and take approximately six months to complete, according to FONE.
Among the other partners in the project is Peter Berns, a co-founder of COLO.COM, which became one of the largest data center chains in the country before filing for bankruptcy last year.
FONE said it expects the project will create 75 new jobs upon its completion in the third quarter of 2002, and eventually lead to the addition of another 200 jobs for the local economy.
"I'm happy to be involved in a project close to home," said Andretti, whose local business holdings include Michael Andretti Powersports Stores and Andretti Auto Dealerships. "It's exciting to translate some of the high-tech experiences I've encountered in racing into a viable high-tech project for Allentown."
The son of Indy 500 winner Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti has won more races (40), more pole positions (32) and led more laps (6,409) than any other active driver in the Cart/FEDEX Championship Series.
FONE said the new facility will position downtown Allentown as the technology center of the Lehigh Valley and attract technology driven companies that need inexpensive and immediate access to high-speed bandwidth.
Berns has been an advocate of the development of carrier hotels in secondary cities, which was the business focus of his most recent development venture, Convergency Centers of Grand Rapids, Mich.
While FONE is a newly-created partnership, its partners have considerable experience as developers and investors in Pennsylvania. The partnership includes:

• Richard Welkowitz, President of Blackford Development, LTD., who has been actively involved in development since 1970 and is the Chairman of the Board of local company Triton Environmental Research, Inc.
• Joseph Deerin, President of LMS Commercial Real Estate and Property Management Alternatives, Inc. Deerin's firms are actively engaged in the management and leasing of approximately 12 shopping centers in the central Pennsylvania area.
• Robert V. Holton, III, President of RVH Development, a Chicago, IL company specializing in telecommunication real estate financing.